(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) 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” IN + 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).
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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)
pic 3) The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the autobiography of Lawrence of ARABIA
Pic 2, late in the day, but what about ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN.
Pic. 6, THE MIKADO (too obvious, must be wrong!)
Pic 1, vector flow colour scale , COSINES…
Pic 5, UNDERARM, well those guitars are…
pic 5) George Harrison and Eric Clapton at the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh, which was noted for it COSINESS
pic 4) In the Jazz Singer, Jerry Golding: the aspiring jazz singer’s father was a Jewish CANTOR.
pic 2) Beethoven was Haydn’s student for a short while but they hardly worked together HAND IN GLOVE and Beethoven did anything but ROLL OVER ???
pic 1) Thread colour chart (actually color in the image title- so AMERICAN ENGLISH ??? )
pic 6) Annunciation to the Shepherds by Robinet Testard
No idea, but thanks for the fun and challenge, scchua
Freddy and Cookie,
Pic1: MIKADO yellow is a shade of yellow
Pic2: ROLL OVER Bethoven was written and sung by Chuck Berry
Pic3: The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the name of that cliff formation in Jordan and the title of (T.E.) Lawrence of ARABIA’s autobiography
Pic4: in The Jazz Singer (various versions of it were filmed), the protagonist’s father was a CANTOR who wanted his son to be one too
Pic5: Eric Clapton started the rock band Derek and the DOMINOs
Pic6: The CAROLE (or carola) was a Medieval song and dance with participants holding hands in a circle and singing.
Thanks scchua for the fun, and apologies to Raich, I did not have time to solve the crossword, only to go through the parsing.