I haven’t blogged a Raich puzzle for a while so it was good to see his name against today’s puzzle
Raich is a man for a theme and today was no exception.. The theme helps to explain the entry at 1 across. Looking down the unchecked letters in columns 1 and 15, the name PATSY CLINE can be seen. Virginia Patterson Hensley [1932 – 1963], known professionally as PATSY CLINE, was an American singer. who made a successful crossover from Nashville sound to pop music. I’m not sure why 26th May has been chosen as the day to publish a PATSY CLINE theme as the date doesn’t seem to be an important anniversary.
I can link three of the entries to PATSY CLINE song titles – I FALL TO PIECES [1 across], ALWAYS [10- across] and SWEET DREAMS [17 across]. There may be more.
All the slightly obscure words in the grid [PARSEC, TAI and YORUBA) are there to form part of PATSY CLINE‘s name. However, I don’t think any of them were too obscure for an Independent crossword solver. Perhaps TAI is the most obscure, but the wordplay was very clear.
I found this to be a fairly gentle offering for a Tuesday, and there were no ambiguities that I could see. The cluing was clear.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Number of political fees adjusted (1,4,2,6)
|
Anagram of (adjusted) POLITICAL FEES I FALL TO PIECES* |
I FALL TO PIECES (song [number] recorded by Patsy Cline)
|
|
8
|
Returning agent meets girl with hesitation for specific period (3,5)
|
REP (representative; agent) reversed (returning) + ANN [girl’s name] + UM (expression of hesitation) PER< ANN UM |
PER ANNUM (yearly, specific period)
|
|
9
|
Some dances (rapid) over distance (6)
|
PARSEC (hidden word [some] reversed [over] in DANCES RAPID) PARSEC< |
PARSEC (the distance [about 3.26 light years] at which half the major axis of the earth’s orbit subtends an angle of one second, a unit for measurement of distances of stars)
|
|
10
|
Continually reverse boat when outside (6)
|
AS (when) containing (outside) (YAWL [small fishing boat] reversed [reverse]) A (LWAY<) S |
ALWAYS (continually)
|
|
11
|
Confused? All plainer at the same time! (2,8)
|
Anagram of (confused) ALL PLAINER IN PARALLEL* |
IN PARALLEL (simultaneously; at the same time)
|
|
15
|
Side not finishing meal (3)
|
TEAM (side) excluding the final letter (not finishing) M
|
TEA (meal)
|
|
17
|
Sets (armed) we reformed? Pleasing thoughts! (5,6)
|
Anagram of (reformed) SETS ARMED WE SWEET DREAMS* |
SWEET DREAMS (pleasant thoughts)
|
|
20
|
Descriptive of some Asian languages, primarily true and indigenous (3)
|
TAI (first letters of [primarily] each of TRUE, AND and INDIGENOUS)
|
TAI (the language of Thailand)
|
|
22
|
Board race against time? (5,5)
|
SPEED CHESS (CHESS is a game played on a board)
|
SPEED CHESS (version of CHESS where players are given little time to make their next move and are therefore ‘racing’ to make their move) cryptic definition
|
|
27
|
Unopened canteen, messy, gets tidy (6)
|
Anagram of (messy) CANTEEN excluding the first letter (unopened) C NEATEN* |
NEATEN (tidy)
|
|
29
|
Africans from Bulawayo rub along (6)
|
YORUBA (hidden word in [from] BULAWAYO RUB ALONG)
|
YORUBA (a people of coastal West Africa)
|
|
30
|
Conservative rallies arranged in city (8)
|
C (Conservative) + anagram of (arranged) RALLIES C ARLISLE* |
CARLISLE (city in the North West of England)
|
|
31
|
Formerly enthusiasts about farm equipment? They bring freshness (9,4)
|
EX (formerly) + TRACTOR (example of farm equipment) + FANS (enthusiasts)
|
EXTRACTOR FANS (equipment to take away pollutants and therefore clear the air to bring freshness)
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Shivering, I feel not half cold – like this? (3,4)
|
Anagram of (shivering) (I FEEL and [COLD excluding two of four {not half} letters LD]) ICE FLOE* |
ICE FLOE (large sheet of ICE floating in the sea; an example of something that is cold)
|
|
2
|
Film initially appearing very attractive that altered records (6)
|
AVATAR (first letters of [initially] each of APPEARING VERY ATTRACTIVE THAT ALTERED RECORDS)
|
AVATAR (2009 science fiction film directed by James Cameron, very successful at the box office)
|
|
3
|
Part of airport deal is negotiated extremely badly (8)
|
Anagram of (badly) (DEAL IS and ND [first and last letters of {extremely} NEGOTIATED]) LANDSIDE |
LANDSIDE (that part of an airport accessible to the public, as opposed to AIRSIDE)
|
|
4
|
Units regularly used in top homes (4)
|
OHMS (letters 1, 3, 5 and 7 [regularly used] in TOP HOMES)
|
OHMS (units of electrical resistance)
|
|
5
|
Reduce effectiveness of the writer’s mate (6)
|
I’M (the writer’s) + PAIR (mate)
|
IMPAIR (damage; reduce effectiveness of)
|
|
6
|
Run into pink enclosure (6)
|
R (run, in cricket scoring notation) contained in (into) CORAL (a deep orange-pink colour) CO (R) RAL |
CORRAL (enclosure)
|
|
7
|
Society accounts book incomplete – an insult (6)
|
S (society) + LEDGER (document containing the principal financial records of a company; accounts book) excluding the final letter (incomplete) R
|
SLEDGE (cricketing term to seek to upset the batsman’s concentration by making offensive remarks; insult)
|
|
12
|
Something to write on about chaplain (5) | PAD (something to write on) + RE (about) | PADRE (army chaplain) |
|
13
|
Woman from America (Virginia) (3)
|
A (America) + VA (abbreviation for the American State of Virginia)
|
AVA (lady’s name; woman)
|
|
14
|
Like 28, continue (4)
|
LAST (28 down is the LAST clue in this puzzle)
|
LAST (continue)
|
|
16
|
For example, tips from humble Wimbledon champion (4)
|
AS (for example) + HE (first and last letters of [tips from] HUMBLE)
|
ASHE (reference Arthur ASHE [1943 – 1993], Wimbledon champion 1975)
|
|
18
|
Blyton not independent and objective? (3)
|
ENID (reference the children’s writer ENID Blyton) excluding (not) I (independent)
|
END (objective)
|
|
19
|
He traps new earners sadly (8)
|
Anagram of (sadly) (N [new] and EARNERS) ENSNARER* |
ENSNARER (one who traps)
|
|
21
|
Parts of skin affected – ear also (7)
|
Anagram of (affected) EAR ALSO AREOLAS* |
AREOLAS (dark coloured areas surrounding the nipple; parts of skin)
|
|
23
|
Let out expected word of encouragement (6)
|
PAR (number of strokes that should be taken at a hole in golf; expected) + OLÉ (exclamation of encouragement)
|
PAROLE (release of a prisoner with conditions attached; let out)
|
|
24
|
They leave EU next surprisingly (6)
|
Anagram of (surprisingly) EU NEXT EXEUNT* |
EXEUNT (stage direction meaning [they] go out or leave the stage)
|
|
25
|
State prison supported by top class lawyer (6)
|
CAN (prison [slang]) + A [(op class]) + DA (District Attorney) This being a down clue, the letters CAN are supported by the letters ADA |
CANADA (country; state)
|
|
26
|
In Japan I rambled round leisure facility (6)
|
MARINA (hidden word reversed [round] in [in] JAPAN I RAMBLED) MARINA< |
MARINA ( berthing area for yachts, etc, prepared with every kind of facility for a sailing holiday; leisure facility)
|
|
28
|
National has somewhere to sleep (small at first) (4)
|
S (small) + COT (somewhere to sleep)
|
SCOT (national)
|
Duncanshiell, thanks very much for pointing out the theme, which, as always, quite passed me by. Without the theme, 1A made no sense to me, and I just had to to guess it from the crossing letters. The obscurer words were no trouble. My sticking point, last answer, was 22A speed chess, a CD of course, despite having played it many times (although that was more than 40 years ago!)
Fine stuff, Raich, thanks!
Thanks for blogging, Duncan.
Raich on a Tuesday? Bound to be a theme, and indeed there was; I saw it halfway through and it helped to pencil in the perimeter letters. But it was gentle enough (and that’s meant as a compliment) so it just encouraged me when I’d finished to go and find out a bit more about the singer.
Liked the clue for Arthur ASHE. He was indeed humble, but a great player. In the blog for Hieroglyph’s puzzle in the IoS posted at the weekend we had Rosa PARKS, so we are indeed remembering – entirely coincidentally – two black Americans who in their own way made a difference.
Fine puzzle – thank you to the setter.
Many thanks Raich (who will have driven a few people Crazy and left them with Heartaches today)and Duncanshiell.
I found this one more straightforward than some of Raich’s other puzzles, but it was an enjoyable solve. I don’t remember coming across LANDSIDE before and it was my LOI after I decided that I FALL TO PIECES was the only sensible arrangement of the anagram fodder for the song. I forgot to check for a nina, but even if I had done it wouldn’t have helped because I have managed to avoid Patsy Cline for all of my record-listening life and that isn’t going to change.
Andy
You should avoid the film ‘Pourquoi pas Moi?’then, because it make dramatic use of Crazy. 🙂
Duncan, in my newspaper 21D reads ‘eyes’ not ‘skin’. I wondered why the answer made no sense!
An enjoyable puzzle,in my opinion, not too taxing, with even the short answers quite accessible. The Patsy Cline theme jumped out at me when I only had the S to find, so it effectively passed me by, as is so often the case.
Many Thanks to setter and blogger.
A very gentle one from Raich; I managed to finish it in about half my usual time, even though I totally missed the nina and theme. TAI was the only one that was really obscure for me, although for a while I didn’t remember what AREOLAS are.
Thanks, Raich and Duncan.
GeordyGordy @6 Areoloa refers to the colored part of the iris around the pupil of the eye as well as the dark skin around the nipple – you live & learn!
Many thanks, Duncan, for the excellent blog and to all for the comments. I confirm the date of publication was not significant. As blog and comments suggest, I went for more straightforward clues for the song titles, that were not normal dict entries, and the less common words that were needed to fit the theme/Nina. Tried to get CRAZY in too but could not quite make it.