Independent 8,849 by Knut

by

Knut made his debut only the other day. Now he appears again, and much of this continues the good start he made. There is a lot I don’t understand; my temptation is to say that some of the clues are a bit weak or unsound, but I don’t dare to because it’s far more likely that I’m missing things.

It’s a very strange grid — perfectly OK and no solecisms with the checking. Was this, together with the large number of clues, done in order to fit in some theme? If it was then I can’t see it.

Definitions underlined.

Across
1 TOLL-FREE
Undisturbed by calls asking for money while driving, with phone set to silent? (4-4)
Not a very good start for me I’m afraid: the definition is I think as here, but if a call is toll-free its cost doesn’t go on your bill — nobody rings you up asking for money, so what am I missing? — if the phone is set to silent it doesn’t ring [= toll] — but what is the reference to driving about?
5 MOROSE
Doctor got out of bed glum (6)
MO rose
10 EXCORIATE
Severely criticise corrupt exec taking 18 out (9)
(exec ratio)* since 18ac is RATIO
11 FUDGE
Sweet to take 4/21? (5)
4/21 is EVASIVE ACTION so if you take evasive action you fudge — I had always thought that to fudge something was to obscure it, but Chambers gives one meaning as ‘dodge’
12 GAS
Georgia’s wind (3)
Ga’s
13 ROUGH
Long grass, of course (5)
A CD I think, simply referring to the rough on a golf course — or is there something else?
14 I DO
Confirmation of union agreement to stick to long-term plan (1,2)
Another CD I think, since I can make nothing else of this except a reference to what one says in the wedding ceremony
15 HAUNT
Jeremy or Tristram possessing a tendency to visit repeatedly (5)
h(a)unt — ref Jeremy Hunt and Tristram Hunt
16 FIRMAMENT
Company meant to broadcast Sky (9)
firm (meant)*
18 RATIO
Proportion of pillar at Ionian temple (5)
Hidden in pillaR AT IOnian — ‘of’ is the inclusion indicator — although one might think that it’s ‘proportion of’ the first word is needed for the definition — some might carp because the word ‘temple’ isn’t necessary to the hidden and plays no part in the clue except to help the surface, but perhaps ‘Ionian’ and ‘temple’ are inextricably entwined; perhaps
19 LIMBO
Hellish work for pole dancer? (5)
Not absolutely sure, but I think this is just a CD, referring to the fact that a limbo dancer dances under a pole, and Limbo is the borderland of hell — but perhaps one can break this clue up conventionally
21 ABSTAINER
Jack, one making a mark, one that doesn’t count in 8 (9)
AB stainer — since 8 is ELECTION RESULTS, one that doesn’t count in the election results is an abstainer
24 OPTED
Chose exercise to develop definition in dictionary (5)
O(PT)ED — P(hysical) T(raining) is exercise to develop one’s definition
25 TAX
Payment required – Raleigh Chopper delivered on time (3)
t ax — an ax is a chopper, the American spelling of ‘axe’, so presumably ‘Raleigh’ is a way (that is beyond me) of indicating the American-ness of the chopper — Sir Walter Raleigh, who had connections with America …?
26 CAMUS
“No parking in university grounds” – he had plenty of absurd ideas (5)
cam{p}us — Albert Camus, whose views contributed to the rise of philosophy known as absurdism
27 ALI
Champion of ring road welcomes new driver (3)
A(L)1 — the new driver is a learner driver, and the champion of the ring is Muhammad Ali
28 GREEN
A place for putting lord in the spotlight? (5)
It’s ‘putting’ to rhyme with ‘cutting’, so another golf reference, which will annoy K’s D, and the rest of it is a reference to Lord Green, who is involved with the HSBC scandal
29 OVIDUCTAL
To do with vital tube station serving cricket ground, I took 4/21 inside, reportedly (9)
“I ducked” inside OVAL, which is the station serving the cricket ground The Oval, which is also a tube station, but ‘tube’ is needed for the definition
30 RASHER
Being more hasty, it gets panned with some 31 (6)
31 being NEST EGGS, this refers to a fry-up of bacon and eggs
31 NEST EGGS
Lodge encourages savings (4,4)
nest [= lodge] eggs [= encourages]
Down
1 THE ARTFUL DODGER
Streetwise kid might have 31 in 6? (3,6,6)
The Artful Dodger presumably made lots of money so might have had nest eggs in an offshore account; at least that’s the best I can do
2 LACQUER
Raquel dancing around clubs, stripped off her drawers? (7)
(Raquel)* round c — I’m a bit vague about the definition here, but it seems to refer to the lacquer that is painted over the woodwork of her chest of drawers
3,7 FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT
Let’s be clear about French food; I’ve ‘ad to chuck up (3,3,9,2,5)
(about French food I’ve ‘ad to)*
4,21 EVASIVE ACTION
I, a Conservative, have no right to engineer refusal to pay 25? (7,6)
(I a Conservative – r)* — nice anagram, clever to find this
6 OFFSHORE ACCOUNT
The Cruel Sea possibly, just possibly, opened 3 of 25? (8,7)
The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat was an account of activities offshore (i.e. at sea) and an offshore account is just possibly opened for the avoidance of tax — Knut is making sure that no libel lawyers have anything to use
8 ELECTION RESULTS
Let’s recount lies about returning officer’s statement (8,7)
(Let’s recount lies)*
9 VEG OUT
Relax on protein diet? (3,3)
If veg is out then protein-rich foods will be part of the diet
17 NAB
Outlaw turned up collar (3)
(ban)rev. — but it could equally be (nab)rev. — we can’t know until we have the checkers, and this is something not everyone likes, in my opinion justifiably
20 MITTENS
With German Marks (the best!) they keep out the cold (7)
mit [= ‘with’ in German] tens — in things like gymnastics perfect tens are the best marks
22 SEX LIFE
Old boyfriend, with flies undone, about to enjoy this? (3,4)
ex in (flies)* — ‘about’ is the inclusion indicator
23 NAME TAG
ID Spooner’s broken mustang? (4,3)
‘tame nag’ Spoonerised — some people don’t like Spoonerisms and at the least try to avoid mention of his name in a clue, but I like them: they seem to be a perfectly valid form of clue, and the more groanworthy the better
*anagram

23 comments on “Independent 8,849 by Knut”

  1. I found this one straightforward – I think the ‘driving’ in 1a refers to toll roads or toll bridges.

    Thanks to Knut and John.

  3. Very nice to see Knut again so soon.

    Not easy but very enjoyable.

    For 1a I think I would underline “while driving” as part of the definition. I took Raleigh to be North Carolina (But referring to the bike in the surface). The “Dodger” one, another ref to, very topical, tax avoidance.

    Lovely, thanks both.

  5. Really enjoyed this – both the cluing and the various allusions to the broad theme. Quite an easy solve for me – a friendly grid – 8d came early and put me on the qui vive for the theme, which was of course topical, and once again more leg-pull than anything nasty.

    This must be only the second outing for this setter and, as I observed previously, it’s hard to pick him as a novice. Great idea of Eimi’s to run a slot like this.

    @John – I think that in general where you offered an explanation and said you weren’t quite sure, you were actually right.

    Here are my thoughts on a few that you queried.

    1a I read as a double definition – both being slightly cryptic. I would extend the first def to include “while driving” – so that’s just talking about being on a road with no tolls. “With phone set to silent” – as you have it – the phones not ringing (=tolling).

    14a – Just as you say – a CD. I think the point of “long-term plan” is that it’s part of the current Tory mantra “our long-term economic plan”.

    18a – Agree there – I can’t make anything special out of “temple”. It’s just extra haystack in which to hide the needle. Not ximenean, but logically why not?

    25a – I think you’re there. Raleigh works as an Americaniser because it’s a place in America – it’s the capital of North Carolina.

    1d If you evade tax with an offshore account you are *an* artful dodger. The streetwise kid is *the* Artful Dodger from Oliver.

    23d I agree with you about Spoonerisms -“the more groanworthy the better” – that’s what makes them amusing – if they work perfectly usually it’s just tick the box – move on. No smile. Actually this one did work perfectly – but got a laugh for other reasons.

    Many thanks both.

  10. Plus I found the cross-referencing irrelevant to the clues (they don’t make sense if you ‘translate’ them) and thus annoying.

  14. Just looking in out of curiosity, but I think 10ac needs to be read as exec* containing ratio*. This accounts for all the words in the clue, with “corrupt” and “out” being the two anagram indicators, and “taking” the containment indicator.

  16. hh@15: Among the definitions from Chambers 2008: take vt to seize, catch, capture; to receive; to admit. I think there is enough there to justify “taking” as an inclusion indicator.

  17. I can’t remember a crossword that made me laugh so many times – this was if anything even more impressive than the first one. Last in was RASHER. OVIDUCTAL was new to me but very fairly clued. Liked CAMUS, ALI, THE ARTFUL DODGER, OFFSHORE ACCOUNT, VEG OUT and NAME TAG.

    Thanks to Knut and John

  18. Lovely if a bit easy and obvious knut, the general theme meant answers were obvious and were wrote in without checking. Cheers John for the few I hadn’t worked through. Lovely timing Knut and eimi

  19. I enjoyed the crossword and have no objections apart from a minor quibble at I DO, which always features in films and crosswords instead of “I will,” which is what I and anyone else married in the C of E (inter alia) will have said. Do any other marriage ceremonies actually have “I do”? I was a bit dismayed at the possible suggestion that evasion of tax and avoidance of tax are the same thing, as the newspapers and political soundbites would have one believe, but I suppose an offshore account might be used for the legal avoidance of tax.

  20. My first Knut puzzle – I missed his debut. I’m not usually very keen on lots of cross-referenced clues but this was fairly easy to untangle as the theme was topical. Wondered at first if “lord” in 28ac should have an initial capital, but realised it wasn’t (part of) a title so not necessary. Liked the slightly risqué surfaces of 2dn and 22dn.

    Thanks, Knut and John

  21. Like Allan, I’m not usually mad-keen on cross-referenced puzzles like this, but I did enjoy it. The theme was topical and there was some good clueing throughout. I could handle some more of this setter.

    Hedgehoggy, if you don’t like ‘taking’ as an inclusion indicator, you might as well give up doing – and certainly commenting on – cryptic crosswords.

    Thank you to John for blogging. I loved the golf reference, btw, as you knew I would (but I couldn’t parse it for the life of me, so thank you again).

  22. Thanks Knut and John

    Ian SW3 @ 19: I’ve been married twice, in the early 1990s and a few weeks ago, both in Register Offices. On each occasion the question to both parties was “Do you (name) take (name) to be etc?”, to which the answer was “I do”.

  23. Sorry to be a pedant, and late, but a ‘nest egg’ is usually artificial (placed in a nest to encourage a hen to produce more, as money is invested to produce more) and so it is unlikely to be served up with a RASHER at 30A.

    Am I alone in deprecating too-topical references? Politicians like the 2 Hunts are here-today-gone-tomorrow types, as John Nott found out. If you don’t know what I mean by that, my case is proven. And Lord Green may not be involved in any scandal. You might as well have something daft like ‘Cricketer’s jumper on time to make a ton (4)’ just because Joe Root happened to score 100 the other day.

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