Introduction
Quite a difficult puzzle today. If you read the posts on both AnswerBank and Crossword Ends in Violence (5), you will see that the Brits were very vociferous in their condemnation of this puzzle, in particular, as well as puzzles created by today's setter, in general. I did complete the puzzle, although there are one or two clues for which the wordplay eludes me.
Today's Glossary
Some possibly unfamiliar abbreviations, place names, words and expressions used in today's puzzle
cat's paw - a person used by another to perform an unpleasant task (therefore, a tool)
CH - Companion of Honour (companion, for short): a British title
crass - colossally stupid
mint sauce - money (defn. 2)
onion - a person (noun, defn. 5) and, therefore, a head (meaning person, as in the expression "per head"); or
onion - "a little used slang word for the head" (Ref. Big Dave writing on CEIV); I had suspected that this might be the case, but I was not able to find a source (other than Big Dave) to support me (I know - it is probably in Chambers)
pi - (Brit. slang) pious (therefore, good)
Rees - a Welsh family name
Today's Links
1. Crossword Ends in Violence (5) [DT 25843]: CEIV discusses the majority of the clues found in today's puzzle. There are also several rather pointed expressions of dissatisfaction with the quality of the puzzles created by today's setter.
I found four questions on AnswerBank discussing today's puzzle. The postings were much more chatty than usual and continued into the following day (Thursday) when, it seems, London was blanketed by heavy snow disrupting home delivery of newspapers to many customers. Here are the links (with the clues discussed listed after each link):
2. AnswerBank [DT 25843]-a: 1ac, 25ac, 26ac, 7d
3. AnswerBank [DT 25843]-b: 25ac
4. AnswerBank [DT 25843]-c: 15d, 19d, 24d
5. AnswerBank [DT 25843]-d: 1ac, 19d
Commentary on Today's Puzzle
7d Dessert put separately around odd plate (5,4)
I parse this (somewhat problematically) as:
7d Dessert [APPLE TART] /\ {put (anagrind) separately [PART] = [AP^RT]} {around (containership indicator)} {odd (anagrind) PLATE = [PLETA]} (5,4)
I have a great deal of difficulty with this solution. "Put" seems to me to be exceedingly questionable as an anagrind (anagram indicator) and I don't think "separately" means "part" ("separate" means "part"). A better match for "separately" would be "apart" and the surface reading would certainly then be much more elegant, as well. However, this change would result in an extra "A". I really do wonder if this is just a case of sloppiness of the part of the setter.
23d Secretary with teacher held up in capital (5)
23d Secretary [PA (personal assistant)] with {teacher [SIR] held up (reversal indicator) = [RIS]} /in\ capital [PA|RIS<] (5)
The solution is PARIS. If you visited here earlier today, you would have seen that (at the time) I had no idea what the wordplay was (and this clue was not discussed on either of the British blogs). Several hours later, the solution has finally hit me.
Solution to Today's Puzzle
| Legend: | "CD" Cryptic Definition; "DD" Double Definition |
| "*" anagram; "~" sounds like; "<" letters reversed | |
| "( )" letters inserted; "_" letters deleted |
Across
1ac LUMP SUM - CD
5ac CAR|C_ASS - CAR + [C]r[ASS]
9ac RE|M(BRAND)T
10ac N|_IPPY - N + h[IPPY]
11ac C_OCK|PIT - [C]l[OCK] + PIT
12ac PLACEBO* - {COPE LAB}*
13ac L|{AST STRAW} - l + {START WAS}*
16ac EV(AD)E
17ac BA|CON
18ac REGULA(TO)R
21ac TEA ROOM - CD
22ac DE(POS_)ED - DE^ED + (POS)t
25ac O_NION - [O]pi[NION]
26ac A|L(TERN)ATE
27ac HO|{T SEAT}* - [HO]use + {A TEST}*
28ac HOSTE*|SS - THOSE* + SS
Down
1d LYRIC*|A|L - CYRIL* + A + L
2d MI|MI|C
3d STRIP - DD
4d MO(NIT)OR
5d C|{ATS-PAW}* - C + {WAS APT}*
6d RING A BELL
7d AP{(PLE TA)*}RT* - [PA^RT]* + (PLATE)* (see discussion above)
8d SPY|HOLE
14d SO|CIA|LIST
15d SU(N| LOU)NGE* - {[GE^N]i[US]}* + ([N]ew + [LOU]d)
17d BETROTH - CD
18d R(A|MP)ANT
19d GO DUT_|CH - GO + [DUT]y + CH
20d RE(DR)ES|S
23d PA|RIS< - see discussion above
24d SHAKE~ - sounds like SHEIKH
Signing off for today - Falcon
If you have read my comments on CEIV you will already know what I thought about this puzzle!
ReplyDelete"I will probably kick myself exceedingly hard once someone explains this one to me."
23 down - PA (Personal Assistant / Secretary) combined with SIR (teacher - how students address a schoolmaster) reversed (held up - only works with down clues as you remarked!)
Dave
Thanks Big Dave,
ReplyDeleteInterestingly, it seems that you were posting your comment at the very moment that I was updating my blog. Honest, the solution did occur to me before I saw your comment - in fact, I checked to see if there were any comments just before doing the update. Is one of your abilities, by any chance, mental telepathy. :-)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt an explanation is due readers who may be confused by the above exchange between Big Dave and myself.
ReplyDeleteBig Dave is quoting from my original posting, at which time I had not been able to find a solution to 23 down. Later in the day, I had a brainwave, realizing how the wordplay worked. After checking to make sure no one had commented on the clue in question, I updated my blog to incorporate the solution. However, while I was doing so, Big Dave was posting his comment. That explains why you don't see the quoted text in the blog.