It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen Quixote on a Sunday. In fact it’s almost five years to the day because his last IoS was No. 1102 on 27th March 2011. The paper had a preamble which included: “Quixote, who set our first Independent on Sunday prize crossword in 1990, returns to the paper today for our final edition.”
The preamble also said “Today’s solutions … are on P36”. In view of the solution being available in the paper, and the fact that it wasn’t a prize puzzle, I wondered whether to post this blog last Sunday but eventually decided that this would be unfair to those who only access the on-line version of the IoS.
Quixote said in a comment on last Sunday’s IoS blog that he was the only setter involved with the IoS from its inaugural puzzle until he decided to move on – so, 21+ years and 1100+ cryptics, quite a feat!
In view of the time lapse between this and his last appearance in the IoS, I cannot say how this puzzle compares with previous offerings (my memory isn’t that good!) but I can say that it has avoided the more recondite (to me at least) words/phrases that crop up regularly in other puzzles compiled by this setter which consequently led to a gentle Sunday afternoon stroll (and little for me to add by way of comment or elucidation).
Across
1 Putting aside bathroom activity, not hard (6)
SAVING – S[h]AVING (bathroom activity, not hard)
4 Some awfully poor dame goes about ready to collapse? (6)
DROOPY – hidden (some) reversal (goes about) in ‘awfullY POOR Dame’
8 Old tribe’s gala inn arranged (7)
ANGLIAN – an anagram (arranged) of GALA INN
9 False front potentially dangerous, taking king in (6)
DICKEY – DICEY (potentially dangerous) around (taking … in) K (king)
10 Similar names for a Vice President and earlier President (5)
ALIKE – AL (name for a Vice President) IKE (name for earlier President)
11 Various chaps seen offering an attraction for shoppers? (9)
CHEAPNESS – an anagram (various) of CHAPS SEEN
13 Healthy topic to bandy about, based on a supposition (12)
HYPOTHETICAL – an anagram (to bandy about) of HEALTHY TOPIC
16 Amazingly good actor in crowd, part-time officer (5-7)
EXTRA-SPECIAL – EXTRA (actor in crowd) SPECIAL (part-time officer)
21 Old church in capital mostly attended by a learner having narrow outlook (9)
PAROCHIAL – O (old) CH (church) in PARI[s] (capital mostly) A L (learner)
22 Comes across as judge losing head, going in the wrong direction (5)
MEETS – [e]STEEM (judge losing head) reversed (going in the wrong direction)
23 Splendid toilet is home’s number one feature (6)
LAVISH – LAV (toilet) IS H[ome] (home’s number one feature)
24 Dull male — a Parisian, fellow from Copenhagen? (7)
MUNDANE – M (male) UN (a Parisian) DANE (fellow from Copenhagen)
25 Story set to have a twist before the finish (6)
LEGEND – GEL (set) reversed (to have a twist) END (the finish)
26 Renowned female, a timid sort for the most part (6)
FAMOUS – F (female) A MOUS[e] (timid sort for the most part)
Down
1 Bogus, an individual claiming spiritual contacts (6)
SHAMAN – SHAM (bogus) AN
2 Battle to eat food — I restrict my diet (6)
VEGGIE – VIE (battle) around (to eat) EGG (food)
3 Refusal to admit one medical specialist’s lack of experience (7)
NAIVETY – NAY (refusal) around (to admit) I (one) VET (medical specialist)
4 Drunk wandering across Trafalgar Square may not be able to escape duties (5,3,6)
DODGE THE COLUMN – cryptic indicator & def.
5 Head’s back in charge of company setting up place (7)
OCCIPUT – IC (in charge) CO (company) reversed (setting up) PUT (place)
6 Impressive manner with which awards may be announced (8)
PRESENCE – sounds like (may be announced) ‘presents’ (awards)
7 Lad so nice, chump unfortunately lacking skill (14)
UNACCOMPLISHED – an anagram (unfortunately) of LAD SO NICE CHUMP
12 Half of army personnel betrayed (4)
SOLD – SOLD[iers] (half of army personnel)
14 Office worker with a measure of hotness? (4)
TEMP – double def.
15 Look around Palestinian region endlessly and dream (8)
STARGAZE – STARE (look) around GAZ[a] (Palestinian region endlessly)
17 Record a Catholic place of great activity (7)
ARCHIVE – A RC (Catholic) HIVE (place of great activity)
18 Song about fellows in the country (7)
ARMENIA – ARIA (song) around (about) MEN (fellows)
19 Smooth ale got drunk (6)
LEGATO – an anagram (drunk) of ALE GOT
20 When groups of things will become property (6)
ASSETS – AS (when) SETS (groups of things)
Thanks for the very interesting background information, Gaufrid.
Compared to the Pasquale puzzle in the Graun the other day, which attracted comments on the wrong side of the “constructive criticism” line in my opinion, this really was Ashkenazy playing chopsticks (note perfectly, obviously). Many thanks to Quixote
Good Lord! One for the Marsh Street mob – unaided by the Don.
This took a bit of getting into, but after I got a couple of answers in the SE corner it all came together without aids apart from checking the dictionary for the spelling DICKEY as an alternative to ‘dicky’.
Thanks, Quixote and Gaufrid.