(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.) An enjoyable puzzle from a favourite IoS setter. Thanks to Raich. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Getting tips from speakers after function gives comfortable feeling (8)
COSINESS : The 1st letter of and the last letter of(tips from) “speakers ” placed after(after) COSINE(the trigonometrical function).
5 Not exactly new hill singer (6)
CANTOR : CA(abbrev. for “circa”;approximate, used when specifying dates;not exactly) + N(abbrev. for “new) + TOR(a rocky hill).
Defn: … in a church or synagogue.
9 Gunners and US State having matches? They don’t happen often (8)
RARITIES : R.A.(abbrev. for the Royal Artillery;gunners) plus(and) RI(abbrev. for Rhode Island, the US state) plus(having) TIES(competitive matches).
10 Ability to remember everything written on playground (6)
RECALL : ALL(everything) placed after(written on) REC(short for “recreation ground”;playground).
12 After switch of hands, drummer finding means to communicate (5)
LINGO : “Ringo”(Starr, drummer with the Beatles) with “l”(abbrev. for the left hand side) replacing(After switch of hands) “R”(abbrev. for the right hand side)
13 Musical work kid at home plays (3,6)
THE MIKADO : Anagram of(… plays) KID AT HOME.
Defn: … by Gilbert and Sullivan.
14 Become accustomed to ascetic failing to go round South American capital (11)
ACCLIMATISE : Anagram of(… failing) ASCETIC containing(to go round) LIMA(capital of the South American state, Peru).
18 Working together, husband with partner taking care of home (grand) (4,2,5)
HAND IN GLOVE : H(abbrev. for “husband”) + AND(with) + LOVE(one’s partner;lover) containing(taking care of) [ IN(at home) + G(abbrev. for “a grand”;slang for $1000) ]
21 A green set, awkward? (9)
TEENAGERS : Anagram of(…, awkward) A GREEN SET.
Defn: A group of young persons often described as being awkward – socially uncomfortable and/or difficult to handle. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.
23 French writer describing learner’s move smoothly (5)
GLIDE : GIDE(André, French writer and Nobel Laureate in Literature) containing(describing) L(plate displayed by a learner driver).
24 In Shanghai bar ask about peninsula (6)
ARABIA : Hidden in(In) reversal of(… about) “Shanghai bar ask “.
25 Condition is included in agreement for one opposed to violence (8)
PACIFIST : [ IF(a condition or stipulation, as in “no ifs or buts”) + IS] contained in(included in) PACT(an agreement amongst parties for mutual advantage).
26 Cloak such a falling effect (6)
DOMINO : Double defn: 2nd: Descriptive of a sequence of events;a chain reaction, analogous to a falling row of dominoes.
27 Seat of government at that time not fully associated with former Tory leader (3,5)
THE HAGUE : “then”(at that point in time) minus its last letter (not fully) plus(associated with) HAGUE(William, former Tory leader).
Defn: … of the Netherlands.
Down
1 Vehicle getting shout of approval from Spanish girl (6)
CAROLE : CAR(a vehicle) plus(getting) OLÉ(a shout of excited approval, from Spanish).
2 Do well getting Romeo in here to pray? (6)
SHRINE : SHINE(to do well) containing(getting … in) R(letter indicated by “Romeo” in the phonetic alphabet).
3 Reforming Italian so “anti” in relation to State control (15)
NATIONALISATION : Anagram of(Reforming) [ ITALIAN SO “ANTI” + ON(in relation to;with reference to) ].
4 Role model installs shelter for unpleasant weather (5)
SLEET : ST(abbrev. for “saint”, presumably a role model) containing(installs) LEE(the sheltered side).
6 12 transformed after pond trip? (8,7)
AMERICAN ENGLISH : Cryptic defn: Reference to the lingo(answer to 12 across) transformed after crossing the Atlantic Ocean(known as “the Pond”, informally).
7 Start of theme song writer is breaking into as drink is served? (3,5)
TIA MARIA : [ The 1st letter of(Start of) “theme ” + ARIA(a solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment, as in an opera) ] containing(… breaking into) [I AM](“the writer is”, self-referentially).
8 No-win situation leads to this (8)
ROLLOVER : Cryptic defn: Reference to the carrying forward of prize money, say, in a lottery, to the next draw or round if there is no winner this time.
11 Middle East team on business in Republic (6)
MEXICO : M.E.(abbrev. for “Middle East”) + XI(Roman numeral for “eleven”, a sporting team consisting of 11 players) placed above(on, in a down clue) CO(abbrev. for “company”;a business concern).
15 Cautious about Northern actor (6)
CAGNEY : CAGEY(cautious) containing(about) N(abbrev. for “northern”).
Answer: James, American actor.
16 Adjusted handset to receive line in remote location? (8)
SHETLAND : Anagram of(Adjusted) HANDSET containing(to receive) L(abbrev. for “line”).
Answer: … aka the Shetland Islands, the far north-eastern part of Scotland
17 Style of service in university – running errand before end of term? (8)
UNDERARM : U(abbrev. for “university”) + anagram of(running) ERRAND placed before(before) the last letter of(end of) “term “.
Defn: In tennis, serving the ball with the racquet swung below shoulder level.
19 Norseman in opposition to island ruler (6)
VIKING : V(abbrev. for “versus”;in opposition to) + I(abbrev. for “island”) + KING(a male ruler).
20 The French newspaper that is supporter of “gauche”? (6)
LEFTIE : LE(French for “the”) + FT(abbrev. for the Financial Times newspaper) + I.E.(abbrev. for “id est”;that is).
Defn: How to describe a supporter of the political Left(“la gauche” in French).
22 Kinky sex remains something very popular (5)
SMASH : [S and M](abbrev. for “sadomasochism”;kinky sex) + ASH(the remains after a fire).
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
3D But there is only one “o” in the anagram fodder and an extra “i”.
10A I don’t think “everything” should be underlined.
Liked TIA MARIA and UNDERARM.
Thanks to Raich and scchua.
Apologies and thanks for pointing out. Blog amended.
My last answers were Tia Maria (because I wasn’t expecting a brand name, I think) and rollover (because it’s a CD, and we all have opinions about CDs).
But every clue was perfectly clear once the answer was discovered. Very neat and consistent setting. Thanks, Raich! And thanks scchua too.
I enjoyed this, as I always do with a Raich puzzle. No favourites really; it was all good stuff.
Emrys, the Indy (and Sindy) often has brand names or proper names – more than elsewhere, I suspect. At the Times, such things are banned, I think (or maybe you have to be dead before your name appears).
I must admit I didn’t spot it at the time, but I think gwep is right about the anagram fodder for NATIONALISATION.
Thanks, both.
I tend to solve the crossword on an iPad, without paper or pen to hand, and have to do the anagrams in my head. Anagrams are much easier with paper. There is no way I’d ever detect a missing letter, most of my anagram answers are inspired guesswork! But mostly they’re right, too.
Many thanks for the excellent blog, scchua, and to all for their comments. Re NATIONALISATION, as the blog correctly shows the anagram covers the first 13 letters with the final two letters ON = ‘in relation to’. The definition, again as shown, is “State control”.