Toughie No 1156 by Kcit
Caught by surprise
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment ****
I expected this to be fairly easy, like most of Kcit’s puzzles, but I struggled more than usual. I entered several answers lightly, awaiting confirmation from checking letters and parsing of the clue, resulting in a solving time of around double my usual time for a puzzle by this setter.
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Across
1a Record for posterity the Spanish University’s opening with German backing (4,7)
{TIME CAPSULE} – this record which is kept for posterity is derived from the Spanish definite article, U(niversity), an opening or gap and the German for with, all reversed (backing)
7a Vase stored in pan for the day (7)
{DIURNAL} – a vase inside (stored in) a colloquial word for the face
8a Roman general in a thrilling production on the radio (7)
{AGRIPPA} – the A from the clue followed by what sounds like (on the radio) a thrilling production
10a Left without hope of change (8)
{RESIGNED} – two definitions – left a job and an adjective meaning long-suffering or without hope of change
11a Judge confronting the Telegraph’s refusal to identify writer? (6)
{JOURNO} – J(udge} followed by a possessive pronoun meaning “belonging to the Telegraph” and a refusal
13a Operatic heroine acted start of opera (4)
{DIDO} – a verb meaning acted followed by the initial letter (start) of Opera
14a Abuse working vet about one time having ram brought in (10)
{VITUPERATE} – an anagram (working) of VET around I (one) and a period of time into which a ram or male sheep is inserted (having … brought in)
16a Very moved by weakness in worship (10)
{VENERATION} – start with an obscure word for a weakness and move the V(ery) to the front
18a Estimate the work to be done (4)
{SPEC} – two definitions
21a Additional layer left in, in front of garment (6)
{LINING} – L(eft) followed by IN, IN and the initial letter (front) of Garment
22a Assert Collider finally working — here’s a particle (8)
{POSITRON} – a verb meaning to assert or put forward followed by the final letter of CollideR and a two-letter word meaning working
24a Unknown political movements? They’re unmentionable! (1-6)
{Y-FRONTS} – a mathematical unknown followed by some political movements
25a Study coming to point, identifying bony material (7)
{DENTINE} – a study followed by a point, typically one on a fork
26a After this, you’d be unlucky to lose your footing (3,5,3)
{NEW YEAR’S EVE} – a cryptic definition of a feature of Hogmanay
Down
1d Bound to display confidence in audio version (7)
{TRUSSED} – sounds like (audio version) a verb meaning to display confidence in
2d Household servants get on (6)
{MÉNAGE} – some m(male) servants followed by a verb meaning to get on in years
3d Say I should enter sort of educational establishment (10)
{COLLEGIATE} – the Latin abbreviation for say or for example and I inside a verb meaning to sort
4d Ring jewel Queen removed (4)
{PEAL} – a jewel without (removed) the R (Regina / Queen)
5d Shocked prude, excessively upset internally, pulled out (8)
{UPROOTED} – an anagram (shocked) of PRUDE with the reversal (upset in a down clue) of an adverb meaning excessively inside (internally)
6d Shops bearing nameless sign set up, inviting first of punters in (7)
{EMPORIA} – a three-letter bearing or manner and a sign or portent without the N(ame) all reversed (set up in a down clue) around (inviting) the initial letter (first) of Punters
7d A Communist crime suppressed by quiet heroism (4-7)
{DARE-DEVILRY} – the A from the clue, a communist and a crime inside (suppressed by) an adjective meaning quiet or restrainecd
9d Youthful period sadly ceased once around 50 (11)
{ADOLESCENCE} – an anagram (sadly) of CEASED ONCE around the Roman numeral for 50
12d Not working, having left monastery? (3,2,5)
{OUT OF ORDER} – could describe a monk who has left the monastery
15d Refuse to go uphill without prior experience (5-3)
{BRAND-NEW} – some grain refuse followed by the reversal (uphill in a down clue) of a verb meaning to go
17d Note taxmen blocking twelve as ‘unsuitable for board‘ (3-4)
{NON-IRON} – N(ote) and the former taxmen inside (blocking) twelve o’clock midday – the second time this week that the taxmen have been used without being qualified by “former”
19d Filthy monster drilling tree (7)
{PORCINE} – does this adjective meaning “of pigs” really mean filthy? – put a three-letter fierce sea-monster inside (drilling) a coniferous tree
20d Intended simple person to rise over church (6)
{FIANCÉ} – a simple or ingenuous person reversed and followed by (over in a down clue) the Church of England – Chambers doesn’t give the simple person as a noun, only as an adjective, but he is in the ODE
23d Small area of ground Italy wasted? Not entirely (4)
{ISLE} – the IVR code for Italy followed by most of (not entirely) a verb meaning wasted or killed
Bufo is in Cheltenham for the Listener dinner this week and away again next week.
Does the Bufo effect work even if he isn’t blogging it? Took less time than the back pager.
Thanks to Kcit and BD too.
Pretty straightforward offering, favourites were 8a and 15d thanks to Kcit and to Big Dave for the comments.
I didn’t find it terribly straightforward but did finish it apart from needing a couple of explanations. I enjoyed it.
I liked 14 and 18a and 5d.
Thanks to Kcit and BD.
A couple of the four letter words 18a and 23d gave us must trouble (again) and 11a was our last in. We had forgotten that ‘J’ is an abbreviation for judge. We tend more towards Dave’s difficulty rating than to Sue’s and well up there for enjoyment.
Thanks Kcit and BD.
Am I wrong or is it a girl wearing 24a?
You’re not wrong!
One (or this one at least) can only wonder why.
4 stars for enjoyment. It can’t have been too difficult, since I managed to finish it!1dn seemed very familiar.
Got to this very late due to Grandchildren duties, (Grandson taking me for his first legal pint or two or three). I thought this was pretty straightforward and typically Kcit, and none the worse for that, very enjoyable and not very challenging. Thanks to Kcit and BD.
15d, my last to parse d’oh. Am with the 2kiwis that the 4 letters were last in, as is usual. Many thanks BD and Kcit
Just me then. I could not get into this at all and eventually gave up after solving just a handful. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
Did this one the next day. I needed a couple of Big Dave’s excellent hints but suspect it was more like 3.5* for difficulty (because l found the rest of it within my meagre capabilities!). Thank you Kcit for some lovely clues (like 1a and 7d) and for allowing me the satisfaction of a near completion.