Independent 9130 / Hannah

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Well, a Bowie theme yesterday and a Star Wars theme (at least in the clues) today.

We love themed puzzles so this was right up our alley, even though some of the clues and definitions were somewhat (but very cleverly) contrived to achieve the desired Star Wars references.

Hats off to Hannah – who seems to be a new setter – for managing to work thematic references into all the clues (albeit rather tenuously in the case of 13a – presumably alluding to Princess Leia’s strange hairdo). This is some achievement when very few of the entries had any direct connection to the film series or to Science Fiction and space in general.

We’re not great afficionados of the Star Wars films (but we have really enjoyed those we have seen), so we didn’t recognise a lot of the characters appearing in the clues. The great thing is that you don’t need to know the characters to solve the clues. Our nomination for the most ingenious twisting of the definition to fit the theme is at 15d.

We’re looking forward to the next one, Hannah – a big welcome to the Indy and 225! May the force be with you!

Across
1   Daisy has them surrounding the lead in ‘Empire Strikes Back’ (6)
SEPALS E (first letter or ‘lead’ in ‘Empire’) surrounded by SLAPS (strikes) reversed or ‘back’
4   One is … one is in danger from the Empire… (8)
IMPERIAL I’M (‘one is’) + A (one) in PERIL (danger)
10   … stretching Ben’s followers? (5)
EKING A reference to Ben E KING, the soul singer best known for ‘Stand By Me’
11   ‘Attack of the Clones’ finale that follows acting getting a lot of sniggers (9)
ONSLAUGHT S (last letter or ‘finale’ of ‘Clones’) following ON (acting) + LAUGHTer (sniggers) with the last two letters omitted, or ‘a lot of’
12   See 1 Down
13   Fictional heroine adopting right fancy bit of hair (5)
TRESS TESS (fictional heroine, as in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’) round or ‘adopting’ R (right)
14   Unit of force on the rise, awakening (7)
NASCENT N (Newton – unit of force) ASCENT (rise)
16   Team in ‘Return of the Jedi’ sequel … (4)
SIDE Hidden and reversed or ‘returned’ in JEDI Sequel
19   … is in Cannes after opening of ‘Phantom Menace‘ (4)
PEST EST (French for ‘is’) after first letter or ‘opening’ of ‘Phantom’
21   Aim ray to destroy force inside capital area (7)
MAYFAIR An anagram of AIM RAY (anagrind is ‘destroy’) with F (force) inside
24   Age 100 appearing in ‘A New Hope’ (5)
EPOCH C (100) in an anagram of HOPE (anagrind is ‘new’)
25   Small parts in start of ‘Revenge of the Sith’ edited, removing Hayden’s first appearance (9)
FORTIETHS An anagram of R (first letter or ‘start’ of ‘Revenge’) and OF THE SITh without one ‘h’ (‘removing Hayden’s ‘first appearance’) – anagrind is ‘edited’
27   Sending up Palpatine initially to meet with ring Yoda organised (9)
PARODYING An anagram of P (first or ‘initial’ letter of ‘Palpatine’) and RING YODA – anagrind is ‘organised’
28   Knowing Jawas prey endlessly (5)
AWARE JAWAs pREy without the first and last letters, or ‘endlessly’
29   Star where R2D2 runs amok with a few … (3,5)
RED DWARF An anagram of RRDD (‘R2D2’) and A FEW – angrind is ‘runs amok’
30   … men guarding prisoners, a squad, on board ship (6)
SCREWS CREW (a squad) in, or ‘on board’ SS (ship)
Down
1/12   ‘The Force Awakens’? Except for him slowing you down (8,9)
SLEEPING POLICEMAN A play on the idea that only a SLEEPING POLICEMAN would be a member of the ’force’ who did not ‘awaken’
2   Father inches towards Luke, extremely shaken to begin with. “Son! It’s easy!” (8)
PAINLESS PA (father) IN (inches) LukE (first and last letters or ‘extremes’) S (first or ‘beginning’ letter of ‘shaken’) + S (son)
3   Reason Solo therefore got shot by Greedo in cantina firstly (5)
LOGIC SoLO with ‘so’ (therefore) omitted or ‘shot’ + first letters of Greedo In Cantata
5   Sci-fi villain’s caught you and me in dreams (7)
MUSINGS MING’S (Sci-fi villain – Ming the Merciless from the Flash Gordon comic strip and films) round or ‘catching’ US (you and me)
6   Happily see about latex moulded on dewback’s head (9)
EXALTEDLY ELY (see, as in diocese) round an anagram of LATEX (anagrind is ‘moulded’) D (first letter or ‘head’ of ‘dewback’)
7   Single stormtrooper hiding fires (6)
INGLES Hidden in ‘sINGLE Stormtrooper’
8   In … in … in case AT-AT’s half destroyed (6)
LATEST AT (half of AT-AT) in LEST (in case) – we didn’t know (but guessed correctly) that AT-AT is a Star Wars creation – a ‘combat walker’ – ‘All Terrain Armoured Transport
9   Boba Fett, totally gutted, took to heart exploded moon quip (3,3)
BON MOT Boba FetT (first and last letters only, or ‘totally gutted’) round or ‘taking to heart’ an anagram of MOON – anagrind is ‘exploded’
15   I heard follower used to put dark side into orbit (9)
EYESHADOW EYE (sounds like ‘I’) SHADOW (follower)
17   Time to infiltrate military base. The quick way … (4,4)
FAST LANE T (time) ‘infiltrating’ FASLANE (military base – the naval base on the Clyde estuary)
18   … cuts through danger posed by alien among rubbish (8)
BRISKETS RISK (danger) ET (alien) ‘among’ BS (bullshit – rubbish)
20   With Wicket’s rear end and Ewok’s head fur, it gets ruffled and more clumped (7)
TUFTIER An anagram of T (last letter or ‘rear’ of ‘wicket’), E (first letter or ‘head’ of ‘Ewok’ and FUR IT – anagrind is ‘ruffled’
21   Time to go after space station in fighter craft (6)
MIRAGE AGE (time) after MIR (space station)
22   Wiser way to hold saber-like weapon up (6)
DEEPER RD (road – way) round or ‘holding’ EPEE (saber-like weapon) all reversed or ‘up’
23   Ford flying over red leader in criminal’s fast vehicle (3,3)
HOT ROD T (Ford, as in model T) R (first letter or ‘leader’ of ‘red’) in HOOD (criminal)
26   Actor Oscar is one where Alec is disheartened (5)
ISAAC IS A (one) + AleC (first and last letters only, or ‘disheartened’) – a reference to Oscar Isaac (who we had never heard of !), an actor who apparently appeared in ‘Star Wars – The Force Awakens’

 

13 comments on “Independent 9130 / Hannah”

  3. I haven’t seen any of the Star Wars films but this puzzle was a joy to solve. The clues for SLEEPING POLICEMAN and EYESHADOW are wonderful. Thanks to Hannah, and to B&J for the blog

  5. Yes, v. enjoyable and I second the positive comments of others. I started off slowly after being initially misled into thinking that an extensive knowledge of the Star Wars films would be needed. Wasn’t familiar with 1/12 as a term until I looked it up and couldn’t fully parse 8, but lots of good clues that I was satisfied to have solved, including ONSLAUGHT, BRISKETS and particularly EYESHADOW, my COD.

    Thank you (and welcome) to Hannah and to B&J.

  6. Another debut setter, and another of those excellent puzzles where you don’t need to know anything about the theme in order to solve it (26dn possibly excepted, though gettable from crossing letters and wordplay). The other side of the coin from yesterday, when knowing or being able to find out about the theme was almost certainly needed. And there’s a place for both; it’s a poor sort of world that has no variety.

    Held up a bit in the NE corner. I always thought an INGLE was a fireplace rather than a fire, but I see the OED and others say it can be either. And I took ages to parse LATEST.

    Thanks, Hannah and B&J.

  7. Tremendous puzzle. Such clever clueing and misdirection all over the place, and a real tour de force to pull it through on every clue. Lots of favourites, but Ben E King was my laugh-out-loud moment, once the penny dropped.

    Thanks Hannah, and B&J. A hugely enjoyable solve.

  8. A lovely puzzle reminiscent of Tramp/Jambazi – if Hannah is a new setter this is a very impressive debut. I know nothing about Star Wars so can vouch for the fact that no knowledge was required. BRISKETS was last in – took me a while to get the BS. Favourites were EKING, PARODYING, FAST LANE and SLEEPING POLICEMAN.

    Thanks to Hannah, Bert & Joyce

  9. I really enjoyed this. The theme was very topical, but you didn’t need to be a fan to do the puzzle. In fact the clues I really enjoyed- 10A and 2 D- were completely unrelated. I also liked the reference to my old nemesis Ming the Merciless-got you again!
    As for not knowing who Oscar Isaac is, could I suggest an occasional visit to the cinema is in order He’s been in everything for the last five years.

  10. Oscar Isaac is also in the wonderful Inside Llewyn Davis, in which he also sings and plays guitar.

    Hannah is actually Math making a brief return to the Indy, with a pseudonym inspired by Mr Solo and Math’s daughter.

  11. Wonderfully enjoyable.
    Many good clues but I too thought SLEEPING POLICEMAN and EYESHADOW were brilliant.
    Please visit again Math!

  12. Really enjoyed that. Thanks math/hannah. Great topical theme use without the knowledge required. Two cracking crosswords to start the week. Keep ’em coming!

  13. As others said, a wonderful crossword – one of the best I did recently.
    Not that I am a big fan of Star Wars (or wars in general, or generals in war) but the clueing was just brilliant(ly precise).

    I was more or less sure that this was not a beginner’s crossword.
    Some clues made me think of Philistine/Goliath and so I thought, perhaps he’d joined the Indy team.
    Wrong.
    Then I thought, perhaps it’s a joint effort by Arachne and Anax.
    Some trademarks of either of them were visible at places.
    Wrong again.

    Many thanks to Hannah for perhaps even outshining the Spiderwoman (at another place) today.

    Meanwhile, once again not a new setter.
    Once again?
    Well, just like Saturday a week ago (Bend).
    My lips are sealed, though.

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