NTSPP – 392
A Puzzle by Imsety
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
A review by Prolixic follows.
Fantastic stuff from Imsety.
Across
1 Conservationists with one set of maps to go around legendary island (8)
ATLANTIS – The name of a book containing a set of maps around the abbreviation for National Trust (conservationists) followed by the letter representing one.
6 Broken leg curtailed energetic activity (6)
BUSTLE – A four letter word meaning broken followed by the first two letters (curtailed) of leg.
9 Go right (6)
REPAIR – Double definition, the first being an old fashioned way of saying to go and the second meaning to mend, fix or right something.
10/2 Breaking protocol to hire gun for royal event (8,3,6)
TROOPING THE COLOUR – An anagram (breaking) of PROTOCOL TO HIRE GUN.
11 Cheap accommodation lets student travel west in German region (8)
HOLSTEIN – A six letter word for cheap accommodation with the L (student) moved to the left (west) followed by the IN from the clue.
12 Character leading horse to adjust its rope (6)
HALTER – The first letter (character leading) of horse followed by a word meaning to adjust.
13 Study river located somewhere in England (6)
DORSET – A two letter word meaning to study followed by the abbreviation for river and a three letter word meaning located.
15 Fish sauce poured over vegetable (8)
PILCHARD – A three letter word for sauce or cheek reversed (poured over) followed by the name of a leafy vegetable.
17 Quality of decent cuppa, say (8)
PROPERTY – A six letter word meaning decent followed by a homophone (say) of tea.
19 Bishop’s influence creates schism (6)
BREACH – The abbreviation for bishop followed by a word meaning influence or range.
20 Hard workers protected by a state (6)
ACTUAL – The abbreviation for trade union (workers) inside the A from the clue and the abbreviation for California (state).
22 Make slight improvements to good song (4-4)
FINE-TUNE – A word meaning good followed by a word meaning song.
24 Reluctant to support one looked after by guardian (8)
BACKWARD – A word meaning to second or support something followed by a four letter word for a person looked after by a guardian.
25 Breakdown men concealing vehicle’s problem with movement (6)
ATAXIA – The abbreviation for AA around (concealing) the another word for a cab or vehicle.
26 Cost of care (6)
CHARGE – Double definition, the first being the price to cost to be paid for something and the second meaning care (as she’s under my care/???????).
27 Initially looking east, astronomer spied unusual stars (8)
PLEIADES – An anagram (unusual) of LEA (the initial letters of the second to fourth words of the clue) SPIED.
Down
2 See 10 Across
3 President helps to make voters mad and upset (5)
ADAMS – The answer is hidden (helps to make) and reversed (upset) in VOTERS MAD AND.
4 Suffering of two groups of soldiers described by Times (7)
TORMENT – The abbreviation for time twice (times) includes (described by) the abbreviation for other ranks and another word for soldiers.
5 Nationalists in revolution seizing a wicked individual (5)
SATAN – The abbreviation for nationalists is reversed (in revolution) includes (seizing) the A from the clue.
6 Monk abruptly left sinful house (7)
BROTHEL – A word for a monk has the final letter removed (abruptly) followed by the abbreviation for left.
7 Reuse front of plot set outside large church as burial place (9)
SEPULCHRE – An anagram (set) of REUSE P (front of plot) around (outside) the abbreviations for large and church.
8 Sharp object‘s point cuts delicate material (5)
LANCE – The abbreviation for North (point) inside (cuts) the name of a delicate fabric or material.
14 Pair of gulls or a woodpecker (9)
SAPSUCKER – Split 3, 6 you have two words for fools or gulls.
15 Talk at length about wages (3)
PAY – Reverse (about) a word meaning to talk at length.
16 Obscure doctrine scrawled on tablet (9)
RECONDITE – An anagram (scrawled) of DOCTRINE on the single letter abbreviation for a recreational drug.
18 Iron ordered from Sierra Leone, originally for free (7)
RELEASE – Remove an anagram (ordered) of IRON from the letters in SIERRA LEONE and make anagram (originally) of the letters that remain.
19 One after party, for example, rising and dressing (7)
BANDAGE – A four letter word for a group or party followed by the indefinite article (one) and a reversal (rising) of the abbreviation for “for example”.
21 Dough containing last of flour to sink rapidly (5)
CRASH – A four letter word for money or dough includes (containing) the last letter of flour.
22 Dissatisfied fringe group expelled by political party (3,2)
FED UP – Remove the four letters meaning a group from fringe and follow it with the abbreviation for Democratic Unionist Party.
23 It’s worn regularly on trip abroad (5)
TIARA – The odd letters (regularly) in TRIP ABROAD.
Thank you to Imsety for a just right post-Saturday lunch puzzle – perfect for a busy day
A nice mix of the read-and-write and the I knew/didn’t know that!
Thanks also in advance to Prolixic for the review.
Now back to the East Kent courgette/tomato/peach mountains – I like produce from the garden but why does it all have to come at once ?
Most enjoyable- learnt a new bird today. Thanks Imsety.
Thought this was top-notch, with excellent surfaces worthy of praise. Can’t parse 15a right now but I’m sure it’s just as brilliant as all the rest! Thanks Imsety.
split your solution to 15a 3, 5 and then read the clue again carefully
There it is! Thanks CS.
It was all going so well until it came down to the last five – all on the left hand side. I had the probable answers for 9,11,13&20a but simply couldn’t see the wordplay for quite the longest time. As for 3d – I’m still hitting myself around the head over that one!
Podium places awarded to 22 & 24a with the gold and silver being bestowed upon 15a & 14d.
An excellent puzzle thank you, Imsety, but please don’t make them any tougher!
It’s been that kind of day…unexpectedly had to put my working woman hat on and have been at it since before 7am. I did start the puzzle before I had to knuckle down and now I’m taking a break to see if I can finish up my last few, all in the bottom right corner. Lots of ticks and a couple of question marks so far. Back later.
That had us working quite hard. The SW area being the last to yield where we found a new bird, a rather stretched definition in 20a and a very loose one in 13a. Enjoyable to solve before wrapping up warmly for our Sunday morning walk.
Thanks Imsety.
Nice one – thanks Imsety. I particularly liked 6a, 14d and 22d.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. My only query in this excellent puzzle concerned the use of ‘on’ in 23d. As you made no comment about it, I presume that it’s acceptable.
More soon please, Imsety.
I thought this was a top notch puzzle, Imsety, which was both challenging and very enjoyable.
I am not 100% convinced by 26a and like Jane I was puzzled by “on” in 23d thinking perhaps it was a typo which should have read “in”. It was quite a struggle to pick a favourite, but in the end 14d gets the nod.
Many thanks to you and to Prolixic.
A very high quality puzzle – thanks Imsety
All very good – but what does ‘Imsety’ mean, I wonder? Good puzzle, nearly beyond me; thank you.
Imsety has revealed in the past that his pseudonym is the name of an Egyptian deity (one of the sons of Horus).