Independent 8922 / Dac

Dac’s strength lies in his very subtle misdirection through the surface reading of his clues.

 

 

 

The wordplay in Dac’s clues is very rarely complex although there were a couple of more complex ones today with BATTLEDORE (4 across) and BLACK NIGHTSHADE (4 down).  ARCHIPELAGOS also had four component parts and a good bit of misdirection for LAGOS.  I feel sure that a number of  solvers were looking initially for an East African location as part of the wordplay.

Clues I liked today included those for TREASURE (simple but excellent surface), MANAGEMENT (with its game played to indicate an anagram of game), LIVERPOOL STREET (excellent anagram) and PALETTE (because it made me groan).

 

Across
No. Clue Wordplay Entry

1

 

Very odd parts in Die Hard (4)

 

DEAD (letters 1, 3 5 and 7 [odd parts] of DIE HARD) DEAD (exactly; absolutely; very)

4

 

British PM once receiving duke and soldiers making a racket (10)

 

B (British) + (ATTLEE [reference Clement ATTLEE {1883 – 1967} Prime Minister of the United Kingdom {1945 – 1951}] containing [receiving] [D {duke} + OR {other ranks; soldiers}])

B ATTLE (D OR) E

BATTLEDORE (a light bat for striking a shuttlecock; racket)

 

9

 

Watch tapes etc being unwound (8)

 

Anagram of (being unwound) TAPES ETC

SPECTATE*

SPECTATE (watch)

 

10

 

Very pleasant near European resort (6)

 

V (very) + E (European) + NICE (pleasant)

 

VENICE (resort city in Italy)

 

11

 

Heckle, wanting leader removed?  That’s the spirit (6)

 

BARRACK (heckle) excluding the first letter (wanting leader removed) B

 

ARRACK (a strong alcoholic drink made in Asian countries from toddy; spirit)

 

12

 

First-class run towards pacific island, mostly going by plane (8)

 

AI (first class) + R (run) + BORNEO (large island in the Western Pacific) excluding the final letter (mostly) O

 

AIRBORNE (going by plane)

 

13

 

Crime is soon solved with involvement of Met’s head: him? (12)

 

Anagram of (solved) (CRIME IS SOON and [involvement of] M [first letter of {head} MET])

COMMISSIONER*

COMMISSIONER (title of the senior officer in the Metropolitan Police in London)

 

15

 

Groups of islands forming curve in East African location (12)

 

ARC (curve)  + HIP (knowing; informed; in) + E (East) + LAGOS (major commercial city in Nigeria; African location)

 

ARCHIPELAGOS (groups of islands)

 

19

 

Show Liberal party is in front (8)

 

CAROUSE (party) + L (Liberal)

 

CAROUSEL (Musical by Rogers & Hammerstein)

 

21

 

Tough amphibious creature biting old boy (3,3)

 

TOAD (amphibious creature) containing (biting) OB (old boy)

TO (O B) AD

TOO BAD (what a pity!; tough!)

 

22

 

Servant wanting a dance (6)

 

VALET (male servant) + A

 

VALETA (a dance or dance tune in quick waltz time)

 

23

 

Leaders of the robbers, each certain to get riches (8)

 

TR (first letters of [leaders of] each of THE and ROBBERS) + EA (each) + SURE (certain)

 

TREASURE (riches)

 

24

 

Board game played by fellow attending hospital department (10)

 

MAN (fellow) + an anagram of (played) GAME + ENT (ear nose and threat; hospital department)

MAN AGEM* ENT

MANAGEMENT (committee or senior staff that run a business; board)

 

25

 

Cut waiting for a start in old hospital (4)

 

W (first letter of [for a start] WAITING) contained in (in) SAN (sanatorium; old term for hospital, especially for consumptives)

SA (W) N

SAWN (cut)

 

Down
No. Clue Wordplay Entry

2

 

In Morecambe perhaps, politician – Independent – is a charlatan (7)

 

(MP [Member of Parliament] + I [independent]) contained in (in) ERIC (reference ERIC Morecambe [1926 – 1984], comedian)

E (MP I) RIC

EMPIRIC (quack; charlatan)

 

3

 

Ranter, one interrupting winter piece by Debussy? (9)

 

I (one) contained in (interrupting) (DEC [December; winter {in the northern hemisphere} + LA MER [three symphonic sketches for orchestra by Claude Debussy [1862 – 1918])

DEC LA (I) MER

DECLAIMER (one whop harangues; ranter)

 

4

 

Brave fighters in endless pain, overwhelmed by swordsman: It’s blooming fatal (5,10)

(KNIGHTS [brave fighters] contained in [in] [ACHE {pain} excluding the final letter {endless} E]) all contained in (overwhelmed by) BLADE (swordsman)

BL (AC (KNIGHT S) H) ADE

BLACK NIGHTSHADE (a common plant [bloom] of the nightshade family, Solanum nigrum, with poisonous leaves, white flowers and black berries; it’s blooming fatal)

 

5

 

Ancient Greeks born in ruins of Athens (7)

 

B (born) contained in (in) an anagram of (ruins) ATHENS

THE (B) ANS*

THEBANS (natives of THEBES; ancient Greeks)

 

6

 

Loveliest porter working in London station (9,6)

 

Anagram of (working) LOVELIEST PORTER

LIVERPOOL STREET*

LIVERPOOL STREET (London railway station)

 

7

 

Pass two people adopting new name (5)

 

DUO (two people) containing (adopting) (N [new] + N [name])

DU (N N) O

DUNNO (I don’t know; pass)

 

8

 

Taking part in run invigorating? Not at first (6)

 

BRACING (invigorating) excluding the first letter (not at first) B

 

RACING (taking part in run)

 

14

 

Interests son in English flowers (9)

 

ENG (English) + ROSES (example of flowers)

 

ENGROSSES (interests)

 

16

 

Maybe little friend‘s colourful collection? (7)

 

PAL (friend) + ETTE (suffix forming nouns denoting small) – giving little friend in this case

 

PALETTE (assortment or range of colours used by a particular artist or for any particular picture; colourful collection)

 

17

 

Pig eating fish and bird (7)

 

SOW (female pig) containing (eating) PARR (young salmon; fish)

S (PARR) OW

SPARROW (example of a bird)

 

18

 

Mother hen heard somewhere in Asia (6)

 

MA (mother) + LAYA (sounds like [heard] LAYER [a hen is an example of a LAYER])

 

MALAYA (region in Asia, no loner a country in it’s own right)

 

20

 

Margaret initially affected by love letter (5)

 

O (zero; love score in tennis) + MEG (Margaret) + A (first letter of [initially] AFFECTED)

 

OMEGA (letter of the Greek alphabet)

 

6 comments on “Independent 8922 / Dac”

  1. All grand stuff, all answers written in with a firm hand, except… I utterly failed at 22A valeta. I’d not come across the word before, and was looking for a servant from which I could subtract an “A”, “wanting a”, to make a dance I’d never heard of. “Servant before a dance” might have been a kinder clue. But, I only suggest that because I failed!

    I missed the precise meaning of 4A battledore because of Dac’s cunning misdirection, which duncanshiell rightly praises. But I did write it in.

    Favourite clue: 4D Black Nightshade, for which I guessed the answer from the crossing letters then had to puzzle out its oh-so-precise clueing.

    Most confusing clue: 17D Sparrow, for which I initially wrote in Swallow, undone by my faith that any monosyllable in English is the name of a fish. “Wall” must be the exception that proves the rule, this monosyllable being a butterfly instead. I only realised my mistake when I had spent ages trying to fit something in 23A Treasure.

    Jolly good fun, Dac; thanks, duncanshiell.

  2. Quickest finish ever for a Wednesday. Is this the new Monday?

    Also enjoyed amusing anagram at 6D and agree 16D was a laugh/groan.

    24A I think the definition is simply “board”.

    Thanks to Dac and duncanshiell.

  3. Very nice puzzle; I failed at 19a, alas. RE 22a, we had to learn the Valeta at school! Thanks to both.

  4. I enjoyed this immensely. The definitions are precise, the wordplay is simple and clear, but the combination points somewhere else entirely. Thanks Dac and duncanshiell.

  5. Well done, gwep, because this took me ages. Funny grid, wasn’t it? Or maybe just me having an off day with butterflies about The Lads needing a point tonight at Highbury to be certain of Prem survival.

    LIVERPOOL STREET was a fine anagram.

    Thanks, both.

  6. Another superb Wednesday from Dac – but who will fill his slot next week?

    The “East African” type of misdirection in 15ac often comes up, using all four compass points as the occasion requires, but we fall for it every time! Or at least I do.

    Thanks, Dac and Duncan.

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