Introduction
Thank you once again to Henry for providing the solution which you can find in the comments section below.
I invite you to leave a comment to let us know how you fared with the puzzle.
Signing off for this week — Falcon
Toughie 3263
4 hours ago
Well, better late than never...hope you're feeling better, Falcon - only 4 1/2 weeks to go!
ReplyDeleteThis week's offering from C&R is a cold hearted attempt to remind us of winter, and for much of the country, you don't need this. Here in southern Ontario it is 7 degrees Celsius, so maybe a gentle nudge is ok.
Favourite was 11a. Last one in was 25a, took me a short while to figure out what they were driving at.
Good luck all! Pleasant weekend, even to those in the frigid prairies.
Henry
Good morning,
ReplyDeleteI'm hearing thunder as I write this. It is raining quite heavily in London. So, as Henry says, this morning's puzzle is a timely reminder that it is, after all, winter. Last in for me was 27a because I stupidly thought that "drifts" was the definition. And I'm not sure about 1d: I think "flower" is the definition but the answer I have is a colour that I do not know matches that definition. Have a good weekend!
Peter
I think the wordplay is PIN+K. Which would make the definition Flower Ornament.
DeletePink is a specie of flower (the plant kind, not the river kind, although I am sure there is a Pink River somewhere). The ornament is the pin.
DeleteI was thinking "fastened to" was cluing the PIN. But I guess the tense doesn't work.
DeleteI think I'm horticulturally challenged. I did not know that pink is a specie of flower. Never heard of it.
DeletePink is an old-fashioned name for the carnation. My parents both worked in the greenhouse industry and Mom always referred to carnations as pinks.
DeleteGot definition and wordplay switched in 3d for a while, trying the musical A minor + LIGHT until I clued in. Last in was 1 d. Don't really like the definition here, but the wordplay is solid. (Also, I've been done wrong by FLOWER so many times that I automatically assume the other meaning.)
ReplyDeleteFavourite was 18d.
ReplyDeleteReigning hear two!
Here is the solution to this week’s puzzle. A touch of cold weather for the winter. I call this one ‘The Frozen North” due to our current weather conditions and the theme of the puzzle.
ReplyDeleteAcross
7a WIN(E TAS)TER ETAS=Anagram (mixed) of ‘teas’, contained in (in) WINTER=cold season
9a HAIL Double definition: greet, some cold precipitation
10a SKI P|OLES SKIP=curling captain, OLES=cheers; split 3,4 gives equipment for skiers
11a SH|RINK SH=quiet (command), RINK=place for skating
12a TO|WING TO+, WING=member of a hockey team
14a EARMUFFS* Anagram (recycled) of ‘fur’s fame’
15a CHASTE˜ Homonym (when audited) of CHASED=pursued
17a B|OTHER B=the third of February (third letter in the word ‘February’), followed by (after) OTHER=different
20a S(PACK)LED PACK=crowd (verb), contained in (into) SLED=sleigh. Spackle is a plaster coating for walls
22a D|ICIER D=end of road (last letter in the word ‘road’), ICIER=more slippery
24a ST(A)IRS A=Santa’s last (last letter in the word Santa), contained in (about) STIRS=commotions
25a REINDEER˜ Homonym (on the tongue) of RAIN=pour and DEAR=honey (term of endearment)
27a SOWN* Anagram (drifts) of 'snow'
28a NORWEGIANS* Anagram (wandering) of ‘in snow gear’
Down
1d PIN|K PIN=ornament, before (fastened on) K=letter that sounds like Kay
2d DELPHI* Anagram (out) of ’I’d help’
3d G|A|SLIGHT G(ood) a grade e.g., A+, SLIGHT=minor
4d ERAS|ER ERAS=periods (of time), before (associated with) ER+
5d TH(O)ROUGH O=nothing (letter that looks like a zero), contained in (including) THROUGH=by (method)
6d PIANOFORTE* Anagram (playing) of ‘if not opera’
8d TASSEL* Anagram (bum) of ‘steals’
13d OCCUPATION* Anagram (changing) of ‘I can cop out’
16d A(U)CTIONS U(niversity) contained in (covering) ACTIONS=deeds
18d OR|DAINED˜ OR+, DAINED=Homonym (vocally) of DEIGNED=condescended
19d A|D(ORE)R A+, ORE=rock contained in (admitting) DR=short form of Doctor,
21d LO(SIN)G SIN=wrong, contained in (splitting) LOG+
23d C|ADD|IE C=average (mark in a test), ADD=total (verb), IE=short form ‘that is’
26d _EONS͟͟͟_ Hidden in (in) nEON Signs
Fun as usual --- 5d took me a minute and ended as my favorite. LOI was REINDEER --- thanks Henry for parsing that one. Could use a bit of winter here in DC --- 70° today --- kitchen windows open as I write this.
ReplyDeleteSnowing and blowing in Qualicum Beach. Got my hummingbird feeder heater up just in time. The puzzle flummoxed me in a number of clues. Perhaps my brain is numb from the cold.
ReplyDelete