Tees makes his monthly appearance today.
There was a clear theme today with the many references to Margaret (MAGGIE) THATCHER and incidents in her political career. There is no obvious anniversary of her life today, 28th April. She died on 8th April 2013.
It took me a while to parse OPEN REVOLT at 15 down until I came across a secondary meaning of VOLT to avoid a thrust in the sport of fencing.
I have come across ICHOR (10 across), before, but I must admit that it wasn’t in a classical context. It was in one of computer games in The Monkey Island series!
Apart from the LATHE and the link to THE LADY’S NOT FOR TURNING we had other turning allusions with SPINS THE EARTH across the middle row.
I always enjoy a crossword from Tees as there is usually an intersecting clue technique or three. I liked the use of second letters to clue the wordplay for ORTON (27 across). One technique that isn’t used today is reversal.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
9
|
Chart in time found by soldier in camouflage (3,6)
|
(T [time] + PARA [Paratrooper; soldier]) contained in (in) HIDE (camouflage) HI (T PARA) DE |
HIT PARADE (chart [the list of the ten, twenty, etc most popular records, ie those which have sold the most copies, each week])
|
|
10
|
Among singers, one going in van gets ethereal fluid (5)
|
CHOIR (singers) with the I (one) moving to the front [going in van {vanguard; leaders}]) ICHOR |
ICHOR (the ethereal juice in the veins of the gods)
|
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11
|
Tool hospital brought in behind schedule (5)
|
H (hospital) contained in (brought in) LATE (behind schedule) LAT (H) E |
LATHE (a machine for turning and shaping articles of wood, metal, etc; tool)
|
|
12
|
Depart with poetess on travels in March (5-4)
|
GO (depart) + an anagram of (on travels) POETESS GO OSE STEP* |
GOOSE-STEP (to employ a method of marching))
|
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13
|
After row there’s meat from better meals area (7)
|
DIN noise; row) + ETTE (middle four letters of [meat from] BETTER)
|
DINETTE (alcove or other part of a room or kitchen set apart for meals)
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14
|
One more on 19 that 16 (7)
|
Anagram of (SPINS 16 across) ON and EARTH (19 across) ANOTHER* |
ANOTHER (one more)
|
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16
|
Goes swiftly round hold down in ship (5)
|
PIN (hold down) contained in (in) SS (steamship; ship) S (PIN) S |
SPINS (goes swiftly round)
|
|
18 / 28
|
Shot at flanks held where 4,7 saved Stanley (3,9) |
Anagram of (shot) AT FLANKS HELD THE FALKLANDS* |
THE FALKLANDS (scene of war in 1982 between Great Britain [Prime Minister MAGGIE THATCHER [4 down / 7 down] and Argentina. The Falklands remained a British Overseas Territory after the war. The Capital of the Falkland Islands is [Port] Stanley)
|
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19
|
Near the middle ground? (5)
|
EARTH (hidden word forming the central letters of [middle] NEAR THE)
|
EARTH (ground)
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21
|
Heaven‘s idiot keeping one authorised text (7)
|
NANA (idiot) containing (keeping) (I [one] + RV [revised version; an authorised text of the Bible]) N (I RV) ANA |
NIRVANA (the cessation of individual existence, to which a Buddhist or Hindu aspires as the culmination of the meditative state; loosely, a blissful state; heaven)
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24
|
Selfish quality in sloshed prohibition agent (9)
|
TIGHT (drunk; sloshed) + NESS (reference Elliot NESS [1903 – 1957], an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables)
|
TIGHTNESS (a characteristic of people who don’t share; a selfish quality)
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26
|
Was one for 4/7 or against unnamed love-bird? (5)
|
V (versus; against) + (O [love score in tennis] + [TERN {bird] excluding {un..d} N [name])
|
VOTER (one who was in favour of MAGGIE THATCHER [4 down / 7 down]. Some, of course, were not)
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27
|
Playwright somebody or other could engage in seconds? (5)
|
ORTON (second letter [seconds] of each of SOMEBODY OR OTHER COULD ENGAGE)
|
ORTON (reference Joe ORTON [1933 – 1967] English playwright)
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| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1 / 21 / 22
|
Why 4/7 banned 11s? (3,5,3,3,7)
|
THE LADY’S NOT FOR TURNING (LATHE‘s [11 across] is a tool that TURNS wood and metal; so THE LADY was NOT FOR it)
|
THE LADY’S NOT FOR TURNING (the phrase is an extract from MAGGIE THATCHER‘s [4 down / 7 down] speech to the Conservative Party Conference in 1980 – To those waiting with bated breath for that favourite media catchphrase, the “U” turn, I have only one thing to say. “You turn if you want to. THE LADY’S NOT FOR TURNING")
|
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2
|
Where one may get on without oxygen’s medication (6)
|
STATION (where one may get on a train or bus etc) excluding (without) O (chemical symbol for Oxygen)
|
STATIN (any of a class of drugs that inhibit an enzyme used in cholesterol production, used to treat heart disease; medication)
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3
|
Takes room in first settlement? That’s main location (7,3)
|
RENTS (takes accommodation [rents] room) contained in (in) (BASE [settlement] + A [number one; first]) BA (RENTS) SE A |
BARENTS SEA (a marginal sea [main] of the Arctic Ocean, located off the northern coasts of Norway and Russia with vast majority of it lying in Russian territorial waters)
|
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4 / 7
|
Controversial leader from Carthage – get him out! (6,8)
|
Anagram of (out) CARTHAGE GET HIM MAGGIE THATCHER* |
MAGGIE THATCHER (former leader of the United Kingdom Conservative Party and Prime Minister, MAGGIE THATCHER was, and remains, a controversial character)
|
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5
|
This may refresh article in French newspaper (8)
|
A (indefinite article) contained in (in) LE MONDE (French national daily newspaper) LE MON (A) DE |
LEMONADE (refreshing drink)
|
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6
|
4/7 would close this room in excellent house (4)
|
MINE (hidden word in [house] ROOM IN EXCELLENT)
|
MINE (one MAGGIE THATCHER‘s key policies was to reduce the power of Trade Unions with one major event being her standing firm against the National Union of Mineworkers in 1984 and 1985. Many MINE‘s were closed during her term as Prime Minister))
|
|
8
|
Fabrics dealer has physician implant seed (6)
|
DR (doctor; physician) containing (implant) RAPE (plant (Basic naps) closely related to the turnip and producing brilliant yellow flowers, cultivated for its herbage and oil-producing seeds) D (RAPE) R |
DRAPER (dealer in fabrics)
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15
|
Old author about to avoid thrust in uprising (4,6)
|
O (old) + PEN (author) + RE (about) + VOLT (sudden movement or leap to avoid a thrust in fencing)
|
OPEN REVOLT (uprising)
|
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17
|
Angry about equipment that’s wet (8)
|
IRATE (angry) containing (about) RIG (equipment) R (RIG) ATE |
IRRIGATE (wet or moisten)
|
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18
|
Full sanctions in place? It’s politically expedient (5-3)
|
TRADE OFF (not doing any business at all with a specific country or countries possibly as a result of sanctions being applied
|
TRADE-OFF (compromise; example of political expediency) double definition, one slightly cryptic
|
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20
|
Tower block rotting needs to improve (4-4)
|
HIGH (rotting) + RISE (improve) I think ‘needs’ is just a link word
|
HIGH-RISE (tower block)
|
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22
|
Conflict lets US mobilise (6)
|
Anagram of (mobilise) LETS US TUSSLE* |
TUSSLE (struggle; conflict)
|
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23
|
Decoration with tin’s French one on key (2,4)
|
Anagram of (decoration with) TIN + UNE (one of the French forms of the indefinite article) IN T* UNE |
IN TUNE (true in pitch; on key)
|
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25
|
Fashion good and evil society (4)
|
TON (fashion) + G (good)
|
TONG (a Chinese guild or secret society, particularly one associated with organized crime; evil society)
|
As with most puzzles with gateway clues, I found this frustratingly hard at first, then frustratingly easy after the gateway. I too did not understand “open revolt” – thanks, duncanshiell. My favourite clue was 3D Barents Sea, because I spotted the answer immediately and felt obnoxiously pleased with myself.
Not exactly my favourite subject for a theme but an enjoyable puzzle nonetheless. It took me a while to parse BARENTS SEA, and I confess that I biffed ORTON so thanks for that Duncan. Having said that, I should have seen how it worked. MINE was my LOI and I thought it was excellently hidden.
I enjoyed the puzzle, though I needed the blog for a few elusive answers. 1 / 21 / 22 was always a neat inter text with Christopher Fry’s 1948 play: The Lady’s not for Burning (re a witch!).
Wow, Tees after Screw in the Grauniad, what a day! 🙂 I need to lie down in a darkened room now.
Great puzzle with a lot of excellent clues. Thanks Duncan, I missed the ‘seconds’ in ORTON. I also didn’t know the ‘other’ meaning of VOLT.
I guess OPEN REVOLT and GOOSE STEP could be part of the theme…… I was intrigued by the derivation of GOOSE STEP – from the Interweb: ‘It’s more likely that repeatedly standing on one leg reminded soldiers of the way a goose often stands.’
I particularly liked HIT PARADE and the long one.
I was surprised this crossword was not held over until the 28-29 May, the Battle of Goose Green.
However, Maggie seems to be STEPPING there…
TRADE-OFF, the lowering of inflation raising unemployment, could also be part of the theme,
as could HIGH-RISE, the building of tower blocks being stopped.
Then there is HIT PARADE with “Ding Dong, the Witch is Dead”, and its counter “I’m in love with Margaret Thatcher”, vying for position.
Thanks Tees for splendid puzzle, and Duncan for a very helpful blog.
Thanks, Duncan, for a much-needed blog.
I really couldn’t get into this one, and was about to throw in the towel when I got THE FALKLANDS. Then the anagram for the Wicked Witch of the West fell, and I was on my way. Still a struggle to finish, though.
Can’t say the theme brought me much pleasure, since being reminded of Thatcher is about as pleasurable as having root canal work. But at least it reminds me not to vote for son of Thatcher’s party in a week’s time.
Tees, as I have said before, is a thoughtful setter. This was hard, but there were clues scattered around the grid that were more straightforward, so once you’d sussed out what the theme was from the gateway clue, it was solvable. Thanks to him for a good puzzle.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Maggie, eh: sorry about reminding you of all that deeply obnoxious stuff.
Thanks Dunks for your usual great blog, and to all contributors.
SPINS THE EARTH across the middle was a total fluke btw, though I was pleased enough to see it, and the anag at 14a made its intention seem more feasible, I suppose. The whole thing arose from a dumb idea of mine about lathes, and perhaps like you guys I couldn’t resist a really dreadful pun such as that.
Many thanks all.
Sorry late post, but been catching up on a ‘free’ day. Feel obliged to add my voice since I found it to be terrific. I don’t judge a puzzle by its difficulty, but by the pleasure derived. In fact, I found it much easier than I’d presumed (maybe 15mins, 20 tops while half-listening to some Tory lies on the radio). Not showing off – we’re all different; after all, in spite of my mate recounting Tony Oxley’s lessons immediately after their finish, I found it quite tough to get much beyond some basic jazz drumming techniques! But he (my mate) was probably rubbish at crossword solving! Could there be any human being who is both adept with paradiddles and able to compile crosswords without relying on taradiddles? Surely no mere mortal could accomplish both feats?!?!
I learnt a general truth here; by expecting it to be tricky, I must have brought more mental acuity to the puzzle…..interesting? Not really…..
Purport of my volubility – to let those with an interest know that I loved this crossword.
Many thanks.
….and meant to add, thanks to Duncan for yet another fantastic blog!
And who is this Maggie Thatcher person? He sounds like a very kindly, if timid, kind of bloke?
….and meant to add, thanks to Duncan for yet another impressive blog!
And who is this Maggie Thatcher person? He sounds like a very kindly, if timid, kind of bloke?