One of my favourite setters this week, and a nice short preamble. Nine answers were connected to their grid entry in some way, with the remaining clues having something restored before solving.
1ac gave the first hint: the answer length was (5) but the entry length was 6. Unfortunately, examination of the other clues only gave five where the lengths were different. That seemed to rule out the dropping of one or more letters.
7ac was the first clue I solved leading to BASH. That was a normal clue, so presumably needing to be entered differently. I tried 7dn and got KURU with its simple last letters, and an immediate clash. I suppose I should have sussed the connection there and then as a sometime Beano reader (or was it Dandy?). Next came 8dn BAKER… still no spark.
I decided to finish the across clues, but not being able to identify what needed restoring, I didn’t get far. Until 26ac WALL when finally the penny dropped! WALL STREET, BAKER STREET, BASH STREET gave CRASH, IRREGULARS and KIDS respectively. I was off and running.
With this knowledge, it didn’t take long to realise that “st” had to be restored to all the remaining clues for them to make sense. It shows what a master Kea is that he managed this with some excellent misdirection. I especially liked 16ac where “st” was restored to give “St Louis”, indicating the American spelling COLOR.
In the end, it wasn’t too difficult a puzzle from Kea, and I finished it in just over 90 minutes. The broadest grin was kept for Janet Street PORTER at 1ac. I have to admit that I had never heard of Wardour Street ENGLISH at 21ac nor Basin Street BLUES at 5dn. I also thought that 15dn DEATH STAR was just a Star Wars invention.
This goes to show how the theme for a puzzle can come from the unlikeliest of places and implemented perfectly. So many thanks to Kea for a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle.
Legend:
Definition in clue
ABC* = anagram
ABC< = reversal
abCDef = hidden
| ACROSS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Answer/ Entry |
Clue and Explanation | |
| 1 | JANET STREET PORTER |
Fast streaming across anonymous computer network (5) JET (fast streaming) about AN (anonymous) |
|
| 7 | BASH STREET KIDS |
Baron remains in party (4) B (baron) + ASH (remains) |
|
| 10 | RUDERAL | Floridity in RUD (floridity, old word) + LEAR* |
|
| 11 | PUREX | Fuel reprocessing system or PURE (modest) + X (unknown) |
|
| 13 | SQUIRREL | Escort with one hand keeping the other SQUIRE (escort) + L (one hand, ie left) holding R (the other hand, ie right) |
|
| 14 | AT ISSUE | Explosive expiration according to a sounds like A-TISHOO (explosive expiration) |
|
| 16 | COLOR | Pass gold paint for COL (pass) + OR (gold) |
|
| 18 | SOOGIE | Gunges to face GOOS< (gunges, facing west) + IE (specifically) |
|
| 20 | LINGULA | Core of L (centre of stilLness) IN (within) GULA (throat) |
|
| 21 | WARDOUR STREET ENGLISH |
Welsh passion ruined castle in Wiltshire (7) W (Welsh) ARDOUR (passion) |
|
| 24 | RUEING | Penitent (GRUE[L] IN)* |
|
| 26 | WALL STREET CRASH |
Defence won everything (4) W (won) ALL (everything) |
|
| 28 | UNWARES | U (united) NW (northwestern) ARES (land units) |
|
| 30 | WETSUITS | Use (USE TWIST)* |
|
| 31 | ORLON | Fabric length covering ORION (astral huntsman) with middle I replaced by L (length) |
|
| 32 | METAZOA | Animals (not the simplest) cross Australia, following mostly broken ZO (cross) A (Australia) after META[L] (stones on road) |
|
| 33 | BACK STREET BOYS |
Stern or sullen, showing no latitude (4) BLACK (sullen) – L (latitude) |
|
| 34 | BOW STREET RUNNER |
Knot stem (3) 2 meanings |
|
| DOWN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No | Answer/ Entry |
Clue and Explanation | |
| 1 | MANIC STREET PREACHERS |
Crazed soldier in command (5) MAN (soldier) IC (in command) |
|
| 2 | OUST | Some of you in yOU STare |
|
| 3 | TELSON | Blows the TEL[L]S ON (blows the whistle about, heartless) |
|
| 4 | RAQUEL | Cubist erasing his [B]RAQUE (cubist without start) + L (left) |
|
| 5 | BASIN STREET BLUES |
What’s essential to plumb a sink? (5) in plumB A SINk, &lit. |
|
| 6 | EPITONIC | (ICE POINT)* |
|
| 7 | KURU | Islanders got last letters of thanK yoU DoctoR MoreaU |
|
| 8 | BAKER STREET IRREGULARS |
Nameless financier who makes lots of bread? (5) BANKER (financier) – N (name, ie nameless) |
|
| 9 | DEEDILY | Yielded YIELDED*; reference to 12dn, diligently |
|
| 12 | DILIGENTLY | Amateur works around DIY (amateur works, ie do it yourself) around TELLING* |
|
| 15 | DEATH STAR | Anti-tank howitzer’s first AT (anti-tank) H (first of Howitzer) + ST (stone) in (stopping) DEAR expensive) |
|
| 17 | REINFUND | Having IN FUN (as a joke) in RED (radical) |
|
| 19 | IN UTERO | A in one-mINUTE ROunds |
|
| 22 | HUNTER | HUN (barbarian) TER (territory) |
|
| 23 | TRAJAN | Drinking most of raw TAN (beat) containing (drinking) RA[W] J (justice) |
|
| 25 | GUIMP | Fiddle with independent politician’s reinforced GU (fiddle) + I (independent) MP (politician) |
|
| 27 | DSOS | Lord help cattle from D (lord) SOS (help) |
|
| 29 | EVOE | Excited cry of Perth grandchild coming up on ecstasy, imbibing OE< (grandchild, Scottish) + E (ecstasy) containing V (against) |
|
Hello Dave, it was very nice to meet you, although sad circumstances and I hope to share a pint on a happier occasion soon.
I don’t often get chance to pick up an EV and in fact this is the first for about a year. What a treat though. It is wonderful to see a setter making a puzzle enjoyable to solve rather than just difficult. The way in which the ST’s were handled in the clues was terrific I thought and not at all obvious. It shows too how it is fun to work with a theme sometimes instead of it being hidden until near the end of the solve. Great stuff, thanks.
JohnNick
Good to meet you too, John, and remember Trevor over a pint.
I agree with all your comments about Kea’s excellent puzzle. Hopefully there’s another in the pipeline.