Today we have what on the face of it is a fairly standard puzzle from Phi
Well that’s what I thought until I just noticed before starting the blog that the final two across entries formed the phrase DRAGON SLAYER (28 and 29 across). I reckoned Phi doesn’t put words like that together without a reason. A little bit of research threw up the name JASPER (1 across) FFORDE (first six unchecked letters in the fourth row from the bottom). JASPER FFORDE is the author of a number of fantasy novels. In 2010 he published a novel entitled The Last DRAGON SLAYER. He has also published the NURSERY (11 across) CRIME (13 across) series plus another series featuring the character THURSDAY (16 down) NEXT (8 down). There may well be other allusions in the grid, but these are all I have unearthed.
You didn’t need a particularly wide vocabulary to solve this puzzle. For me, the most obscure entry was EMBLEMA. All the other entries I have come across a number of times. although I am more used to the spelling LODESTONE for 23 across
I did wonder if we were going to get a Thomas Hardy theme given that the word Hardy appeared in two clues (10 across and 1 Down).I liked the clues for EEYORE (7 down) because of its surface and WRANGLER (17 down) because of its many mathematical allusions.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Prankster pinching small component of jewellery? (6)
|
JAPER (prankster) containing (pinching) S (small) JA (S) PER |
JASPER (an opaque quartz containing clay or iron compounds, used in jewellery or ornamentation and red, yellow, brown or green in colour)
|
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4
|
Collector‘s publication’s a welcome prize (6)
|
MAG (magazine; publication) + PIE (a welcome luxury or prize)
|
MAGPIE (hoarder; collector)
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10
|
Hardy story father ignored in favour of two pieces of Dumas (7)
|
PARABLE (story told to illustrate a moral point)) excluding (ignored) PA (father) and replacing with (in favour of) DU (first two letters of [two pieces] of DUMAS) DURABLE |
DURABLE (hardy)
|
|
11
|
Agreed marathon should double back round river and garden (7)
|
(YES [agreed] + RUN [a marathon is an example of a RUN]) reversed (should double back) containing (round) R (river) (NUR SE (R) Y)< |
NURSERY (a place where plants are reared for sale or transplanting; garden)
|
|
12
|
Endlessly bewails snatching money in heist? (5)
|
CRIES (bewails) excluding the final letter (endlessly) S containing (snatching) M (money, as in M0, M1 etc,monetary measures) CRI (M) E |
CRIME (heist being defined as robbery or theft is a CRIME)
|
|
13
|
Brass player to fade after beginning on tenth drink (9)
|
T (first letter of [beginning] TENTH) + RUM (drink) + PETER (fade)
|
TRUMPETER (brass player)
|
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14
|
What the one in every port has for seaborne lads adrift? (12)
|
Anagram of (adrift) SEABORNE LADS ADORABLENESS* |
ADORABLENESS (capable of being loved or worshipped; presumably to lads who have been at sea for a long their [lady] friends in any port exhibit ADORABLENESS) I’ll let the experts in &Lits decide whether this an example of the genre.
|
|
18
|
Argument to upset that woman after Government’s become united (4,8)
|
G (government) + ROW (argument) + TO + GET (irritate; upset) + HER (that woman)
|
GROW TOGETHER (become united)
|
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23
|
Many with quality show a source of magnetism (9)
|
LOADS (many) + TONE (quality)
|
LOADSTONE (variant spelling of LODESTONE, a form of magnetite which exhibits polarity, behaving, when freely suspended)
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25
|
Epitome of sex and vice as probed by religious study (5)
|
SIN (vice) containing (probed by) RE (religious education) SI (RE) N |
SIREN (one of certain sea nymphs, part woman, part bird, whose seductive songs lured sailors to their deaths on rocks ; epitome of sex)
|
|
26
|
Denied and put off receiving trade union backing (7)
|
(DEFER [put off] containing [receiving] TU [Trade Union]) all reversed (backing) (REF (UT) ED)< |
REFUTED (denied)
|
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27
|
Close to the wicket, finally moving forward, becoming sceptical (7)
|
INFIELD (the area close to the wicket in cricket) with the final letter [finally] D moving forward in the word INFIDEL |
INFIDEL (sceptical)
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28
|
Newspaper interrupts academic (an intimidating woman) (6)
|
RAG (newspaper) contained in (interrupting) DON (academic) D (RAG) ON |
DRAGON (intimidating woman)
|
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29
|
One disposing of Society stratum (6)
|
S (society) + LAYER (stratum)
|
SLAYER (one who kills [disposes of])
|
| Down | |||
| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
|
1
|
Hardy character cut down: one of the people upset regarding court ruling (8) |
JUDE (reference JUDE the Obscure, from a Thomas Hardy novel of the same name) excluding the final letter (cut down) E + I (one) + (LAIC [of the people] reversed [upset]) JUD I CIAL< |
JUDICIAL (relating to a judge, a court of justice or the administration of justice;)
|
|
2
|
Historic attendant, sort busy around Edward the Sixth? (8)
|
Anagram of (busy) SORT containing (around) (ER [Edward Rex] + VI [Roman numerals for six]) S (ER VI) TOR* |
SERVITOR (Collins has this as an archaic word for a person who serves another; historic attendant; Chambers suggests that the word may still be in use particularly in Universities to cover some housekeeping and administrative roles)
|
|
3
|
A cultural factor picked up about British Library ornament (7)
|
(A + MEME [a practice, belief, or other cultural feature that is passed on other than by genetic means]) reversed (picked up) containing (about) BL (British Library) EM (BL) EM< A< |
EMBLEMA (inlaid ornament)
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5
|
Regarding acting, love being seen amongst stage items (7)
|
A (acting) + (O [zero; love score in tennis] contained in [being seen amongst] PROPS [stage items]) A PROP (O) S |
APROPOS (regarding)
|
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6
|
Sufficient power – and fast – needed by company ultimately (6)
|
P (power) + LENT (period of fasting) + Y (last letter of [ultimately] COMPANY)
|
PLENTY (abundance; sufficient, probably more than sufficient)
|
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7
|
History supports Early English pessimist (6)
|
EE (Early English) + YORE (long ago; history) As this is a down entry, the letters YORE are holding up [supporting] the letters EE
|
EEYORE (a pessimistic character in Winnie the Pooh books by A A Milne)
|
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8
|
Cross caught in fishing tackle later (4)
|
X (cross shape) contained in (in) NET (fishing tackle) NE (X) T |
NEXT (later)
|
|
9
|
Bar nude dancing round provoking suggestive comment (8)
|
INN (bar) + an anagram of (dancing) NUDE + O (round shape) INN UEND* O |
INNUENDO (suggestive comment)
|
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15
|
What may be boring when encountered in cricket ground? Senior judges (3,5) |
AWL (a tool that bores holes) contained in (encountered in) LORDS (cricket ground in London) L (AW L) ORDS |
LAW LORDS (senior judges)
|
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16
|
Dull report involving scientists over a year is appearing in 24 hours (8)
|
(THUD [dull report] containing [involving] RS [Royal Society; scientists]) + A + Y (year) THU (RS) D A Y |
THURSDAY (day of the week, a 24 hour period)
|
| 17 | Mathematician with Napier’s latest user of rods (8) | W (with) + R (last letter of [latest] NAPIER) + ANGLER (user of rods) |
WRANGLER (at Cambridge University, a student gaining first-class honours in the final mathematics examinations) |
|
19
|
Meal is too much, filling half of room (7)
|
(IS + OTT [over the top; too much]) contained in (filling) RO (2 of the 4 [half] letters of ROOM) R (IS OTT) O |
RISOTTO (dish of rice cooked in stock with meat or seafood, onions and other vegetables, and cheese, etc; meal)
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20
|
Suffering flu getting letters read aloud first thing – that’s calming (7)
|
EASE (sounds like [read aloud] Es [letters]) + an anagram of (suffering) FLU EASE FUL* |
EASEFUL (calming)
|
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21
|
Poor cake-maker – not quite entirely cooked – I will slip away (6)
|
(ALL [entirely] excluding the final letter [not quite] L) + (FRIED [cooked] excluding [slip away] I)
|
ALFRED (reference King ALFRED who is reputed to have burnt cakes; poor cake-maker)
|
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22
|
Fibres, excellent, fine, and very much twisted (6)
|
(AI [A1; excellent] + F [fine] + FAR [very much]) all reversed (twisted) (RAF F IA)< |
RAFFIA (the Raphia palm or its leaf-bast; fibres)
|
|
24
|
Time to pick up this amendment (4)
|
TIDE (time) reversed (to pick up; down clue) EDIT< |
EDIT (amendment)
|
I didn’t have any idea about the theme you have unearthed, but the puzzle was very enjoyable. I especially liked the clues for THURSDAY, EEYORE (got it from the wordplay without really knowing that the character was a pessimist!), NURSERY, WRANGLER – and the play on Hardy in two clues!
I am not too sold, though, on sceptical as a definition for INFIDEL – even when used as an adjective, the word doesn’t really mean just sceptical.
A small typo in the blog: you have highlighted the wrong word as the definition for 1a.
Many thanks to Phi and duncanshiell.
Abhay @ 1
Thanks for spotting the typ at 1 across – corrected now.
I think in the crossword world if Chambers or Collins defines a word then setters will use it. In Chambers, INFIDEL, as an adjective, is defined as ‘sceptical’. I readily admit to never having come across the usage before.
As usual, I totally failed to spot the theme, despite having read many of Fforde’s works. Many years ago, I was travelling home from work on a crowded train reading one of the Thursday Next books and as someone got off, they said to me, “The next one’s even better.” And the next day, I was still reading the book and someone sitting opposite me said, “What is that book you are reading? You are obviously enjoying it.”
I was caught out by the spelling at 23ac, but quickly got 22dn which convinced me there must be an alternative spelling. 4ac was my LOI, after a word search.
A remarkably difficult crossword I thought. I’d never heard of Jasper Fforde — it looks as if I’m missing something.
I thought the definition by example in 11ac was most un-Phi-like. And surely it should be historical, not historic, in 2dn. There’s nothing particularly memorable about a servitor. But this usage is no doubt in some dictionary, although Chambers still makes the distinction.
Well, I wondered whether this would be spotted. I had to hide fforde in unchecked letters since I didn’t think I could quite make it an entry. Picking it up from DRAGON SLAYER was really rather deft.
His other proposed series of novels – currently in abeyance for reasons which will become obvious – was also out of bounds, however currently topical. But he really did use Shades of Grey a year before another writer!
I can’t recall deriving a single irritation from a Phi puzzle heretofore. However, I cannot see how 13ac works in that I am unsure if ‘peter’ as the verb used here can occur without an ‘out’ following….?
Nevertheless, many thanks to Phi and Duncan.
William F P @6, the earliest use of ‘peter’ as a verb meaning ‘dwindle’ is in the Milwaukee Daily Gazette, December 1845, an old prospector comparing his dwindling life circumstances with his diminishing find of galena, “When my mineral petered why they all Petered me. Now it is dig, dig, dig, drill, drill for nothing. My luck is clean gone – tapered down to nothing.”
Cookie – oh my golly gosh! That poor fellow – how dreadfully sad!
My OED also lists one meaning as to dwindle referencing the US mining industry. A number of quotations from the second half of the 18th century ensue. The dictionary clearly states here that “peter” should be followed by “out”. Your example – highly localized vernacular perhaps? I remain unsure as before……
And so sorry for that poor old prospector!
And thank you. 🙂
The Merriam Webster dictionary gives PETER intransitive verb : 1 to diminish gradually and come to an end – usually used with ‘out’. 2 : to become exhausted – usually used with ‘out’. It does not say it is exclusively used with ‘out’.
A-ha! I see – that’s interesting. I know that to be a great dictionary – originally the definitive work on ‘American English’. What was I thinking of by “highly localized vernacular”?!!
But I feel less infidel! Many thanks…