Tuesday’s slot typically has multiple occupants, and today’s is Crosophile.
I still do not have enough experience of solving and blogging puzzles by Crosophile to be able to assess how long it will take me to get through the whole process. What I do remember, however, from earlier attempts is that I find some of the wordplay rather devious and a challenge to parse.
This was the case, for example, with 6A, where I eventually twigged the definition but could not see how the wordplay worked for quite some time. The themed clues around hair also held me up for a decent length of time, since I hadn’t sussed out either 12 or, more importantly, 8 in my first few perusals of the clues.
6D was new to me, although eminently gettable, as was the scientist at 10. My favourites were, again, 10, for maintaining the Swiss theme in the wordplay and 14, for its overall construction and for reminding me of the perils of mosquitoes when on summer walks in the countryside.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 01 | PLATITUDE | On piano play a note perhaps that is flat and dull
P (=piano, in music) + LATITUDE (=play, leeway) |
| 06 | DUTCH | The better half for Millwall, dead macho after second side’s sent off?
D (=dead) + <b>UTCH (=macho; “after second side (=B (side, as opposed to A side)’s sent off” means letter “b” is deleted); dutch, from Duchess of Fife, is Cockney rhyming slang for “wife”, hence “the better half for Millwall” |
| 09 | TWIST | A fool sits out of second dance
S (=second) in TWIT (=a fool) |
| 10 | BERNOULLI | Scientist from Swiss city? Yes in Geneva around the lakes
BERN (=Swiss city) + [L L (L=lake x2) in OUI (=yes in Geneva, i.e. the French for “yes”)]; the reference is to Swiss mathematician and physicist Daniel Bernoulli (1700-82), known in particular for his work in the field of fluid dynamics |
| 11 | OCARINA | Instrument fitted into turbocar in advance
Hidden (“fitted into”) “turbOCAR IN Advance” |
| 12 | STRANDS | Seen amongst easels, a hint of reds and maroons
R<eds> (“hint of” means first letter only) in STANDS (=easels); to strand is to maroon, desert |
| 13 | MAIDS | Mum officially recognises servants
MA (=mum) + IDs (=official recognises, e.g. a criminal) |
| 14 | DAMSELFLY | Insect bloody inconsiderately is hard to ignore
DAM (=bloody, an alternative spelling of damn) + SELF<ish>LY (=inconsiderately; “is hard (=H) to ignore” means that the letters “is+h” are dropped |
| 17 | HOMICIDAL | I’ll join detectives in house with male interrupted in connection with murder
[I + CID (=detectives)] in [HO (=house) + MAL<e> (“interrupted” means last letter dropped)] |
| 19 | FRERE | Brother at Folies Bergère is fine about making a couple of appearances
F(=fine) + RE RE (RE=about; “making a couple of appearances” means 2 x RE); “brother at Folies Bergères” means the French word for “brother” |
| 20 | RECORDS | Chronicles what’s made of plaited 12 held in reserve
CORD (=plaited strands (=entry at 12)) in RES (=reserve) |
| 23 | DIALECT | Give someone a bell, then electric shock treatment, in a manner of speaking
DIAL (=give someone a bell) + ECT (=electric shock treatment, i.e. electroconvulsive therapy) |
| 25 | SCORRENDO | Gliding musically with variations on 20
*(ON + RECORDS (=entry at 20)); “with variations” is anagram indicator; the term “scorrendo” means “gliding” on a musical score |
| 26 | HEIST | Is the criminal creating crime?
*(IS THE); “criminal” is anagram indicator |
| 27 | I KNOW | Indicator of a good idea? Yes and no, you might say
Homophone (“you might say”) of “AYE (=yes) + NO” |
| 28 | WATERFALL | Build fortification around after mobilising force
*(AFTER) in WALL (=build fortification); a force or foss is a waterfall |
| Down | ||
| 01 | PATIO | Where flags might be laid out in anticipation
Hidden (“in”) in “anticiPATIOn”; the “flags” referred to in the clue are flagstones |
| 02 | ANIMALISM | Physical quality is as minimal as might be
*(MINIMAL AS); “might be” is anagram indicator |
| 03 | INTUITS | Gets the feeling Eskimos will retain temperature
T (=temperature) in INUITS (=Eskimos) |
| 04 | UPBRAIDED | Told off like a 21 plait 8?
Cryptically, a “crown plait hairstyle” (=entries at 21 and 8) would be “up-braided” |
| 05 | EUROS | Foreign currency over this way (the French way)
SO (=this way) + RUE (=the French way, i.e. the French word for street); “over” indicates vertical reversal |
| 06 | DOOBRIE | Achieve nothing with a cheese thingummy
DO (=achieve) + O (=nothing, i.e. pictorially) + BRIE (=a cheese); a doobrie is a thingummy, what’s-its-name, originally in military slang) |
| 07 | TALON | Heading off from the 8 shop, time firstly to get a nail with a hook
T (=time) + <s>ALON (=hairstyle shop, i.e. entry at 8; “heading off” means first letter is dropped) |
| 08 | HAIRSTYLE | Old musical about Yankee revamped lest it might be cut
HAIR (=old musical) + [Y (=Yankee, in radio telecommunications) in *(LEST)]; “revamped” is anagram indicator |
| 13 | MAHARISHI | Sage and hock turnover, a recipe requiring one vessel mostly
MAH (HAM=hock; “turnover” indicates reversal) + A + R (=recipe) + I (=one) + SHI<p> (=vessel; “mostly” means last letter dropped); a maharishi is a leading instructor in the Hindu faith, hence “sage” |
| 15 | MALADROIT | Tailor made cut is bungled and clumsy
*(TAILOR MAD<e>); “cut” means last letter dropped; “clumsy” is anagram indicator |
| 16 | FREDERICA | Does this girl see Cantona in Man U strip has absolutely nothing about him?
[RED ERIC (=Cantona in Man U strip, referring to the French footballer) in FA (=absolutely nothing, as in sweet FA) |
| 18 | CORNROW | Plaited 8 with most of centre worn up
COR<e> (=centre; “most of” means last letter dropped) + NROW (WORN; “up” indicates vertical reversal); a cornrow is a hairstyle (=entry at 8) in which the hair is arranged in tightly braided flat rows |
| 19 | FEATHER | This woman’s achievement being first to give shape to 8
FEAT (=achievement) + HER (=this woman’s); to feather is to give shape to a hairstyle (=entry at 8) |
| 21 | CROWN | Triumph over new monarch
CROW (=triumph over) + N (=new) |
| 22 | SINEW | Strength of sun on island unusual
S (=sun) + I (=island) + NEW (=unusual) |
| 24 | TOTAL | A wee dram and a large amount
TOT (=a wee dram) + A + L (=large) |
I thought this was a good challenge. BERNOULLI was teased out from the wordplay and SCORRENDO was my LOI after I decided it was the most likely arrangement of the anagram fodder.
I found this one extremely difficult (also the blog was hard to find as well), so very many thanks to the blogger. I could’t get doobrie, though.
Thanks to S & B,
A good challenge though happily not too much to drive the battling solver trichotillomanic. I couldn’t work out the parsing for 1a which was annoying, especially I now see it’s the old ‘latitude’ for ‘play’ staple. A few new words eg 6d, 25 and 18d to keep for reference on a rainy day, some old crossword stand-bys, eg 11 and the usual few I didn’t quite “get” eg 28 – thanks for the explanation RR.
An enjoyable way to while away a few hours.
Much too difficult for me to complete today, but thanks Crosophile for the challenge and RR for the blog.
I’ sure you’ve already seen the slip in 10ac: an extra ‘i’
I didn’t follow 1 across – thought it was a bit strained having to clue platitude as a note because it’s mostly used for spoken phrases. Dam rather than damn also puzzled me: a slightly unusual spelling which spoils what was otherwise an excellent clue.
I liked this, perhaps not quite as good as the other two I have solved today, and it was indeed harder than those.
I think your BERNOUILLI should be BERN/ OU(LL)I.
Thanks to one and all for pointing out the spelling mistake in 10, now put right.
I had similar thoughts to NealH about “note” in 1A and the alternative spelling of “damn” in 14.
Thanks for the blog, RR and for other comments.
I felt I’d covered myself with that ‘perhaps’ in 1A – but perhaps not?
I think ‘dam’ is OK though, dammnit! 🙂
Started this but had to tear it out and keep for today. Glad I did: I thought it was terrific.