NTSPP – 207

NTSPP – 207

A Puzzle by Skipjack

– + – + – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

[Skipjack is a recent graduate of one of Boatman’s Crossword Masterclasses.  BD]

A review of this puzzle by Prolixic follows.

Welcome to Skipjack with a cracking debut crossword with a Shakespearean theme and some tricky clues to be solved or not to be solved – that is the question…  We look forward to more crossword from Skipjack in the future.

Across

1 /24/5A: 11 concerning love after not a little song and dance (4,3,5,7)
{MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING} – … a play by Shakespeare.  A five letter  word meaning concerning and a seven letter word meaning love (in the sense of zero) come after a four letter word meaning “not a little” and a three letter word meaning song and dance or a palaver.

5 See 1 across

9 Mutinous pigs rebel under his direction (9)
{SPIELBERG} – … a film director.  An anagram (mutinous) of PIGS REBEL.

10 Alarm of Pope turned leading characters (5)
{APPAL} – A word meaning of the pope or papacy has its first two letters swapped (turned leading characters).

11 Bradman middles shot in a crisis (5)
{DRAMA} – An anagram (shot) of the middle letters of [b]RADMA[n].

12 Complex interaction, ongoing confusion (9)
{INTRICATE} – An anagram (confusion) of INTERACTION after removing the ON (ongoing!).

13 The closest players get to the orchestra once purism is abandoned (10)
{PROSCENIUM} – … unless there is an apron to the stage.  This front part of the stage is an anagram (is abandoned) of ONCE PURISM.

15 Woman who cleans fish (4)
{CHAR} – A double definition of a cleaner and a species of fish.

17 Make vessel sound (4)
{EARN} – A homophone (sound) of URN (vessel).

19 Patron of clothes shop acts for one lacking competence (4,6)
{NEXT FRIEND} – A person who represents a minor in legal proceedings might be a person who likes a particular clothes store.

22 New political system forged when centre-right faction of community activism is expunged (9)
{COMMUNISM} – new in the sense of an alternative to centre-right and community activism.  Remover the centre-right letters from COMMUNITY ACTIVISM.

24 See 1 across

26 Swinger at orgy embraced one going down inconclusively (5)
{ERATO} – The answer is hidden (embraced) in SWINGER AT ORGY.

27 Reversing initial polarity of sensitive liquid produces concentrated solution (9)
{INTENSIVE} – … the solution is a word meaning concentrated.  An anagram (liquid) of SENSITIVE with the first S changed to an N (Reversing initial polarity).

28 /5D: At five minutes to the hour, recited piece from 11 (7,5)
{TWELFTH NIGHT} – … another play by Shakespeare.  The fraction that 5 minute represents to one hour (5/60 = 1/12) followed by a homophone (recited) of Knight (piece on a chessboard).

29 Scottish-Hebrew character in 6 11 (7)
{MACBETH} – A Shakespeare tragedy.  The three letter word for son of in Scotland followed by the second letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Down

1 Old queen was said not to be scratching head in thought (5)
{MUSED} – Remove the first letter (scratching head) from what Queen Victoria was reputedly said not to be.

2 Musical band (7)
{CHICAGO} – Double definition of a West End Musical and an American rock group named for the Windy City where they originated.

3 Casual relationship topped more serious one (8)
{ALLIANCE} – Remove the first letter (topped) from a word for a casual relationship (dalliance) to give a word for a more serious one.

4 Adherence to orders that once included “live” and “die” (9)
{OBEDIENCE} – Inside the letters of once add a to letter word meaning “live” and the DIE from the clue.

5 See 28 across

6 Like Hamlet, the cigar that finally made a comeback (6)
{TRAGIC} – Reverse the letters (made a comeback) of CIGAR and the final letter of that to give a description of Hamlet.

7 Challenge setter’s cheap shot (7)
{IMPEACH} – A two letter word meaning setter’s followed by an anagram (shot) of CHEAP.

8 Extremely valuable weapon found in garden (9)
{GOLDENROD} – … a plant that may be found there.  A word that describes something extremely valuable followed by an archaic word for a weapon or gun.

13 Discerning gift includes jersey for one (9)
{PRESCIENT} – A word for a gift includes the abbreviation for the group of Islands of which Jersey is a constituent part.  As others have pointed out, Jersey should have been capitalised.

14 Mutual disagreement about university upset final offer (9)
{ULTIMATUM} – An anagram (disagreement?) goes around the reversed (upset) abbreviation of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

16 Distilled product of iron, silver and recycled tin (8)
{ARMAGNAC} – A three letter word for a gun or iron (another archaic reference to weaponry) followed by the chemical symbol for silver and a reversal of a three letter word for a tin.

18 Such behaviour disrupts call following endless 11 (7)
{RAMPAGE} – Remove the outer letters (endless) from the answer to 11a and add a word meaning to call (by means of an electronic device usually).

20 Sensitive issue’s ultimate purpose (7)
{EMOTIVE} – The final letter (ultimate) of issue followed by a word meaning purpose.

21 Decisive event sabotaged for fun (3,3)
{RUN OFF} – An anagram (sabotaged) of FOR FUN.

23 National flag at half-mast to begin with (5)
{IRISH} – A four letter word for a flag or flower of this name followed by the first letter (to begin with) of half-mast.

25 Note the amendment gives force to legislation (5)
{TEETH} – … what metaphorically may give legislation force.  A two letter word for a musical note followed by an anagram (amendment) of the.