(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) A nice puzzle, quite straightforward I thought. Thanks to Chifonie. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8 Author in South Africa to stick around (8)
SALINGER : SA(abbrev. for South Africa) + LINGER(to stick around;to hang around and not go away).
Answer: J.D., best known for his novel “The Catcher In The Rye”.
9 Wise man follows universal convention (5)
USAGE : SAGE(a wise man) placed after(follows, in an across clue) U(abbrev. for “universal”).
10 Parody old Bob’s clothing (4)
SKIT : S(abbrev. for a shilling, the former British currency unit, aka a bob) + KIT(clothing;gear, especially of a traveller or soldier).
11 Angry about many a fashion being over the top (10)
IMMODERATE : IRATE(angry) containing(about) [ M(abbrev. for a million or Roman numeral for 1000, many in either case) + MODE(a fashion;a style) ].
12 Oscar meets clear disturbance in shrine (6)
ORACLE : O(letter represented by “Oscar” in the phonetic alphabet) plus(meets) anagram of(… disturbance) CLEAR.
14 Bring into effect law that’s about tax (8)
ACTIVATE : ACT(a law, passed by Parliament, usually) + I.E.(abbrev. for “id est”, Latin for “that is”) containing(about) VAT(abbrev. for “value added tax”).
15 Union leader rabbited on, but improved things (7)
UPRATED : The 1st letter of(… leader) “Union ” + PRATED(rabbited on;talked inconsequentially).
17 Dave can wreck progress (7)
ADVANCE : Anagram of(… wreck) DAVE CAN.
20 Veteran reservists brought about conclusion of feud (8)
VENDETTA : [ VET(abbrev. for “veteran”) + TA(abbrev. for the Territorial Army, now called the Army Reserve, the volunteer reserve force in the British military) ] containing(brought about) END(the conclusion).
22 Common sense of supporters drinking at home (6)
BRAINS : BRAS(short for “brassieres”, supporters of the female chest) containing(drinking) IN(at home).
23 Classic comprises great lines (5,5)
SAINT LEGER : Anagram of(comprises) GREAT LINES.
Defn: One of the UK’s 5 Classics in horse racing.
24 Trek endlessly? That’s the spirit! (4)
MARC : “march”(a trek;a long and hard walk) minus its last letter(endlessly).
Defn: Brandy made from grapes or fruit remaining after being pressed for wine-making.
25 Small well in rock (5)
SHALE : S(abbrev. for “small”) + HALE(well, as in “hale and hearty”).
26 Ought Eritrean leaders take responsibility (8)
SHOULDER : SHOULD(ought to;obliged to) + the 1st 2 letters of(… leaders) “Eritrean “.
Down
1 Wager some liquid is setting (8)
BACKDROP : BACK(to wager;to bet on, eg. a horse in a race) + DROP(some small amount of liquid).
Defn: … or background to any scene or situation.
2 Sweet in perfect condition (4)
MINT : Double defn.
This fits both defns:
3 Brown coal left off fire (6)
IGNITE : “lignite”(a soft brownish coal, aka, well, “brown coal”) minus(… off) “l”(abbrev. for “left”).
4 Sailor eating jam caught in vehicle (7)
TRAMCAR : TAR(informal term for a sailor) containing(eating) [ RAM(to push all the way into;to jam) + C(abbrev. for “caught” in cricket scores) ].
5 Abroad with girlfriend, duke is behind the times (8)
OUTDATED : OUT(abroad;out of the country) plus(with) DATE(a girlfriend one goes out with) + D(abbrev. for “duke”).
6 In foreign land painter gets thanks for artistic work (2,8)
LA TRAVIATA : [ LATVIA(a foreign land, unless you’re Latvian of course) containing(In …) RA(post nominal letters for a painter who is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts) ] plus(gets) TA(short for “thanks”;thank you).
Defn: An opera by Verdi.
7 Former model accepted by established band (6)
SEXTET : [ EX-(prefix indicating “former”;once) + T(the Ford car model, regarded as the first automobile for the mass market) ] contained in(accepted by) SET(established;determined).
Defn: … of six players.
13 Cautious about Italian lady’s wine (10)
CHARDONNAY : CHARY(cautious;wary) containing(about) DONNA(a respectful title of address for an Italian lady, equivalent to “Madam”).
16 Acclaimed old hack adopts customs (8)
EXTOLLED : [ EX-(prefix indicating old;former) ED(abbrev. for “editor”;a newspaperman;a hack) ] containing(adopts) TOLL(a fee for a service or usage;customs – though the latter is a duty on imports or exports, whereas the former for the usage of, say, a road).
18 Preserve house in archipelago (8)
CANARIES : CAN(to preserve, as in a tin or can) + ARIES(one of the houses in the zodiac).
Defn: … in the Atlantic Ocean.
19 Long to keep a horse? That’s amusing! (7)
WAGGISH : WISH(long for) containing(to keep) [ A + GG(abbrev. for “gee-gee”, English nickname for a horse, especially a racehorse).
21 Please arrange pass (6)
ELAPSE : Anagram of(… arrange) PLEASE.
22 Burial site in local dispute (6)
BARROW : BAR(the one that is near your place of work or home and which you frequent, is your local) + ROW(a dispute).
Defn: …, or the mound of earth and stones covering it.
24 Obstinate fellow gets the slipper (4)
MULE : Double defn: 2nd: Footwear without a back.
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
Straightforward indeed – more of a Monday puzzle with 3/4 of the clues being write-ins. All very neat but hopefully stronger stuff tomorrow. Thanks both.
Yes, pretty easy but enjoyable nonetheless. Thanks to Chifonie and scchua.
Thanks Chifonie and scchua
Yes, straightforward, though I didn’t parse LA TRAVIATA (I was looking for an anagram of “land” at first, and forget to change tack once I had the solution from the crossers).
Favourites were SAINT LEGER and the simple but pleasing ELAPSE.
There seems to be something wrong with the grammar of the clue for 26a – I began to think it would only work if the “ought” was on the sense of “zero” (actually it crossed my mind at first reading that it ought to read “Should Eritrean leaders……..” – despite this it was one of my last three in, all in that corner). The “in” in 25a, though needed for the surface, doesn’t make sense in the answer.
I was disappointed that, having for once spotted a “nina” grid, there wasn’t one!
Disappointingly straightforward for a wet Friday, though I had not come across Marc before, and found 26a a little cumbersome in its clueing. Thanks to both.
[Parky @4 – I can recommend marc – it’s a French version of grappa.]
What a beautifully presented blog, three colours,clever typography,illustrations and all. Slight glitch in 8a: Willa get out of the Rye?
I think Paul would have clued 13D rather differenty
Thanks Harhop. 8a now corrected as is 13d. (Chardonnay, more likely.)
Thanks Chifonie and scchua (as Harhop says, your blogs are beautiful).
This was a puzzle I could do, a pleasant change for me. I did like BARROW, IMMODERATE and WAGGISH.
Straightforward, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I was wondering – has the style of Chifonie puzzles changed? This seemed very similar to Rufus.
I don’t recall Chifonie puzzles being so gentle before.
Thanks Scchua and Chifonie
I found the lower half of this harder than some offerings from this elegant setter. I particularly liked 18d.
Thanks Chifonie & scchua.
I couldn’t get the 24s for a while. I think we have had MARC some time before, but I forgot it anyway.
Wot no NINA! You’re a liar. 😉
Robi @12
Well, only a tiny nina, then!
Like Robbi @12, I was stuck on MARC / MULE for some time too – perhaps because ‘march’ seems at the other end of endeavour to ‘safari’. Had to stay myself from entering SHAKE for SHALE too.
Otherwise something gentle before the bank holiday special. Liked VENDETTA.
Sorry Robi not Robbi!
@Meic Goodyea- I posted on the Graun site re 13d
:Drink for mad Nancy, disheartened hugging Bonar so they say(10)
I enjoyed this but didn’t get 24s, although, in retrospect I should have got mule.
Nice puzzle. Perhaps a little like Rufus but just right for a miserable Good Friday. MARC was new to me and if it really is like grappa I won’t be exploring it further!
Nina?
Thanks Chifonie
Enjoyed this more, and found it a bit harder than a lot of Chifonies. Last in was BACKDROP – SALINGER also took longer than in should have.
Thanks to scchua and Chifonie
Peter @18
If you read down the 3rd column it starts LIAR (as Robi hinted). I don’t think it really counts, though – probably just coincidence.
Peter Aspinwall @ 18
Try grappa barrique: aged in chestnut barrels, pale golden-brown in colour, and *much* softer than the usual, often harsh, firewater. I was introduced to it in an Italian-Italian (as opposed to tourist-Italian) restaurant in Rome last year. it’s delightful!
Simon @21
………….but grappa is supposed to be rough tasting firewater!
muffin @ 22
…….I know…that *certainly* makes the agreement heated, doesn’t it 😉
Yet again, Simon 🙂
Grappa barrique! Might be worth a punt. Thanks Simon.
No Nina then. Tags Muffin.
Tags? Meant to say thanks.
Thanks Chifonie and scchua
Was surprised to see a Chifonie on a holiday and although it was slightly harder than his norm, it presented few problems. Having said that, found it quite entertaining with the normal crisp clueing.
Finished with BARROW (which was a new definition for me), MARC (knew it was the squashed grapes from wine-making, but didn’t realise that they made another drink from them) and CANARIES last of all.
Because we print the FT, Guardian and Independent crosswords as they appear and (apart from the ones we blog) solve them when we have spare time, we are coming late to this crossword and discussion. But I have to dissent from the comments regarding the clues. Two of them were downright inaccurate. First, with one down, back and wager are not the same thing. A person making a wager backs a horse, a crew in the Boat Race or whatever. He or she does not wager the said horse, crew etc. Second, in 18 down, Aries is not a house of the zodiac. It is a sign. The two are entirely different.