A very entertaining and enjoyable puzzle which was accessible but certainly no gimme. There were some excellent clues (10 and 11 were both quite inventive). 27 was really the only clue that required some knowledge to work out the parsing.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Put argument against rejecting possible source of chips (5) | ||
| Rebut | Tuber< | ||
| 4. | A couple of petitions 200 sign for skunk pigs (9) | ||
| Peccaries | First two letters of petitions + CC + Aries – skunk pig is another term for the peccary | ||
| 9. | Finally arrested those having benzodiazepines and the like (7) | ||
| Downers | [Arreste]d + owners | ||
| 10. | Beer is better after removing this top (7) | ||
| Doublet | Beer is better after removing double-T | ||
| 11. | Cursory bursary, perhaps for children’s entertainment (7,6) | ||
| Nursery Rhymes | Cursory and bursary both rhyme with nursery | ||
| 14. | Ordinarily accommodates backward country (4) | ||
| Iran | Hidden, rev in ordiNARIly | ||
| 15. | Never swallows beers brewed from tropical fruit (9) | ||
| Naseberry | Nary around beers* | ||
| 18. | Second attempt at passing vehicle without someone in temporary charge (9) | ||
| Caretaker | Retake in car | ||
| 19. | Quiet local one to avoid (4) | ||
| Shun | Sh + un, dialect variant of one | ||
| 21. | The French desire a poet to be a racing driver (5,8) | ||
| Lewis Hamilton | Le + wish + a Milton | ||
| 24. | Work without procedures for where to plant seeds (7) | ||
| Topsoil | Toil around ops | ||
| 26. | 7 beginning to tire in dance summit (7) | ||
| Hilltop | Ill + t[ire] in hop | ||
| 27. | Military men see Magic Roundabout creator’s neither down nor out (9) | ||
| Sergeants | Serge Danot’s with d(own) and o(ut) removed | ||
| 28. | Autocrat loses second supply dump (5) | ||
| Depot | De[s]pot | ||
Down |
|||
| 1. | Fish that can steer a boat without hesitation (4) | ||
| Rudd | Rudd[er] | ||
| 2. | Old stick found in Bronze Age tomb something possibly used for hunting (3,3,5) | ||
| Bow and arrow | O(ld) wand in barrow | ||
| 3. | Conservative accepting second element in hypothesis (6) | ||
| Theory | Tory around HE i.e. Helium, which is second in the periodic table after Hydrogen | ||
| 4. | Snake trap surprisingly holds writer (9) | ||
| Pasternak | (Snake trap)* | ||
| 5. | Bear loses rights for divine tea-holder (5) | ||
| Caddy | Carry with the Rs replaced by Ds | ||
| 6. | State American friend had big feet removed (3,5) | ||
| Abu Dhabi | A + bud + ha[d] bi[g] | ||
| 7. | Putting pressure on this could be something that stops one feeling this (3) | ||
| Ill | Putting a P on ill gives pill, which might make you feel better | ||
| 8. | Declaring it’s worryingly loud inside meeting (10) | ||
| Satisfying | Its* + F in saying, meeting here used in the sense of satisfying a requirement | ||
| 12. | What one expects well-drilled soldiers to do features favourite sheep being upended outside (5,2,4) | ||
| March in step | Chins in (pet ram)< | ||
| 13. | Goes round after hours probing travelling show (10) | ||
| Circulates | Late in circus | ||
| 16. | Small hose protecting artist’s hands (9) | ||
| Straights | S tights around RA, hands in the sense of poker hands | ||
| 17. | Company enters to pose awkwardly for ear inspector (8) | ||
| Otoscope | Co in (to pose)* | ||
| 20. | It’s old, broken, and unlikely to be moved (6) | ||
| Stolid | (It’s old)* | ||
| 22. | Very tired characters from rural Lincolnshire (3,2) | ||
| All in | Hidden int rurAL LINcolnshire | ||
| 23. | Rejected surveillance methods causing controversy (4) | ||
| Spat | Taps< | ||
| 25. | Standard no-nonsense bird (3) | ||
| Par | Par[rot] | ||
Enjoyable puzzle. The only difficulty for me was parsing 27a, so thanks for the explanation. There is a small typo in 15a…it should be “nary” for never.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
I do several Alchemi puzzles a week on his excellent website so I am quite used to his style by now, and that means I can’t really judge whether this was tricky for a Monday or not. What I can say is I enjoyed the solve, even though you can count me as another who biffed SERGEANTS.
I too had forgotten the creator of the roundabout. Can someone explain 10A to me? I know a doublet is a top, but double t? NealH, thanks for explaining 4A peccaries, which I just guessed. I did love 16D Straights as a variety of deals!
Alchemi, how did you resist using “Lewisham ‘Ilton”, the well known London hotel, for 21A? 🙂 Thanks for the puzzle!
Very enjoyable. I’m another one who has been riffling through Alchemi’s back catalogue – the recently added #169 is excellent!
Emrys @3, does it make more sense looked at in reverse? “better”, after removing doublet (i.e. “tt”), is “beer”.
Just about the right level for a bank holiday. Thanks, Alchemi and NealH.
In 5dn it perhaps needs clarifying that DD is the abbreviation for Doctor of Divinity, i.e. a divine.
Late to comment today, having only just calmed down from the excitement of the Test Match. Never in doubt.
Enjoyed this one. Just about right for a Monday puzzle (if indeed there is such a thing any more). Some creative clueing in PAR and LEWIS HAMILTON and plenty of other good stuff elsewhere.
Bravo, Alchemi, and thanks to Neal for the blog.
Thanks to Neal for the blog: the kind comment sent me off to Lord’s for the day feeling pretty good, and funnily enough I’m feeling even better after some brilliant cricket and some more nice comments.
@Emrys Actually, the clue for LE WISH A MILTON was the one which started this puzzle off, so I never got round to the Lewisham ‘Ilton. As it happens, the “cockney” for dropping an H isn’t a device I much care for – if I use it, it’s a desperation measure.
And thanks too to those who like my website. Very kind.
Thanks NealH for saving us the trouble of googling Magic Roundabout to find the creator! It was our LOI and was obvious from the crossing letters.
Thanks Alchemi for the novel clues – a good end to a Bank Holiday.
Another really good crossword from Alchemi.
Nothing’s too hard, nothing’s too obscure.
The ideal combination of quality clueing and being accessible for all (including the not so very experienced).
As to this Lewis ‘amilton idea, I am quite sure that Paul did this in the Guardian many years ago.
But the Cockney thing is not Alchemi’s cup of tea anyway.
Very nice of Cyborg @4 to mention Alchemi’s excellent website with most of his back catalogue.
He also enriched the recent Cambridge S&B with a splendid ‘Happy Birthday’ puzzle which can be found here:
http://www.alchemipuzzles.com/homepage/puzzles-with-an-explicit-theme/261-alchemi-277
(blogged in the Sundry Puzzles category, with thus far 0 comments)
Highly recommendable!
I agree with Sil’s appraisal. This is one to share with aspiring solvers. I’ve a few acquaintances at my local library who are intrigued by my photocopying of puzzle clutches – and this is one to whet their appetites (perhaps more interesting for the smarter beginners than the more usual Rufus-type fare; but not too hard to be offputting)
Thanks to Alchemi and NealH