Independent on Sunday 1354/Kairos

Possibly the most difficult Kairos I’ve ever blogged or solved.  I know that I keep banging on about this, but within the crossword universe, the IoS is meant to be an ‘accessible’ puzzle, where newish or improving solvers can have a bash at a prize crossword.  This week would have been a good time to have sent off a correct entry, I fancy, because my sense is that not a whole lot of people in that category will have managed this one.

 

 

Abbreviations
cd  cryptic definition
dd  double definition
(xxxx)*  anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x]  letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

1  Opposed announcement of defensive structure
FOUGHT
A homophone of FORT.

4  Steel casing
SCABBARD
A cd.  You’d keep your sword, or ‘steel’ in a SCABBARD.  I think.

10  Small folded napkin put before the Queen.  It is used before the main course
SPINNAKER
A charade of S for ‘small’, (NAPKIN)* and ER four the current incumbent.  I know naff all about sailing, but the SPINNAKER is apparently the sail that is set in front of the mainsail.  Someone who knows more about life on the water will enlighten us, I’m sure.

11  Men improve after removing one part of the body
ORGAN
OR for Other Ranks, or ‘men’ followed by GA[I]N.

12  Musical instrument left by pick up truck
LUTE
A charade of L and UTE for the Australian ‘truck’.

13  Key workers limit time to look after servants
ATTENDANTS
An insertion of T for ‘time’ and TEND for ‘to look after’ in A for the ‘key’ with three sharps and ANTS for ‘workers’.

15  Tear a strip off half a piece of breaded chicken before making stew
GOULASH
LASH for ‘tear a strip off’ preceded by GOU[JON].   This is a hard puzzle, imho.

16  Evocative memories of city gardens
ECHOES
A charade of EC for the postcode for the City of London and HOES for ‘gardens’.

19  Deny rebel leader is in bar
STARVE
It’s R in STAVE.   I was going to go off on one blaming the setter for not knowing the difference between a musical STAVE and a musical ‘bar’.  But in fact on checking, Collins has as definition 2 for STAVE: ‘any of various bars, slats or rods such as … a crosspiece bracing the legs of a chair.’  I never knew that.

21  Gathered onset of death follows dish laced with drug
PLEATED
An insertion of E for ‘drug’ in PLATE followed by D for the first letter of ‘death’.

23  Trainee doctor briefly has to contend with Pole’s questions
INTERVIEWS
Another multi-part clue.  It’s INTER[N] plus VIE, plus W for ‘with’ and S for one of the ‘poles’.

25  Animal regularly seen in car porch
CROC
The regular letters of CaR pOrCh.

27  Human rights group in Chinese territory texted you in verse
HAIKU
See my comment at 15ac.  A HAIKU is a traditional form of Japanese verse.  Fair enough.  But this is a charade of AI in HK followed by U.  HK is Hong Kong; AI is -I presume – Amnesty International, although I have never seen this abbreviation before; and then you need U, text-speak for ‘you’.

28  Clumsy fellow leaves position with soldier
INELEGANT
I love my cricket, but I couldn’t see this for ages.  ‘Position’ and ‘soldier’ could be lots of things, particularly the former.  It’s [F]INE LEG plus ANT.

29  Let team in for householder
RESIDENT
An insertion of SIDE in RENT.

30  Prohibited Australian outlaw tailed by group briefly
BANNED
I think this is BAN[D] followed by NED (Kelly).

Down

1  Body to blend short beer
FUSELAGE
The surface reading is not putting a picture in my head.  But it’s FUSE followed by LAGE[R].

2  One reportedly supported form of investment
UNIT TRUST
A charade of UNIT for ‘one’ and TRUST, which is a homophone of TRUSSED.

3  Look for something new in shed
HUNT
An insertion of N in HUT.

5 Right to replace students in university procession
CORTEGE
Kairos is asking you to replace LL for ‘students in university’ or learners in COLLEGE with RT for ‘right’ to give you CORTEGE for ‘procession’.

6  He’s aborted newly formed paper
BROADSHEET
Finally, a full anagram.  (HES ABORTED)* with ‘newly formed’ as the anagrind.

7  Stenographer holds back gas
ARGON
Hidden reversed in steNOGRApher.

8  After getting fresh start disappear with European
DANISH
You need to take the first letter out of VANISH and replace it with D.  There are lots of synonyms for ‘disappear’ and quite a lot of ‘Europeans’.  I know, crossing letters.

9  Outwardly struck by score’s outline
SKETCH
A charade of SK for the outside letters of ‘struck’ and ETCH for ‘score’.

14  Reasonable game includes golf attraction?
FAIRGROUND
An insertion of G for ‘golf’ in the phonetic alphabet in FAIR and ROUND, for a ROUND of golf.

17  Hold the attention of adult through internet broadcast
ENTERTAIN
An insertion of A for ‘adult’ in (INTERNET)*

18  Learned old money is held by European editor
EDUCATED
Another insertion, of DUCAT in E and ED.

20  Leading movement written up in publication
EDITION
Since it’s a down clue, it’s a reversal of NO 1 and TIDE for ‘movement’.  See my comment at 27ac.

21  Metal seat at Metro is oddly missing
PEWTER
I was waiting for the church reference, and here it is.  A charade of PEW and TER for the even letters of aTmEtRo.

22  A person of little value produces secret code
CIPHER
A dd.  The first definition I only know from crosswords.

24  Works with Mr Lowry to support you in France
TOILS
‘Mr Lowry’ is the famous painter, whose full name was Laurence Stephen Lowry.  So since it’s a down clue, it’s LS ‘supporting’ TOI for one of the words for ‘you’ in French.  But only if you’re familiar, or want to be rude to someone you don’t know who has just cut you up at a roundabout.

26  Star comes back in luggage-van
VEGA
Hidden reversed in luggAGE Van.

Many thanks to Kairos for today’s puzzle.