Raich is a fairly prolific, and long-standing, Indy and IOS setter, but this is the first of his Indys I have blogged - although I did cover a couple of his Enigmatic Variations barred/thematic puzzles, way back in 2011 and beyond!
I started this at a fair canter – the top half seemed relatively gentle – but the bottom half proved a little chewier…
In one of those early blogs (EV 935) I commented that “…A couple of recent Raich thematic/barred puzzles have been of a politico/historical nature…”, and so it was no surprise to see a few Eastern European/Cold War references here – GAGARIN, BERLIN WALL, KENNEDY. I’m not sure if there is enough to constitute a theme, or a Nina(?), but it wouldn’t be a Raich without them!
My solving notes have a nod of appreciation at 14D ESPY, and I also enjoyed the description of Yuri Gagarin as a ‘long-distance’ traveller.
My thanks to Raich – nice to cross cruciverbal swords with you again after so long! And a happy, safe, and hopefully vaccinated, New Year to you all…
I trust all is clear below…please feel free to comment with any corrections or your own observations.
| Across | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clue No | Solution | Clue | Definition (with occasional embellishments) / Logic/parsing |
|
| 1A | PRIVATE EYE | Detective type I’ve associated with era mistakenly (7,3) | detective / anag, i.e. mistakenly, of TYPE IVE + ERA |
|
| 6A | DONE | Cooked in London eatery (4) | cooked / hidden word in ‘lonDON Eatery’ |
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| 10A | AUTOGRAPH | Car chart that’s personally signed (9) | (something) that’s personally signed / AUTO (car) + GRAPH (chart) |
|
| 11A | SPURS | Encourages short bursts of activity, taking time out (5) | encourages / SPUR( |
|
| 12A | DOUBLE | Replica drink (6) | ‘double’ defn! / a replica can be a DOUBLE; and so can some drinks! |
|
| 13A | NOTA BENE | Important to be never beaten off (4,4) | important / NO (never) + TA BENE (anag, i.e. off, of beaten) |
|
| 15A | THIRSTS | Cravings revealed by this, crossing entrance to Regent Street (7) | cravings / THI_S around (crossing) R (first letter, or entrance, of Regent) + ST (street) |
|
| 17A | GAGARIN | Long-distance traveller’s advantage – importing paper on return (7) | long-distance (mostly upwards and downwards!) traveller / GA_IN (advantage) around (importing) GAR (rag, newspaper, returned) |
|
| 19A | KENNEDY | Important to welcome news editor portraying President (7) | President / KE_Y (important) around (welcoming) NN (new, twice = news) + ED (editor) |
|
| 20A | DUTIFUL | Doing as expected of the French, proper, returning with useful tips (7) | doing as expected / DU (of, French) + TIF (fit, or proper, returning) + UL (tips, or outer letters, of UsefuL) |
|
| 22A | NOSE DIVE | By sound of it, is aware of seedy club – sudden fall results? (4,4) | sudden fall / NOSE (homophone, i.e. by the sound of it – NOSE sounds like KNOWS, is aware of) + DIVE (seedy club) |
|
| 25A | FABRIC | Fantastic draper at back in charge of material (6) | material / FAB (fabulous, fantastic) + R (back letter of drapeR) + IC (in charge, of) |
|
| 28A | DIANA | Royal once featured in Guardian article (5) | royal, once / hidden word in, i.e. featured in, ‘guarDIAN Article’ |
|
| 29A | REARRANGE | Fix new date for start of revised Listener series (9) | fix new date for / R (start of Revised) + EAR (listener) + RANGE (series) |
|
| 30A | MEET | Suitable encounter (4) | double defn. / something that is MEET could be suitable (archaic/formal); and to MEET can be to encounter |
|
| 31A | BERLIN WALL | In end Rob will learn about barrier (6,4) | barrier / anag, i.e. about, of B (end letter of roB) + WILL LEARN |
|
| Down | ||||
| Clue No | Solution | Clue | Definition (with occasional embellishments) / Logic/parsing |
|
| 1D | PLAUDIT | Sign of approval of extremely practical check (7) | sign of approval / PL (extreme letters of PracticaL) + AUDIT (check) |
|
| 2D | INTRUSION | Our inn – it’s upset, getting unwelcome visit (9) | unwelcome visit / anag, i.e. upset, of OUR INN ITS |
|
| 3D | ANGEL | Investor’s displeasure with switch of sides (5) | investor (usually in theatrical ventures) / ANGE( |
|
| 4D | EXAM | Flipping greatest English test! (4) | test / MAX (maximum, greatest) + E (English), flipping = EXAM |
|
| 5D | YAHOO | Boor, just starting, you are hearing out, obnoxious (5) | boor / first, or starting, letters of ‘You Are Hearing Out Obnoxious’ |
|
| 7D | OF USE | Handy round protective device (2,3) | handy / O (round-ish letter) + F USE (protective device |
|
| 8D | EASTERN | Core of team back from China? (7) | from China? / EA (middle, or core, of tEAm) + STERN (back) |
|
| 9D | ESCARGOT | Parisian is seen about freight delivering delicacy for him? (8) | delicacy for him (Parisian) / ES_T (French, i.e. Parisian, for is, third person) around CARGO (freight) |
|
| 14D | ESPY | Spot suggestive of sixth sense? (4) | spot / If something is suggestive of ESP (sixth sense), then it might be ESP-Y?! |
|
| 16D | SPEEDWAY | Went into power for sport (8) | sport / S_WAY (power) around PEED (went!) |
|
| 17D | GODS | Thor’s high point? (4) | high (vantage) point (in a theatre) / GOD (Thor) plus possessive S |
|
| 18D | REFERENDA | Votes near – defer after review (9) | votes / anag, i.e. after review, of NEAR DEFER |
|
| 19D | KINGDOM | United follower maybe – doing wrong in outskirts of Khartoum? (7) | ‘United’ follower, maybe (i.e. United Kingdom’) / K_M (outer letters of KhartouM) around INGDO (anag, i.e. wrong, of DOING) |
|
| 21D | LACTEAL | Milky tea? Call for change (7) | milky / anag, i.e. for change, of TEA CALL |
|
| 23D | STALE | Second story, no longer new (5) | no longer new / S (second) + TALE (story) |
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| 24D | VERSE | See Gaelic language poetry (5) | poetry / V (vide, Latin, interjection, see!) + ERSE (Gaelic) |
|
| 26D | APRON | Article lying flat, almost, in airport area (5) | airport area / A (indefinite article) + PRON( |
|
| 27D | Armour for men, reportedly (4) | armour / homophone, i.e. reportedly – MAIL (chain mail, armour) sounds like MALE (for men) |
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