Comments of a grumpy old man
‘Tis is my second day back at work after a short, but welcome, break, so maybe I’m just in a bad mood, so will apologise in advance if some of my comments are unfair, but…
…this crossword, despite some decent clues, was just too inconsistent, and appears not to have gone via a crossword editor.
14 ac is just wrong, as it includes an indirect anagram.
13 dn – THE YEAR ONE – really?
Cryptic definitions at 11 ac, 4dn and 8dn are not particularly good.
5dn and 7dn have “charade” indicators being used as “insertion” indicators. I can justify 5dn (see comment), but not 7dn.
I’m happy to have my comments corrected, criticised etc, if I’m being unfair.
| Across | ||
| 1 | AFTERMATH |
Effects of working at the farm (9)
*(at the farm) |
| 6 | ARMED |
Capone leaves in a panic, carrying a gun (5)
ALARMED (“in a panic”) minus AL (Capone)
|
| 9 | SIKHS |
Is in pursuit, we’re told, of some Indians (5)
homophone of SEEKS (“is in pursuit of”) |
| 10 | COWARDICE |
Noel’s reserve may indicate cold feet (9)
(Noel) COWARD + ICE |
| 11 | NINE TO FIVE |
The hourly grind, traditionally (4,2,4)
Slightly cryptic definition |
| 12 | STET |
Instruction to restore original test (4)
*(test) “Original” is not one of my favourite anagrinds. |
| 14 | NOT ONCE |
Evil doctor and French NCO involved? Never! (3,4)
(Doctor) NO + *(et NCO)? Surely, this should not have got past the editor! Or am I just missing something? |
| 15 | REHEATS |
Weather’s changeable, apart from capital – warms up again (7)
*(eather’s) Capital (ie first letter0 removed from weather’s |
| 17 | ULSTERS |
Even bits of quilts, cut short, go to make overcoats (7)
(q)U(i)L(t)S + TERS(e) “Even bits of quilt” – the 2nd, 4th, 6th letters TERSE = “short”, but it’s been cut, therefore TERS |
| 19 | GEYSERS |
Water features of Iceland old men reported (7)
Homophone (indicated by “reported”) of GEEZERS |
| 20 | ACHE |
In her heart Jacob’s wife has to suffer (4)
r(ACHE)l In the Old Testament, Rachel was Jacob’s wife. |
| 22 | JOB ANALYST |
Employment expert as a tormented man’s psychiatrist? (3,7)
JOB (“tormented man” in the Bible) + ANALYST (“psychiatrist”) |
| 25 | GAME CHIPS |
Golf eg, with some shots can win fortunes (4,5)
GAME + CHIPS |
| 26 | OMEGA |
Nothing very much comes at the end (5)
O + MEGA |
| 27 | AGNES |
Virginal saint sang with ecstasy under torture (5)
*(sang + e) Saint Agnes of Rome was a virgin-martyr |
| 28 | GAS METERS |
Sort of great mess often found below stairs (3,6)
*(great mess) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | ARSON |
The crime of war, so Napoleon said (5)
hidden in “wAR, SO Napoleon” |
| 2 | TAKE NOTES |
Accept bribes, perhaps, as a reporter should do! (4,5)
Double definition, with the former slightly cryptic |
| 3, 19 | ROSE-TINTED GLASSES |
Pollyanna’s visual aid? (4-6,7)
As worn by an optimist. Pollyanna was the eponymous hero of a 1913 children’s novel. Her undying optimism has led to her name becoming synonyymous with “optimist”. |
| 4 | ARCH FOE |
The Napoleon of crime was Sherlock’s, he said (4-3)
Is this cryptic? |
| 5 | HOWEVER |
We join “stationary” flight, regardless (7)
HO(WE)VER I haven’t come across “join” used in this way before, but as far as I can work out, it is being used in the sense of “to go to and remain within” such as to “join a club”? |
| 6 | AIRS |
Broadcasts put on by the pretentious (4)
Double definition |
| 7 | MOIST |
I go with the majority, being a bit wet (5)
MO(I)ST
|
| 8 | DUETTISTS |
Players with the same score, presumably (9)
Cryptic definition |
| 13 | THE YEAR ONE |
Very first twelve months, you might say (3,4,3)
Is this even a phrase? I’ve heard of YEAR ONE, but not THE YEAR ONE.
|
| 14 | NEURALGIA |
Pain – one in lung area after injury (9)
*(lung area + i) |
| 16 | ACETYLENE |
Gas is unstable yet clean energy (9)
*(yet clean) + E (“energy”) |
| 18 | SLOPING |
Inclined to be shy about work (7)
SL(OP)ING “shy” as in “coconut shy” |
| 19 |
See 3
|
|
| 21 | HUMAN |
Heads of hospitals, unlike matrons, almost never appear in person (5)
Heads (ie first letters of) of “Hospitals Unlike Matrons Almost Never” |
| 23 | TRAMS |
Spruce up public transport (5)
<=SMART |
| 24 | ACTS |
More than one statute book (4)
Double definition |
I agree with your comments – seemed rather unsatisfactory. I put in THE YEAR DOT confidently and despite subsequently getting the checkers refused to change it to ONE till the end on the basis I had never heard the phrase and it sounded ugly as well.
While I agree 14ac is technically an indirect anagram, I though the “and French” so trivial that it was ok.
Ah well, we have had a good run recently!
I also agree 14ac is okay – the fairly obvious “and French” is not the same as indirect anagram fodder that could lead to any number of synonyms.
As for THE YEAR ONE, that appears to be more common in the US, their equivalent of “the year dot”. Legitimate nevertheless. https://www.englishclub.com/ref/esl/Idioms/XYZ/year_dot_year_one_579.htm
Sorry, still not convinced by “the year one”, and no matter how “trivial” or “obvious” an indirect anagram is, it remains an indirect anagram and is, in my view, unacceptable.
This and some of the other weak clues smack of laziness and desperation to avoid reworking a corner by shoehorning in phrases like “the year one”.
To restore some balance to my overall negative comments, I did like 1ac, 17ac, 14dn and the concise 23dn.
Evil Dr No
French and is et
Nco
Not once is correct
I still don’t understand ‘Arch foe.’
Nick Rickett@4 We’ll agree to disagree, but I still think I’m right.
Hornbeam@5 As I said, I couldn’t see what was cryptic about it. Moriarty, aka the Napoleon of crime, was Sherlock Holmes’ arch enemy, but that’s general knowledge.
Hornbeam at #5, I think this refers to the fictional character Professor Moriarty who Holmes called “the Napoleon of crime”.
Thanks Crux and grumpy old man
Did this one whilst waiting for a flight up to Brisbane. Found it a little bit looser than normal for this setter, but not enough to get grumpy about. Had absolutely no problem with the indirect ET as anagram fodder. Did look twice at THE YEAR ONE, but it didn’t hold me up at all.
No real standouts and the last few in were STET, COWARDICE and ARCH FOE (haven’t ever read any of the Sherlock Holmes books and wasn’t aware of this reference to Professor Moriarty).
Thanks loonapick.
I’m with you in the grumpy pack.
It all seems a bit lazy and/or rushed together.
AFTERMATH is quite good but I’m sure I’ve seen an almost identical clue within the last 2 months.
And what’s the ” ‘s ” doing in the clue for 22ac?