Eccles fills the mid-week slot again this week – we’re in for some fun!
Another great, accessible puzzle from Eccles this week, with the trademark smooth surfaces and occasional smiles.
There was one new word for us (13ac) and we had to resort to electronic assistance for 18d as we’d not heard of the comedian referred to in the clue. We’re grateful for the enlightenment on both counts – crosswords can be very educational!!
Thanks Eccles for the enjoyment.
CAN (tin) CAN (tin)
An anagram of NAME DROP – anagrind is ‘inappropriate’
HOGAN (Paul Hogan – ‘Crocodile Dundee’ in the 3 eponymous films) round or ‘downing’ an anagram of OIL – anagrind is ‘cooking’
SLATE (roofing material) reversed or ‘put back’ after M (last letter vandalism)
DEC (December – Christmas time) ORATION (speech)
cINCH (something that’s very easy) without the first letter or ‘scratching head’
Hidden (‘some’) in fisherMEN HAD ENough – a new species of fish for us – apparently a North American fish of the herring family
SHIED (started, as in ‘recoiled”) round or ‘carrying’ L (large)
PLAY (performance) UP (excited)
PIERS (supporting structures) round or ‘protecting’ ONE
RAPS (strikes) reversed or ‘back’
TEN (number) reversed or ‘returned’ round or ‘drinking’ THERMOS (flask)
Every third or ‘occasional’ letter of ThrOw oUt uSabLe bEds – we only knew TOUSLE as a verb, but Chambers also has it as a noun
TR (Turkey) ‘welcomed’ in PROUD (swelling) E (European)
ED (education) + an anagram of NOT (anagrind is ‘unfortunately’) + ON (working) round or ‘hampering’ M (millions)
reSISTER (opposing figure) without or ‘abandoning’ ‘re’ (about)
A ROSE (flower)
50% of CELLOphane (wrapping material)
DRAGGINg (drawing) without the last letter or ‘endlessly’ and reversed or ‘back’
PEN (writer) ION (one charged) round or ‘investing’ S (first letter or ‘bit’ of spare)
MAN (chap) in or ‘entering’ RED S (square)
An anagram of I HINT (anagrind is ‘about’) ‘bunged’ into ONCE (in the past)
MO (second) + an anagram of CURE-ALL – anagrind is ‘made up’
Hidden in (‘internal parts of’) raDIO SPILLEd and reversed or ‘over’o
An anagram of THE (anagrind is ‘distraught’) round or ‘nursing’ YPRES (battle) + O (over)
We were stumped by this one this one which we solved from the definition once we had all the crossers. We had no idea who Tim Vine is – we had to use some electronic help to check out that he is a stand-up comedian renowned for his one-liners and puns – so he could be described as a PUN GENT
PUT UP (allow to stay) + NO reversed or ‘backing’
ONE (individual) R (runs) US (America) round or ‘grasping’ O (nothing) – surely not a reference to the current president?
E (earth) in or ‘boring’ MARS (planet)
A homophone (‘reportedly’) of SIDE (team) ‘LL (will)
I do like Eccles Wednesdays especially when they are accompanied by B&J
Lots to enjoy as usual – I did like 1a. I’d never heard of the fish but will file it away in case it turns up again. Unlike B&J, I had heard of the comedian in 18d
Thanks to Eccles and B&J
A man says to a woman at the airport “Cluck, cluck, cluck”. The woman replies “Sorry sir, this is the check-in desk”. A typical Tim Vine pun.
Never heard of the fish. Sounds more like a Taliban member.
Also didn’t know TOUSLE could be a noun.
Funny how you can sometimes stumble on the correct answer. Reading 22a, “number” immediately suggested ETHER which led to NETHERMOST and I then saw THERMOS and job done.
Favourite was backward inclusion for ELLIPSOID. Thanks to Eccles and Bertandjoyce.
I too had heard of Tim Vine though never seen him perform. Menhaden new to me too, and seems an unlikely name for a fish – apparently of the herring family, and from the Algonquin language. Kippered menhaden anyone? Ellipsoid = surface or vv seems a bit of a stretch. But very enjoyable, so thanks Eccles and B&J.
I love to see Eccles’ name on Wednesdays, too!
A very unlikely name for a fish – with all the crossers and spotting the hidden, I still had to look it up before I could bring myself to enter it.
I’d heard of Tim Vine – he’s Jeremy Vine’s brother.
My favourites today, I think, were HOOLIGAN, CELLO, NIGGARD and PENSION but, as ever, there were lots of nice clues.
Many thanks to Eccles and B and J.
I did know the fish but not the required surface – also didn’t realise that TOUSLE could be a noun.
Top two here were CAN-CAN & PARDON ME.
Thanks to Eccles and also to B&J for the review.
Brilliant. Many thanks to Eccles and to B&J.
A very pleasant solve, although 1ac elicited a groan.
We got the fish from the wordplay and checked it in Chambers, but seeing the definition we thought we’d encountered it before – and yes, Quixote used it with a similar clue, way back in 2013.
We’d vaguely heard of Mr Vine so 18dn went in from crossing letters and wordplay, but having similarly got 9ac we had to google to connect ‘Hogan’ with ‘Dundee’.
Lots to like but we’ll nominate CELLO as our favourite.
Thanks, Eccles and B&J
Minor hold up putting (the equally valid) SPAT for 21 and being unable to remember name Of Crocodile Dundee actor (having correctly guessed where the clue was heading) but otherwise fairly straghtforward bar the fish!
Thanks to Eccles and B&J
Thanks, both, for blogging.
Eccles on a Wednesday (or indeed any other day) is pretty much a guarantee of a sound, entertaining and well-constructed puzzle. And if that sounds like a \’damning with faint praise\’ comment, it\’s absolutely not meant to be. To produce a quality daily paper cryptic regularly is a real commitment and talent. Bravo that man.
PUNGENT did raise a smile, since I had come across Tim Vine\’s work. My favourite of his one-liners is: \’Conjunctivitis.com. Now there\’s a site for sore eyes.\’
I seem to have suffered from the curse of the reverse slash there …
Well, I finished it eventually, although 25ac was a guess.
I wondered if 13ac was hidden but once I had the last letter and saw what the hidden answer would be, I dismissed it thinking that’s never a word. It was only when I got more crossers I finally decided to check the dictionary.
Cheers to B&J and all the commenters.