NTSPP – 294

NTSPP – 294

A Puzzle by Prolixic

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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

This puzzle marks a significant landmark for the setter – see if you can work out what it is, but keep it to yourself!

A review of this puzzle by crypticsue follows:

A momentous occasion in the world of the Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle, Prolixic, our very own Mr Saturday Afternoon [well if he hasn’t set the puzzle, more often than not, he’s reviewed it!]   has reached the fantastic milestone of 50 solo NTSPPs.   I’m the world’s worst spotter of Ninas but even I worked out what was going on round the edge of the puzzle halfway through the solving process.

This one contains the usual mix of entertainment, education and several  clues that I certainly wouldn’t dare to illustrate, 22a for a start,  and I was quite  surprised at two or three images of scantily dressed ladies that turn up when all you are looking for is a picture of a 23d!

Across

8a           Intricate ornamentation includes a bit of gold in relief work (8)
FILIGREE     I and a bit or one letter of gold inserted in an anagram (work) of RELIEF.

9a           Learning about type of light in art gallery (6)
LOUVRE   A type of light inserted into special or traditional learning produces a famous art gallery.

10a         Football team has to contend with Sun’s grillings? (10)
INTERVIEWS An Italian football team, a verb meaning to contend, the abbreviations for with and sun.

11a         Call shepherdess to leave work… (4)
BEEP   Remove the abbreviation for work from a nursery rhyme shepherdess.  My original test-solving sheet has a big * and ‘brill’ by the side of this clue.

12a         … her many sheep and garden plants we hear (6)
FLOCKS   A homophone (we hear) of some garden plants.

14a         Maybe James has joint academic tenure (8)
DEANSHIP   The surname of an American actor called James followed by a joint of the body.

15a         Able to grasp story about working duke (7)
TALONED   A preposition meaning with respect to (about) is inserted into a story, the result followed by the abbreviation for duke.

17a         A Test involves pitch rolled over for game (7)
TOMBOLA   A (from the clue)and a test for cars put round (involves) a ball pitched into a high arc and the result reversed (rolled over).

20a         See transport officer’s hollow victory in American battle site (8)
YORKTOWN   This see is a northern diocese and should be followed by the abbreviation for Transport Officer and a word meaning victory with its middle letter removed (hollow).

22a         Excited mating lynx holds it in (6)
TINGLY   Hidden (holds it) in maTING LYnx.

24a         Possibly top class type of bristle (4)
SETA   Split 3,1 this would possibly refer to a top class.

25a         Replica bus destroyed in Latin commonwealth (3,7)
RES PUBLICA   An anagram (destroyed) of REPUBLIC BUS.

27a         Pensioners head off troops without resistance (6)
OLDIES   Remove the ‘head’ or first letter from some troops and then the abbreviation for Resistance found later in the word.

28a         Sheltered adult leaves getting abused (8)
INSULTED   Remove the A for adult from a verb meaning sheltered.

Down

1d           Mark has to enlist a pupil (6)
SIGNAL   A verb meaning to enlist followed by A (from the clue) and the letter used to indicate a learner (pupil)>

2d           Rage after the opening of England’s green and pleasant land? (4)
EIRE   The ‘opening’ of England followed by some rage or anger.

3d           Crack vicar’s a fool to enter church (8)
CREVASSE     Insert an abbreviated clergyman and another word for fool into the abbreviation for the Church of England.

4d           Sea nymphs playing in reeds (7)
NEREIDS   An anagram (playing) of IN REEDS.

5d           Alias describing the Spanish state (6)
ALASKA   The formal Spanish plural for them, you, goes inside an abbreviation for an alias

6d           Refuse collector‘s briefly chafing about mistake (7,3)
RUBBISH BIN   Remove the last letter of a word meaning chafing and insert a silly mistake.   I always associate this word for a silly mistake with the wonderful books by Anthony Buckeridge where Jennings was always making a xxxx of things.  Until yesterday afternoon when the review was being prepared, neither your setter, his testers, one of whom is your blogger,  had noticed that the ‘chaffing’ in the published clue should actually have been ‘chafing’ 

7d           A tour retailer organised this route (8)
ARTERIAL    A compound anagram (organised) of A TOUR RETAILER, which when the letters of ROUTE are removed gives you the name of the route.

13d         Hit broadcast could be an eye-opener? (5,5)
CLOCK RADIO   Something that might open your eyes in the morning –   a verb meaning to hit followed by a broadcast.

16d         Most importantly a version of lovable (5,3)
ABOVE ALL –   A (from the clue) followed by an anagram (version of) LOVEABLE.

18d         Absent rector caught in woman’s breasts creates a furore (8)
OUTBURST   An adverb meaning not in (absent) followed by the abbreviation for Rector inserted into what the BRB refers to as the upper front part of a woman’s body.

19d         Inability to smell a short bouquet carried by Ms Farrow? (7)
ANOSMIA   A (from the clue) and the Christian name of the actress Ms Farrow into which are inserted the first three letters (short) of a word meaning a scent or aroma (bouquet)

21d        What a pilgrim made without publicity for a dominatrix? (6)
OGRESS    Remove the two letters used to refer to publicity from the journey made by a pilgrim.  I remain unconvinced that a dominarix and the solution are quite the same thing.

23d         English Philosopher runs cabinet (6)
LOCKER   The surname of an English philosopher followed by the cricketing abbreviation for runs.

26d         Singer making a comeback in Zululand (4)
LULU   Hidden and reversed (making a comeback) in ZULULand.

Congratulations and thank you to Prolixic – I’m sure it won’t be long before you’re back here with another Saturday afternoon treat.