This was a plain Azed puzzle with everything you would expect in such a puzzle
There is one clue – 16 across, for INTENSE, where I am not sure of the wordplay. I am sure someone will tell me how it works. I’ve made a suggestion but I’m not very confident about it.
Azed’s definitions are often wholly based on text in Chambers, but for this puzzle I felt he was less slavish in his definitions which, to my mind, made the puzzle more interesting as there was a bit more lateral thinking required..
My favourite clues today were those for PLIER (4 down) and BIN-ENDS (13 down), not for any technical reason, but simply because I liked the surfaces.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
3
|
After drunken sprees they’ll offer help! (9)
|
Anagram of (drunken) SPREES + SOS (appeal for help) ESPRES* SOS |
ESPRESSOS ([strong] coffees that might be helpful after taking too much alcohol)
|
|
11
|
Referendum, tempting thing involving what could make EU leap up (13, 3 words)
|
APPLE (an APPLE was used as an object of temptation in the biblical story about the Garden of Eden) containing (involving) an anagram of (what could make) EU LEAP UP AP (PEL AU PEU*) PLE or APP (EL AU PEU P*) LE |
APPEL AU PEUPLE (plebiscite; referendum)
|
|
12
|
Facsimile required immediately (4)
|
STAT (Photostat; facsimile)
|
STAT (Latin for immediately) double definition
|
|
14
|
Source of nuclear force (zero in e.g. a skittle) (4)
|
O (zero) contained in (in) PIN (skittle, as in nine-pin bowling) PI (O) N |
PION (PI-MESON [the source of the nuclear force holding protons and neutrons together])
|
|
15
|
Sharp maybe takes one in, seductive (6)
|
HONED (sharpened) containing (takes … in) I (one) HON (I) ED |
HONIED (seductive)
|
| 16 | What makes teens deeply emotional? (7) | INTENSE (I’m not sure how this works. We can split INTENSE into two parts IN TENSE and say that IN is an anagram indicator operating on TENSE to forms TEENS, but I can’t see how IN could be interpreted as an anagram indicator. The nearest definition I can find is IN: to gather in harvest, but that’s not talking about anagrams either. I look forward to be told the blindingly obvious that I just can’t see) | INTENSE (deeply emotional) |
|
17
|
Brown one of a kind, look pocketed by day-labourer (7)
|
AIR (look) contained in (pocketed by) PEON (day-labourer or farm worker) PE (A IR) ON |
PEA-IRON (limonite in little round nodules; limonite is brown iron ore)
|
|
19
|
Section of clientele smiling – that’s charming (6)
|
TELESM (hidden word in [section of] CLIENTELE SMILING)
|
TELESM (talisman; charm)
|
|
21
|
Girl clutches brood, pardoning many (7)
|
AMY (girl’s name) containing (clutching) NEST (brood) AM (NEST) Y |
AMNESTY (general pardon [for many])
|
|
24
|
Bay? Bay possibly not quite finishing with power (6)
|
TREE (a bay is an example of a TREE) excluding the final letter (not quite finishing) E + VIS (power)
|
TREVIS (a stall; bay)
|
|
26
|
Tightwad pullin’ back (7)
|
DRAGGIN’ (pullin’) reversed (back) NIGGARD< |
NIGGARD (a person who begrudges spending or giving away; tightwad)
|
|
28
|
Spiked drink set before duke, introduced by rascal (7)
|
IMP (rascal) + ALE (drink) + D (duke)
|
IMPALED (pierced with something pointed; spiked)
|
|
29
|
Birds’ rear ends I sketch initially in shapely arcs (6)
|
(I + S [first letter of {initially} SKETCH]) contained in (in) an anagram of (shapely) ARCS CR (I S) SA* |
CRISSA (plural of CRISSUM [the area surrounding a bird’s cloaca {in most vertebrates excluding higher mammals, the terminal part of the gut into which the urinary and reproductive ducts open forming a single posterior opening}], including the under-tail; birds’ rear ends)
|
|
31
|
What is ‘to get brown‘ (question)? (4)
|
B (brown) + ASK (question)
|
BASK (lie in warmth or sunshine with the potential to get brown [skin])
|
|
32
|
Person (traveller?) needing ice for drinking cup (4)
|
CHAL requires (needing) ICE to form CHALICE (drinking cup)
|
CHAL (a person in Romany, the language of travelling people)
|
|
33
|
Form of ocreae I spotted sheathing gold delicate stuff in plant family (13)
|
Anagram of (form of) OCRAEA I containing (sheathing) (AU [chemical symbol for gold] + LACE [delicate material]) ERIOC (AU LACE) AE* |
ERIOCAULACEAE (a family of monocotyledons, related to the Bromelias; plant family)
|
|
34
|
Racy model, singular annoyance inhibiting party leader? (9)
|
S + (PESTER [annoyance, PESTER is defined here as a noun] containing [inhibiting] ED[reference ED Miliband, leader of the Labour Party in the United Kingdom]) S PE (ED) STER |
SPEEDSTER (fast sports car; racy model)
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
It could make paws hot (7)
|
Anagram of (it could make) PAWS HOT WASHPOT* |
WASHPOT (a vessel for washing one’s hands [paws] which could make them hot)
|
|
2
|
Having reached middle of whodunnit, see next page (4, 2 words)
|
U (middle letter of [middle of] WHODUNNIT) + PTO (please turn over; see next page)
|
UP TO (having reached)
|
|
3
|
Primate turned up with bouncy spaniels – a rhetorical device! (11)
|
APE (primate) reversed (turned up; down clue) + an anagram of (bouncy) SPANIELS EPA< NALEPSIS* |
EPANALEPSIS (repetition or resumption with the same words. rhetorical device)
|
|
4
|
Bender? Here’s one providing what’s needed – sup away (5)
|
SUPPLIER (one providing what’s needed) excluding (away) SUP
|
PLIER (one who bends; bender)
|
|
5
|
Was on course with lecturer: ‘Freedom in Spenser‘ (6)
|
RAN (was on course) + DON (lecturer)
|
RANDON (Spenserean word for freedom)
|
|
6
|
Catching end of prop, net’s tangled or damaged at sea (5)
|
Anagram of (tangled) NETS containing (catching) P (last letter of [end of] PROP) S (P) ENT* |
SPENT (of a mast or yard, broken during bad weather; damaged at sea).
|
|
7
|
Part of sonnet comprises tetrameters – look therein (6)
|
SESTET (hidden word [look therein] in COMPRISES TETRAMETERS)
|
SESTET (the last six lines of a sonnet)
|
|
8
|
Having drunk Spanish beer, does he nod off at the MCG? (11) typo in the length online |
Anagram of (drunk) SPANISH BEER SPINE-BASHER* |
SPINE-BASHER (In Australia [reference MCG {Melbourne Cricket Ground}], one who loafs around and sleeps)
|
|
9
|
Commentator registering defeat in Germany? (7)
|
LOSS (defeat) contained in (registering … in) GER (Germany) G (LOSS) ER |
GLOSSER (commentator)
|
|
10
|
Rare bird reproduced not once (4)
|
NÉ (born; reproduced) + NE (obsolete [once] form of not)
|
NENE (the Hawaiian goose, a rare bird of Hawaii,)
|
|
13
|
Drinks hard Scotch, with inclusion of fashionable wine bargains (7)
|
BENDS (Scottish word for ‘drink hard’) containing (with inclusion of) IN (fashionable) B (IN) ENDS |
BIN-ENDS (any of the last bottles of wine remaining from a bin, often sold at a reduced price; wine bargains)
|
|
18
|
Flag: marines on large vessel will follow each (7)
|
EA (each) + RM ([Royal] Marines) + ARK (large floating vessel)
|
EARMARK (identify with a MARK for a purpose; flag)
|
|
20
|
Saintly badge found to limit depression (7)
|
MET (found) containing (to limit) DALE (low ground between hills; depression) ME (DALE) T |
MEDALET (a small medal, especially one bearing a representation of one or more saints, worn by Roman Catholics; saintly badge)
|
|
22
|
Military intelligence getting onto parasites, force of collaborators (6)
|
MI (Military Intelligence) + LICE (parasites)
|
MILICE (the government militia in Vichy France; force of collaborators)
|
|
23
|
Early colonists from Nordic country and lost on board (6)
|
(ICELAND [Nordic country] excluding [lost] AND) contained in (on board) SS (Steamship) on board also indicates that the container is a ship S (ICEL) S |
SICELS (SICULIANS [ancient people who colonised Sicily from Italy])
|
|
25
|
Food served up includes last of cabbage stalks (5)
|
EATS (food) reversed (served up; down clue) containing (includes) E (last letter of [last of] CABBAGE) S (E) TAE< |
SETAE (stalks)
|
|
27
|
The proverbial sou, a bit of rubbish swallowed by … (5)
|
R (first letter of [a bit of] RUBBISH) contained in (swallowed by) GOAT (the … is linking to the next clue at 28 down where the entry is IBEX [a type of GOAT]) G (R) OAT |
GROAT (a very small sum, proverbially, as is a sou)
|
|
28
|
…Such as me, one born without (4)
|
I (one) + B (born) + EX (without)
|
IBEX (any of various wild mountain goats of Europe, N Africa and Asia, with large, ridged, backward-curving horns)
|
|
30
|
Popeye’s favourite is briefly on Aga, simmering (4)
|
S (‘S is a brief form of IS) + an anagram of (simmering) AGA S AAG* |
SAAG (spinach, in Indian cookery. Spinach was Popeye’s favourite food)
|
Thanks Azed and Duncan
16ac: I entered this from the definition, but I think I have the wordplay now: INTENSE = IN TENS E = E IN TENS. Not at all “blindingly obvious”, but it works.
Incidentally, in 10dn, I took the “reproduced” to mean that the answer was a duplication of NE = not once. I think “NÉ = born = reproduced” involves too much of a shift in meaning of “born” for Azed.
Thank you for explaining INTENSE. I knew it was one of those self-referential clues that he likes, but couldn’t quite see it. If I can’t explain a clue to myself, it is either one of those, or a comp. anagram.
Pelham Barton @ 1 and 2
I think your interpretation of 16 across is better than mine – thank you.
You may well be right on 10 down as well, but I still quite like using two different meanings of NE
I think NENE comes from reproduced (NE = Born) twice.
But I still cannot fathom INTENSE. I like IN TENS, but where does the final E comes from?
Otherwise, an enjoyable and achievable puzzle. I really like BASK.
Chris Weeks @ 5
16 across is one of these clues that works backwards.
The clue says ‘what makes TEENS‘
If you split the entry INTENSE into IN TENS E you can interpret it as a convoluted directive to put E IN TENS
If you follow the directive you get TEENS
Thanks all
Favourite was “plied”.
Otherwise pretty routine.