Independent 8,851 / Klingsor

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It has been a long time since it has fallen to me to blog a puzzle by Klingsor, so I was keen to get my teeth into this one this morning.

This particular grid is one that has only 5-, 7- and 9-letter entries. Consequently, there are no longer words or phrases and thus a higher than normal number of clues.

I think that I have managed to solve and parse all the clues to my satisfaction. In my humble opinion, this puzzle was pitched at exactly the right level for a mid-week puzzle, with no abstruse theme, and even its more unusual items of vocabulary – such as 20 and 21 – were identifiable and/or verifiable from the wordplay.

Overall, I felt that there were some very smooth surface readings amongst the clues, my favourites being 5A, 12 and 25. For me, the clue of the day was 4, both for its surface and for its (cryptic) definition. The ingenious clue at 23A does, however, run it a very close second. I also rather liked the use of the question mark in 8 and 23D to suggest “for example/instance”, although perhaps some will take issue with it.

I hope that it will not be as long until my blogging schedule and Klingsor’s setting schedule next coincide.

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues

Across  
   
01 CHECK-UP Examination in spoken language a success

Homophone (“spoken”) of Czech (=language) + UP (=success, as in ups and downs)
   
05 SACKBUT It was once played in wine bar

WINE (=sack) + BUT (=bar, except for); a sackbut is an old musical instrument, hence “it was once played”
   
09 LLAMA Call a Marsican bear a woolly creature

Hidden (“bear”) in “caLL A MArsican”
   
10 TRAIN FARE School meals – what people may pay for their transportation

TRAIN (=school, teach) + FARE (=meals)
   
11 WHITE NILE River with meandering course turns east

*(WITH) + ENIL (LINE=course; “turns” indicates reversal) + E (=east); “meandering” is anagram indicator
   
12 THEFT Male and female involved in race crime

[HE (=male) + F (=female)] in TT (=race)
   
13 REIMS One looking happy about not having left French city

Reversal (“about”) of SMI<l>ER (=one looking happy); “not having left (=L)” means letter “l” is dropped
   
15 INSTIGATE Start batting Saturday having lost a single wicket?

IN (=batting, of a cricket side) + S<a>T (=Saturday; “having lost a” means letter “a” dropped) + I (=single) + GATE (=wicket)
   
18 MAGDALENE Could be English gal, named ______?

*(E (=English) + GAL NAMED); “could be” is anagram indicator; & lit.
   
19 TATAR Turkic language takes so long reading?

TA-TA (=so long) + R (=reading, as in the three R’s)
   
21 RATEL Honey badger is included in diet in Lebanon

ATE (=included in diet) in RL (=Republic of Lebanon)
   
23 LUDICROUS One this silly is ridiculous

I (=one) + LUDICROUS (=this, i.e. the solution) is an anagram (“silly”) of and synonym for “ridiculous”
   
25 ILL AT EASE Embarrassed? I lost twice to a kid!

I + L L (=lost twice, i.e. 2 x L (=lost, on scorecard)) + A + TEASE (=kid)
   
26 OTAGO Dog loves going around location in New Zealand

TAG (=dog, follow closely) in O O (=loves, i.e. 2 x O=love, zero score)
   
27 TARNISH Stain or blemish ultimately, put otherwise

*(STAIN + <o>R + <blemis>H); “ultimately” means last letters only; “put otherwise” is anagram indicator; & lit.
   
28 LINSEED Zip back and consult Director to find source of oil

LIN (NIL=zip, zero; “back” indicates reversal) + SEE (=consult) + D (=director)
   
Down  
   
01 COLD WAR Elderly women in vehicle display hostility without fighting

[OLD (=elderly) + W (=women)] in CAR (=vehicle)
   
02 EXAMINING Looking at chopper rising’s boring

EXA (axe=chopper; “rising” indicates vertical reversal) + MINING (=boring, drilling)
   
03 KNAVE Jack, King, Queen at last and ace – bridge player secures victory

V (=victory, as in VE Day) in [K (=King) + <quee>N (“at last” means last letter only) + A (=ace) + E (=bridge player, i.e. East)]
   
04 PATRICIDE Distribution of pirated discs regularly is killing pop

*(PIRATED + <d>I<s>C<s>); “regularly” means alternate letters only; cryptically, “killing pop” is the act of murdering one’s father
   
05 SLAKE Put end to thirstiness with some water

<thirstines>S (“end to” means last letter only) + LAKE (=some water)
   
06 CONSTRICT Working hard after cold compress

C (=cold) + ON (=working) + STRICT (=hard)
   
07 BLAZE Modesty? That’s said to indicate brilliance

Homophone (“that’s said”) of (Modesty) Blaize, i.e. British comic strip character
   
08 THEATRE Runs into the spectators abandoning Grand National?

R (=runs, on cricket scorecard) in [THE + <g>ATE (=spectators, at football match; “abandoning grand (=G)” means letter “g” dropped); the question mark in the definition suggests that the National is an example of a theatre
   
14 SCARLATTI Mark left by mostly classical composer

SCAR (=mark) + L (=left) + ATTI<c> (=classical, refined; “mostly” means last letter dropped); the reference is to Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
   
16 SPEEDWELL Veronica wants career that’s satisfactory

SPEED (=career, race) + WELL (=satisfactory); Veronica is the speedwell genus
   
17 ASTROLABE Like Rex, able to play ancient instrument

AS (=like) + *(R (=Rex) + ABLE TO); “to play” is anagram indicator; an astrolabe is an old instrument showing the position of the sun and bright stars
   
18 MARXIST Red Cross is seen in place of trading

[X (=cross) + IS] in MART (=place of trading)
   
20 RESPOND Return from short break over the Atlantic

RES<t> (=break; “short” means last letter dropped) + POND (=Atlantic, as in across the Pond)
   
22 TILER Workman is fired again in recession

RELIT (=fired again); “in recession” indicates reversal
   
23 LOACH Fish, one found in Tay?

A (=one) in LOCH (=Tay?; the question mark indicates “for example”)
   
24 CLOWN For example Coco Chanel’s clothing’s individual

C<hane>L (“clothing” indicates first and last letters only) + OWN (=individual, personal)
   
   

 

13 comments on “Independent 8,851 / Klingsor”

  1. Particularly liked KNAVE and ILL AT EASE.

    15A Parsing needs I=1 for “single”, before wicket.

    5D – is this some sort of & lit? Or does the “s” perhaps come from an abbreviation of some?

    Thanks to Klingsor and RakojaRiku.

  4. Thanks, RR, for a great blog and Klingsor for a great puzzle.

    I agree with your choice of top two clues. I also had ticks against SACKBUT, INSTIGATE, ILL AT EASE, and CLOWN – great surfaces, among a host of others.

    Most enjoyable.

  6. AndyB and hedgehoggy – rather hesitant in my suggestion about 5D as I have seen the bitter controversy this matter has caused in the past (Rowly where are you?)

  7. I hear you gwep, a very hotly-debated subject, but rightly so I think.

    Here I suppose you could argue that it needs a QM, as the definition for SLAKE does not exclusively apply to thirst, but it’s pretty good. I like this neat setter.

  8. I saw 5 down as &lit too, and the online version does have a question mark. Perhaps the dead tree version doesn’t?

  9. What a treat to have three of my favourite setters within a couple of days (yesterday Monk (FT), today Redshank (also FT) and this giant here)!

    Klingsor’s puzzles are always good but I enjoyed this crossword even more than some of his recent ones.
    I was happy to see in its full glory one of this setter’s trademarks, a thing that I call Lift & Separate (but others don’t): 8d (Grand/National), 18d (Red/Cross) and 24d (Coco/Chanel).

    I had to think about ‘included in diet’ = ‘ate’ but otherwise no complaints.
    Hedgehoggy, today you commented on ‘director’ = D (in the Chifonie blog). Well, here’s another one: 28ac.

    Thanks, RR, for the blog.
    Agree with some of your favourites. The marvellous 23ac (LUDICROUS) – actually a bit Redshank/Crucible-like, subtraction/composite anagram – the real stand-out clue for me.

  10. Delicious puzzle throughout – so many lovely creations and gentle misdirections (and I was pleased to have got the ‘Reverse Clueing’ of LUDICROUS, which I usually miss).

    I often find Klingsor quite hard work; but as you say RR, this was a perfect level of challenge.

    Mmmm…a “Good To Be Alive” crossword!

    Thank you both.

  12. Fine puzzle, which I finally managed; and an excellent blog too. A positive contribution to my day, so thanks both.

  13. Simply beautiful and beautifully simple. Almost perfect. Thanks to Klingsor – and, apart from missing ? (for the &lit) in 5dn, nicely blogged RR!

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