NTSPP – 299
An Alphabetical Puzzle by Hieroglyph
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
On the vexed question of those constructs where a word must be split into two other words in order to be able to resolve the wordplay (the so-called lift-and-separate clues), I have decided, somewhat subjectively, that for NTSPP and MPP puzzles, starting today, the following will apply:
If the word which is to be separated splits naturally into two parts – such as “nut case” and “sweet heart” – it is admissible, but if it is forced and unnatural – like “has ten” and “pret end” then it is not.
A review of this puzzle by crypticsue follows:
This crossword represents yet another attempt by Hieroglyph to persuade me to enjoy Alphabetical Crosswords. Looking back at my test solve, I see that I solved it back in July when on a visit to Northern Ireland during a quiet moment while my lovely grandson was having a nap. I described the experience as a nice, easy solve, easy “fit-in” – perhaps his next Alphabetical will have ‘harder’ clues but I’d welcome the same easy “jigsaw” experience as I much prefer the solving rather than the working out where to put my solutions.
Song due for transmission from one plane to another (3-2-3)
AIR-TO-AIR A song followed by an expression meaning due for transmission.
Attack bachelor when hot (4)
BASH The abbreviation for Bachelor, a conjunction meaning when and the abbreviation for hot.
Brutish man a politician’s imprisoned? (7)
CALIBAN I was helped here by having studied The Tempest for A Level English! A (from the clue) and an abbreviated politician from a particular party are imprisoned or inserted into a slang (American) term for a prison.
Greek character in racket takes a share (4,2)
DIPS IN The twenty-third letter of the Greek alphabet inserted into a racket or loud noise.
Emergency room containing dead beetle (6)
ELATER Another name for the skipjack beetle is obtained by inserting a way of saying dead into the abbreviation for the Emergency Room.
Falsify dates in reference papers (6)
FIDDLE Two lots of the abbreviation for Date inserted into a collection of papers arranged for reference.
Philosopher appears in novelty singles featuring piano and percussion instruments (13)
GLOCKENSPIELS The surname of a philosopher and the abbreviation for Piano both feature in an anagram (novelty) of SINGLES.
One laughs extremely heartily about a Northern European (5)
HYENA The ‘extreme’ letters of HeartilY followed by a reversal (about) of A (from the clue) and the abbreviations for Northern and European.
Business in Springfield accepting Homer’s termination (8)
INDUSTRY This misleading wordplay has nothing to do with the Simpsons! IN (from the clue) and the singer whose surname was Springfield, the latter having the ‘termination’ of HomeR inserted.
A large and lively gathering crowd carried ecstasy (8)
JAMBOREE Split your solution 3, 4, 1 and you’ll see how a crowd carried the drug Ecstasy. Jane queried the surface reading of the clue – I see ‘gathering’ as the action in the whole clue, and as an assembly when you split into definition and wordplay.
In Kuala Lumpur, trees camouflaged small birds of prey (8)
KESTRELS An anagram (camouflaged) of TREES inserted into the abbreviation for Kuala Lumpur, the result being followed by the abbreviation for Small.
Member returned free from guilt to prepare for exercise (6,2)
LIMBER UP Another word for a body part (member) followed by a reversal (return) of another way of saying free from guilt.
Soup order sent in Rome? (10)
MINESTRONE This Italian soup is an anagram (order) of SENT IN ROME.
Casino surprisingly conceals individual’s capital (7)
NICOSIA I (one, individual) hidden in an anagram (surprisingly) of CASINO.
Old pretences involved something that’s common knowledge (4,6)
OPEN SECRET An anagram (involved) of O (old) and PRETENCES.
Police Sergeant comprehending expert’s steps (5)
PACES An informal term for an expert inserted into the abbreviation for Police Sergeant.
Isolates question, isn’t near a resolution (11)
QUARANTINES QU (question) followed by an anagram (resolution) of ISNT NEAR A
Island ways, by the sound of it (6)
RHODES This Greek island sounds like (a homophone of) some ways.
Highlights at the tip of sister’s hair (8)
STRESSES The ‘tip’ of Sister followed by some hair.
Principles originally expressed under canvas? (6)
TENET The original letter of Expressed put ‘under canvas’.
On horseback, bishop attacks reprimands (8)
UPBRAIDS A way of saying on horseback, the abbreviation for Bishop and some attacks.
In Rome, see duck newspaperman’s committed to film (7)
VIDEOED The Latin (in Rome) for ‘see’, the number used to indicate zero runs on a cricket score sheet (a duck) and the abbreviation for the top newspaperman.
Withstands sly characters (7)
WEASELS To understand the wordplay you have to split ‘with stands’ and then see that you need the abbreviation for With and some stands used by artists, for example.
Cross over South African’s language (4)
XOSA An alternative spelling for this South African language is obtained by following the letter that looks like a cross with the abbreviations for Over South and African.
Water sport excited Cathy in Gabon (8)
YACHTING An anagram (excited)of CATHY followed by IN (from the clue) and the IVR code for Gabon.
Revolutionary force at the end of Saratoga (6).
ZAPATA This Mexican revolutionary is obtained by following a force or vitality with AT (from the clue) and the ‘end’ of SaratogA.
Your solved grid should look like this:
I do enjoy an Alphabetical – thanks Hieroglyph. I thought that this was at the easier end of your range. Top clues for me were C, I and W.
My heart sank when I saw what sort of puzzle this was but this one was surprisingly easy to get a foothold in. I solved as many clues as I could before starting to position them, and everything then fell into place quite quickly. Last one in,and the only one that gave me any trouble, was the C word. I did reveal a letter to confirm I was on the right track and the BRB did the rest. The answer made me laugh, so it’s my favorite of a good field. Thanks Hieroglyph!
Yes, last one in was C. Wasn’t sure how this was going to go but it was fairly gentle, easy enough to place the longest answers, and all followed smoothly although there always seemed to be extra 8 letter clues just when I thought I had them all. Favourite clue was I.
Many thanks hieroglyph!
I only fully parsed one of Gazza’s favourites after re-reading the above very sensible guideline on lift-and-separate clues!
Over-confidence will get you every time! Really should have waited a little while longer before committing pen to grid – just as well I haven’t got to ‘hand in’ the completed sheet.
Like Chris, the C word was my last one in and I also had to check with Mr. Google about the E word and the feasibility of X (seems to be more often spelt with an extra letter?).
Line up on the podium is C,I,J&W – torn between C&W for top spot.
Many thanks, Hieroglyph – that must have taken some constructing. I wonder whether you started with the toughest letters first?
Well – everyone seems to say that the C was their last answer – everyone also seems to say that the C is amongst their top clues – I can’t do it!
Apart from that I loved it as much as I always love Hieroglyph’s alphabetical masterpieces.
The G took a while – thought I was after a philosopher.
Too many clever ones to put them all down but I did particularly like W – if, or when, someone explains the C to me I’ll probably like that too.
With thanks and congratulations to Hieroglyph.
My review will explain C in the morning
OK – I’ll take the hint, CS!
OK – I give in, maybe not gracefully, but I give in and will wait, not patiently, but I’ll wait! Maybe inspiration will strike but I suspect not!
Off to watch dancing and have supper now.
A from the clue and an abbreviated political party member inserted into an American prison
And there was me, being so good.
Blogger’s privilege.
My first comment had a lot to do with not wanting to leave Strictly to go upstairs to look at my notes.
We are also in the club with C being the last to yield. And it is our favourite too. We solved a good percentage of them without even looking at the grid. Then put in the long one down the middle which gave some useful checkers to speed up filling in the grid. Good fun and much enjoyed.
Thanks Hieroglyph.
We seem to have gone about this in a different way from most others. We weighed up the grid and saw there was only one long one. The answer to that was pretty obvious so in it went and it gave a couple of starters, which in turn gave some more etc. We ended up needing 3 seven letter answers and a 6. They put up a bit of a fight I can tell you!
Never heard of the beetle or the brutish chap but both fell from the wordplay and I’m being a bit thick about how the J word works – I’ll look at the review tomorrow.
Thanks Hieroglyph, it was a lot of fun.
Try splitting your answer 3,4,1.
Re J – you are a bit. .. try splitting your solution 3 4 1.
D’oh
Sorry, CS – nipped in before you! By the way – isn’t one of the words in the clue for J rather superfluous?
I don’t think so. Definition as per BRB then wordplay
I see what you mean – just doesn’t read very well as it stands.
When these started to yield so readily, I thought I ‘d have a go at solving the lot prior to putting any in… nearly made it!
Absolutely superb surfaces – every one made complete sense, with I my favourite – but apart from C and the trickiest one E, which was new to me , the difficulty level was rather like receiving underarm bowling – one for beginners, I thought.
Having said that, I gave up on last Saturday’s rainbow puzzle as being too hard, so maybe there’s just no pleasing some people!
Just as everyone else, my last ones were C and E.
Good thing the clueing wasn’t too hard as I solved without any checkers. Only started to fill the grid when I had most answers. Silly me. I thought the two long words had the same number of letters.
Really enjoyed and look forward to the review by CS.
Thanks to Hieroglyph.
Thanks for the review, CS! I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t much like this type of puzzle.
Our clocks went back last night, so I’m back on track. A week of 4-hour lag instead of the usual five just throws me off. At least I didn’t wake anyone up with a too early phone call this time!
Thank you for the review, CS. I should have got 1d quickly for exactly the same reason as you but, instead, I started out by checking whether ‘cannibal’ had an alternative spelling!
Like Kath, I thought I was looking for a philosopher at 8d and that, coupled with tardiness at solving some of the across clues, meant that I had three of the 8 letter answers in the wrong places for a while. As I said – I shouldn’t have been in such a rush to start filling in the grid.
I’d agree that some of the clues were on the easy side but I wonder whether the puzzle would have been as enjoyable if we’d had to fight through fiendish clues with no checking letters?
Thanks again, Hieroglyph – this was a new experience for me.
Yes, he’s difficult to define, isn’t he – half witch, half fish… I think ‘brutish man’ is probably fair enough.
Nice piccies CS!
Thanks for the review CS.
I think it is very good use of this slot to offer tasters of different puzzle variations.
Hard to tell if the clues were easier or the first letters were an enormous help. Either way it’s just as well, I imagine these can soon get pretty fiendish. I have a book of araucaria alphabetic puzzles somewhere – i think i did the first three.
The completed grid gives the answer but doesn’t reveal much about the filling process. I’ve never understood the point of publishing sudoku answers – what are you meant to do, go oh yeah, 3!! that’s where I went wrong!! ?
Thanks for your comments and to CrypticSue for the review. I’m pleased to note this puzzle marks my quarter century in (solo) NTSPPs – here’s to the next twenty-five! Hope to be back anon
Thanks Hieroglyph & CS.
I always enjoy alphabeticals. Had a stab at putting the J word in where the L word went – it fitted in quite nicely at the beginning.
C & W were my last ones in, not helped by ignorance of the beetle. My favourites as per Gazza.
I’m going to stick with saying that I loved it.
I don’t agree with CS because for me at least half the fun is trying to put the right answer in the right place.
I didn’t get the C – never read or studied The Tempest so was completely stuffed there.
Thanks again to Hieroglyph – when is the next Alphabet one going to be – as far as I’m concerned the sooner the better – love them!
Thanks too to CS.
Thanks Hieroglyph! Only just got round to solving this today: some really nice clues, with I being my favourite too – fabulous sleight of hand(writing). I only had vague recollection at best of E and largely put it in from the wordplay; and C then Z were my last two in, after a pause…
I liked how the words fitted without too much of a struggle – not one of those grids with 8 or more eight or nine letter words!
Much appreciated – thank you for this.
– ACTEON –