It felt like Bradman has been possessed by Io. This has got to be the toughest Bradman challenge I have had to deal with yet. Cant say I enjoyed it much, especially since I had to use external help that I keenly loathe. Nevertheless, I do hope other solvers did good justice and had a better time than I did in cracking this.
I will highlight in the clues where I had challenges in the parsing or solving.
FF: 6 DD: 10
| Across | ||
| 1 | BASICS |
Thus arts graduates must comprehend what youngsters should be taught (6)
BAS (graduates ) containing (comprehend) SIC (thus) |
| 4 | CHAPLETS |
Man, I suggest you and I could make flower arrangements! (8)
CHAP (man) LETS (short for ‘Let us’ – as a suggestion for ‘you and i’ ) <a new word for me> |
| 9 | SENATE |
Governing body had to go after a bit of Japanese dosh (6)
ATE (had) after SEN (japanese currency, back in the day) |
| 10 | NIHILISM |
It offers nothing for one to believe in (8)
cryptic clue |
| 12 | ROBE |
Garment associated with York being returned (4)
EBOR is short for Eboracum, the early name of York. The solution is the reverse. <didnt know about eboracum> |
| 13 | SINOLOGIST |
I understand the Chinese songs – I toil to get translation (10)
Anagram of SONGS I TOIL <a new word for me> |
| 15 | CANONISATION |
Soon one hint of sainthood is seen in miraculous action, leading to this? (12)
[ ANON (soon) I (one) S (hint of Sainthood) ] in anagram of ACTION |
| 18 | CHARNEL HOUSE |
One has lots of bones, making a lunch here so nasty (7,5)
Anagram of A LUNCH HERE SO |
| 21 | HULLABALOO |
Fuss made by sailor coming to a toilet at far end of port (10)
[ AB (sailor) A LOO (toilet) ] after HULL (port, yorkshire) |
| 22 | DRAB |
About end of year you’ll find expert getting gloomy (4)
DAB (expert) around R (end of yeaR) |
| 24 | SPECIFIC |
Particular word mentioned with gravity by scientists (8)
Cryptic clue; specific gravity is a scientific term used to define the ratio between density of a material or object to that of water (usually). |
| 25 | NOVENA |
Thirty days needed by lady for religious devotion (6)
NOV (thirty days, the month of November) ENA (lady?) <not sure about ENA for lady> |
| 26 | OUTWEIGH |
Overcome, being dismissed – means to be heard (8)
OUT (dismissed, in cricket) WEIGH (sounds like ‘way’ – I think means should equate to ‘ways’?) |
| 27 | TRISTE |
Without a modicum of sun one gets worn out and sad, as before (6)
Archaic term for sad or sorrowful; parsed as TRITE (worn out) around S (modicum of Sun) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BASS ROCK |
Island where donkey impedes badger (4,4)
ASS (donkey) in BROCK (badger, british word for the animal) <didnt know brock, hadnt heard of bass rock> |
| 2 | SANDBANK |
Smooth financial organisation may be exposed with the tide changing (8)
SAND (smooth) BANK (financial organisation) |
| 3 | CITY |
Nicosia? It is in Cyprus (4)
IT in CY (cyprus) |
| 5 | HAIR OF THE DOG |
Drink or fibrous material that may spoil settee? (4,2,3,3)
A drink to cure hangover. I am going to go with cryptic def although it technically qualifies as a double def. |
| 6 | PHILOSOPHY |
Jewish thinker, terribly posh, with yen for academic discipline (10)
PHILO (jewish thinker) SOPH (anagram of POSH) Y (yen) <reverse engineered Philo> |
| 7 | ELICIT |
Bring about happiness, avoiding extremes (6)
fELICITy (happiness, without first and last characters) |
| 8 | SEMITE |
Outside American university spot someone from the Middle East (6)
SEE (spot) outside MIT (american university) |
| 11 | FIRST READING |
Bill initially gets this, walking beneath trees (5,7)
TREADING (walking) beneath FIRS (trees) |
| 14 | ANTHRACITE |
Article on ancient country – it imported good fuel (10)
AN (article) [THRACE (ancient country, old name for Europe) importing IT ] – slow burning coal <didnt know Thrace but reverse engineered> |
| 16 | QUARTERS |
One needs 23 rooms to live in? (8)
Answer to 23dn is FOUR – a cryptic clue, four quarters makes one. |
| 17 | MEMBRANE |
This person repeatedly eats grain to make bodily tissue (8)
MEME (this person, repeatedly) containing BRAN (grain) |
| 19 | PHYSIO |
Therapist sounds like bubbly character of zero significance (6)
Sounds like FIZZY (bubbly) O (character singnifying zero) |
| 20 | FLUENT |
Free-flowing channel, not without content (6)
FLUE (channel) NT (NoT, without content) |
| 23 | FOUR |
Square’s boundary (4)
Double def perhaps? 4 is a square and also a boundary in cricket is worth 4 runs. |
Ena (25ac) is a woman’s name, usually a shortenened form of another, e.g. Philomena. However, it isn’t very common nowadays, so you can be forgiven for not knowing it, Turbolegs! Thank you for the blog.
I found the puzzle to be challenging but enjoyable, so thanks to Bradman.
Sterling blog Turbo. On the subject of 26, means is a funny word – it sounds plural but is usually singular – you’d say, “a means to an end”
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
JuneG @ 1: Philomena Sharples sounds abit odd, doesn’t it 🙂
Simon S@3: how stupid of me to forget the most famous Ena of them all!
I’ve never been so insulted in all my life.
In 26a, I believe ‘dismissed [-] means to be heard’ is simply the Way Out or outweigh.
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
Picked this one off the back pile today … and found it a bit harder than normal too! New terms were TRISTE, BASS ROCK and the Jewish philosopher, PHILO JUDAEUS. There were a few clues where the cryptic part needed to be reverse engineered as well. The hard slog and use of references didn’t detract from the solving experience for me though!
Finished in the SE corner with QUARTERS, NOVENA and TRISTE the last few in.
Thanks Turbolegs and Bradman.
I was beaten by this – failing to get CHAPLETS, TRISTE, and ELICIT.
There was some clever stuff here and I particularly liked Hair of the Dog, Hullabaloo, and the great surface for Charnel House.
I assume that PHILO’s name was taken for the word PHILOSOPHY, so that seems a bit weak.
But can’t complain otherwise. I failed on 3 because I wasn’t good enough!