A challenging and unusual puzzle awaited us this Thursday morning, set by Serpent.
I think that I have managed to solve the puzzle correctly, although I found teasing out the wordplay in this puzzle to be very tricky indeed, and it was only when I looked at 7 for a fourth time after finding the solution that I understood the (perfectly fair) wordplay!
The is one issue, however, that still needs clarifying. As I was solving the puzzle, I was struck by how the same set of letters kept cropping up in solutions, and then I noticed that the perimeter of the puzzle spells out THIRTEEN LETTERS MISSING. This implies that only half of the alphabet is used in the puzzle, but when I do my calculations, I have 14 of the 26 letters of the alphabet used in the completed grid, and 12 of the 26 that are not. I assume that I must have made a mistake somewhere and will correct the blog later if necessary.
As for my favourite clues today, I particularly liked the amusing definition at 22; the & lit. clues at 8 and 19; and the well-hidden definition at 27.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| Across | ||
| 06 | GASOLINE | Fuel talk of avoiding loud row
GAS (=talk, rabbit) + O<f> (“avoiding loud (=f, in music)” means letter “f” is dropped + LINE (=row, line) |
| 09 | GOALIE | A position where ball stops following attempt?
GO (=attempt, try) + A + LIE (=position where ball stops, in golf); & lit., thinking of football |
| 10 | NODDED | By playing three of diamonds one indicated support
*(D D D (3 x D=diamonds, in cards) + ONE); “by playing” is anagram indicator |
| 11 | SHORTAGE | Lack support to carry gun around
TAG (GAT=gun; “round” indicates reversal) in SHORE (=support, prop) |
| 12 | INTERNEE | Prisoner’s means of communication curtailed by committee’s conclusion
INTERNE<t> (=means of communication; “curtailed” means last letter is dropped) + <committe>E (“conclusion” means last letter only) |
| 13 | AIRMEN | Distribute Remain flyers on a regular basis
*(REMAIN); “distribute” is anagram indicator; airmen, aviators are “flyers on a regular basis” |
| 15 | ENSIGN | Standard space to print and write one’s name
EN (=space to print) + SIGN (=write one’s name) |
| 17 | STRATA | Scheme to cut precious stone in multiple layers
STRATA<gem> (=scheme); “to cut precious stone (=gem)” means letters “gem” are dropped |
| 20 | STATER | Old coin displayed by gallery in empty salver
TATE (=gallery, in UK) in S<alve>R (“empty” means all but first and last letters are dropped); a stater is an old Greek coin |
| 22 | IMMORTAL | Unable to pass time in debauched surroundings
T (=time) in IMMORAL (=debauched); cryptically, e.g. an immortal is unable to pass (away), die! |
| 24 | SLANDERS | False reports of isolated people in the main wanting independence
<i>SLANDERS (=isolated people in the main (=sea)); “wanting independence (=I)” means letter “i” is dropped |
| 26 | DOGGIE | Boy’s best friend to stop working, packing nothing and going on vacation
[O (=nothing) + G<oin>G (“on vacation” means word is emptied, i.e. all but first and last letters are dropped)] in DIE (=to stop working, malfunction, e.g. of engine); if a dog is a man’s best friend, then the informal doggie could be a boy’s best friend! |
| 27 | IODINE | I regularly disobey guards close to second home
[<secon>D (“close to” means last letter only) + IN (=(at) home)] in <d>I<s>O<b>E<y> (“regularly” means alternate letters only are used); I is the chemical formula for iodine |
| 28 | DOMINANT | Prevailing wisdom in anthropological circles
Hidden (“circles”) in “wisDOM IN ANThropological” |
| Down | ||
| 01 | TODDLERS | Little fish flipping bit children
TIDDLERS (=little fish); “flipping bit” appears to mean that that one letter is changed, i.e. “i” to “o” |
| 02 | HIDDEN | Secret papers suppressed by hospital study
ID (=papers, i.e. for proving one’s identity) in [H (=hospital) + DEN (=study, private room)] |
| 03 | IGNORANT | Ill-informed rating managed to convey negative response
NO (=negative response) in *(RATING); “managed” is anagram indicator |
| 04 | RATTER | Trained killer helping to make bureaucrat terrified
Hidden (“helping to make”) in “bureaucRAT TERrified” |
| 05 | TING | High toll can end in mourning
TIN (=can, for drink) + <mournin>G (“end in” means last letter only); the “high toll” refers to a high-pitched ring from a bell |
| 07 | ADORNMENT | Decoration America awarded to President finally includes servicemen
[RN (=service, i.e. Royal Navy + MEN] in <americ>A <awarde>D <t>O <presiden>T (“finally” means last letters only) |
| 08 | EASTER | When one might eat lavishly, but only after fasting initially
F<easting> (“initially” means first letter only) + EASTER (=when …) = FEASTER (=one might eat lavishly); & lit., referring to eating at Easter following Lent |
| 14 | EMANATION | Reputation turning into a tricky issue
ENAM (NAME=reputation, as in to have a good name; “turning” indicates reversal) + *(INTO A); “tricky” is anagram indicator |
| 16 | GARDENER | Person developing plot heartlessly rearranged broadcast
*(REAR<ra>NGED); “heartlessly” means middle letters are dropped from anagram, indicated by “broadcast”; the “plot” of the definition refers to e.g. a vegetable plot |
| 18 | ARROGANT | Assuming success brought about out-and-out gains
OG (GO=success, informally; “brought about” indicates reversal) in ARRANT (=out-and-out, downright) |
| 19 | BIASED | Treating only one side of evidence is bad?
*(<evidenc>E (“only one side of” means either first or last letter is used) + IS BAD); “treating” is anagram indicator; semi- & lit. |
| 21 | TENNIS | Game in second half of June isn’t shot
*(<ju>NE + ISN’T); “second half” means only half of letters are used in anagram, indicated by “shot” |
| 23 | MADAME | Nice lady cooked cakes in the morning
AM (=in the morning) in MADE (=cooked); the “Nice lady” of the definition refers to a woman from the French city of Nice, hence “madame” |
| 25 | LOOM | Characters imprisoned in dismal tower
<g>LOOM<y> (=dismal); “characters imprisoned” means all bit first and last letters are used |
As so often with Serpent, needed to find and use the Nina to finish off. My loi was BIASED, which I was reluctant to enter since it brought the B into play. Surely, a rare Serpent mistake. He must be kicking himself.
Thanks to Serpent and RatkojaRiku.
Many thanks to RatkojaRiku for the excellent blog (of what I think was a tricky puzzle). Apologies, I have indeed made a mistake. I seem to remember struggling to write a clue for LIASED and stupidly changed it to BIASED, forgetting the self-imposed grid constraint.
Give the brilliance of this almost triskaidekagram, I think we can forgive a tiny mistake. Serpent will just have to have another go when he can face such a mammoth crossword-setting task again
I had the first and last bits of the Nina but the SE corner held out the longest until I looked at the clues I’d already solved and saw the link to thirteen and then realised the blooming obvious
Thanks to Serpent for a stunning crossword setting feat (mistake or not) and to RR for the blog
Yes, we spotted the nina, which helped us in the SW corner – and then spent ages trying to find something other than BIASED for 19dn, our LOI. We couldnt parse NODDED or SHORTAGE (the latter because we took ‘stage’ as the ‘support’).
But there was a lot to like, GASOLINE, IODINE, TODDLERS, MADAME and LOOM among our favourites.
Thanks, Serpent and RatkojaRiku.
I counted one B and two H’s, so I reckoned B was a mistake. RINSED would have worked. Failed to parse INTERNEE, can’t think why. Just goes to prove we all make mistakes.
I also meant to mention the parsing for TODDLERS. The wordplay is more precise than suggested in the blog, although the parsing relies on somewhat niche knowledge. The notion of bit-flipping is common in the context of computers and digital networks and indicates a 0 changing to 1 (and vice versa), so “flipping bit” specifically indicated that the I in TIDDLERS had to change to an O.
A success for me completing a Serpent unaided. Pun intended, as I failed to parse a few, including still being unclear on the context for 18dn where ‘go’ means ‘success’ Thanks for the puzzle & blog, and in advance for an explanation
TFO,
To make a go of it or to make a success of it is similar.
On 1D, Bit being the smallest unit of data on a computer, a portmanteau of BInary digiT. A binary digit can of course only be 1 or 0.
I wonder if Serpent will be able to come up with a clue for LIASED in time for this puzzle’s appearance in the i. That would be nice.
Or something else that fitted!
Oh no! I’m even more embarrassed to discover I can’t spell LIAISE! Perhaps my original entry was RINSED (NNI @5) or HISSED or MISSED.
How about (as a comment on my blooper and the confusion it caused): Failed to notice something creating lack of clarity for audience (6)
Could the error be described as, “Young lady drunk drink after scrambled settler and Thor, flipping bit, declines hydrogen, mixes loud belt with first woman twice?”
(8,7,6,2,6,2,6)
I struggle with liased too. And have in the past been close to re-enacting a scene from the sitcom, the Brittas empire, where Chris Barrie’s character on discovering the OED agrees with his secretary that there is only one “f” in professional, has her dictate a letter, “Dear editor of the OED, I was most surprised to find the following spelling error…”
Dictates a letter for her to type
Total defeat for me. After nearly half a day, still more blank squares than filled in ones. As to the Nina, I didn’t get enough letters round the edge to see it.
I totally missed the Nina, but still enjoyed it. Faves were 1,11,16,26,27. Cheers!
Thanks Serpent for mea culpa. I was enjoying it so much I forgot to do a count.