NTSPP 735 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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NTSPP 735

by StephenL  

A Puzzle by Amoeba

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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

Amoeba makes his debut in the NTSPP spot with a clever and incentive puzzle so thanks to him.

Across

1a Artist comes in to surreptitiously shoot film for bank (7)
PARAPET: An insertion of the usual abbreviated artist into an informal verb meaning to shoot (as in photographs) is followed by crosswordland's favourite film.

5a Perhaps Sri Lankan initially dismissed false accusation (7)
SLANDER: A term for someone from Sri Lanka or any other country surrounded by the sea loses its first letter (initially dismissed)

9a Large predator nearly turning around - run! (3,2)
LEG IT: The abbreviation for large and a reversal of an apex predator without its “tail”

10a Perfume an elderly relative wears occasionally for church (9)
FRAGRANCE: A from the clue and an abbreviated relative inside (wears) the occasional letters of FoR and an abbreviated Church of England

11a Legal escort's date with client interrupted by husband (5,5)
COURT USHER: A synonym of date as a verb plus a generic word for a client placed around (interrupted by) the abbreviation for Husband

12a Prominent Labour leader doesn't have backing band (4)
STAR: The surname of the leader of the opposition minus a reversal of this excellent band

14a Racoon suffering with virus eating meat (11)
CARNIVOROUS: Anagram (suffering) of RACOON and VIRUS.

18a Briefly chic, Zen poem's unfortunately a bad investment (5,6)
PONZI SCHEME: Anagram (unfortunately) of CHIc ZEN POEMS

21a &24d. Barnes and Noble initially disregarded obvious diversity, driving fury (4)
ROAD: Remove the initial letters of Barnes and Noble from successive synonyms of obvious and diversity

22a Free beer etc celebrity returns to crowd (10)
EMANCIPATE: A reversal of etc from the clue and a synonym of a star or celebrity around (to crowd) the name of a pale ale.

25a Does he date a rude, grasping SOB? (4,1,4)
SHED A TEAR: Hidden in the clue (grasping). Very smart, I like the falsely capitalised acronym here too.

26a Wound up, hurt, but not leaving (5)
ENDED: A synonym of hurt as an adjective perhaps without (but not) an informal synonym of leaving

27a Stop American writer in the middle of Asda (7)
SUSPEND: An abbreviated American plus the usual writing implement inside the middle letters of (A)SDa

28a Debris left by workers fell on a discontented novelist (3,4)
ANT HILL: A synonym of fell as a noun following A from the clue and the outside letters of NovelisT

Down

1d Every year, do up fancy residence (6)
PALACE: An abbreviated “per annum” plus a synonym of do up (one's shoes)

2d Manipulate the UK's austerity (6)
RIGOUR: A synonym of manipulate or fix plus a first person plural pronoun.

3d Fry taco after mixing in container first (6,4)
POTATO CHIP: Start with an anagram (after mixing) of TACO and add synonym of in or fashionable. Precede the result with a type of container.

4d Expresses disapproval about 'feminine' beards (5)
TUFTS: How we may express disapproval (don't forget the S) around (about) an abbreviation for Feminine

5d Test ideas out in America (9)
STATESIDE: Anagram (out) of the preceding two words

6d A king's admitted to A&E (4)
ACRE: The royal cipher of our present king inside the letters A and E

7d Dead bulb's outside at present (8)
DONATION: An abbreviation for Dead plus an edible bulb placed around AT from the clue

8d Run survey at last for one river in Texas behind plant (8)
RYEGRASS: A charade of the abbreviation for Run, the final letter of surveY, an abbreviated “for one” an abbreviation for River and how a Texan may refer to their derriere

13d Better and increasingly sexy? (4,4,2)
MORE LIKE IT: Double/cryptic definition

15d Advise Marxist to accept detailed criticism (9)
RECOMMEND: An insertion of a synonym of criticism without its last letter into the colour associated with a Marxist.

16d Warns electoral system is controlled by our distant relatives (8)
APPRISES: An abbreviated voting system (not first past the post!) plus IS from the clue inserted (controlled by) some (very) distant relatives.

17d Works out a French royal abused slave (8)
UNRAVELS: A charade of a French indefinite article, a single-letter abbreviation for Royal and an anagram (abused) of slave.

19d Indian leader heading to Gujurat with ship's cargo? (6)
GANDHI: The initial letter of Gujurat, an alternative conjunction to with and the “cargo” of sHIp…clever

20d Some milkmen deliver to geneticist early on (6)
MENDEL: Hidden (some)

23d Opera house dropping leading couple (5)
NORMA: Move the initial two letters of a grand house to the end (dropping) of the clue.

24d See 21a (4)
RAGE

23 comments on “NTSPP 735”

  1. I think this is Amoeba’s first NTSPP so welcome to him

    Quite a tricky crossword, assisted by some great sneakiness in my clues, particularly the misleading capitals in 25a

    I know I’m not young but as an example of the relative required for 10a, I don’t consider myself ‘elderly’ :(

    Thanks to Amoeba for the Saturday lunchtime diversion and, in advance, to StephenL for the review

  2. Thanks to Amoeba for a cracking puzzle with smooth surfaces throughout and devious definitions galore.
    The abbreviation for royal (17d) is not in Chambers.
    I had a couple of problems in the SE corner. I’m not sure that I’ve parsed 23d correctly and the only novelist I can come up with for 28a is a female children’s author(?).
    Amongst the clues I ticked were 1a, 25a, 6d, 7d and 13d.

  3. Caffeine definitely required (= CS’s ‘quite a tricky’) with some e-help needed to get across the finishing line but a good cranial workout to start my Saturday. Thanks Amoeba and well done on graduating from Rookie Corner.

    I concur with Gazza that the 28a novelist is female.

    R for Royal is one of those ‘odd’ abbreviations – not an abbreviation on its own but it is in combination with, for example, RAF and RN.

    Smiles for 5a, 25a, 27a, and 13d.

    Thanks again and thanks in advance to SL.

    1. Although I agree with you about R for Royal, Senf, it is given in Collins on its own.

    2. There isn’t an actual novelist in 28a, is there? Just a “discontented” word.

  4. A new setter for me, so a bit of tuning in was needed before settling down to a most enjoyable puzzle. I heartily agree with Gazza’s comments regarding smooth surfaces and devious definitions, and I would add some nice misleads too. My favourites today were 25a, 3d and 19d. Last to parse, needing some head-scratching and a couple of PDMs, were 26a and 23d. Gazza (and Senf) – I don’t think you need to find an author for ‘novelist’ in 28a!
    Thanks to Amoeba for the fun, and for pitching the level so as not to impinge on the afternoon’s rugby! I will look forward to your next NTSPP. And my thanks in advance to StephenL.

    1. Thanks, Spartacus (and stanXYZ). I should have saved myself the trouble of scanning lists of novelists!

  5. :phew: I found this rather tough particularly in the SW corner, but it was a joy to solve from start to finish with some very clever clueing. I struggled to parse 21a/24d but got there eventually.

    I’m not entirely convinced by the second definition in 13d, and nor am I keen on the use of “pap” as a verb in 1a (but it is in the BRB).

    One oddity. Although “fries” is synonymous with the plural of 3d, I don’t think the singular “fry” would ever be used in this context. The BRB appears to agree with me.

    Full marks to the setter for the American indicator in 8d.

    There are lots of ticks on my page with 10a, 11a, 15d & 19d my top picks.

    Many thanks to Amoeba and in advance to SL.

    1. In Northern Ireland, when you go into a fish and chip shop, you ask for ‘fish and a chip’ which confused me when No 1 son’s father-in-law first used the expression, but you get a whole portion of chips, not just a single chip 😊

  6. Lovely stuff, thanks Amoeba. Faves include 10a, 11a, 22a, 25a, 1d, 3d & 13d. Thanks again!

  7. A quick note, before I dive into the rugby, having solved this earlier this afternoon. Congrats on making your NTSPP debut, Amoeba, and with a lovely puzzle. Nice invention and plenty of fun. 25a is my COTD as it deceived me until the end; deceptively hidden and with splendid use of false capitalisation. Not everyone approves of that particular device but I am a big fan and I really struggled to see past the obvious abbreviation. Other faves include 10a, 11a, 14a, 22a (though it was a devil to parse), 1d, 5d, 7d, 13d and 16d. Thanks.

  8. Welcome to the NTSPP slot, Amoeba. Found this quite a challenge where some of the parsing was concerned but think I’ve finally worked it all out.
    Ticks here went to 10a plus 5,15&19d.

    Thanks for your debut NTSPP appearance.

  9. Started off very slowly but once we got a toehold in the SE gradually worked our way back up the grid.
    Certainly a challenge and very satisfying to get a completion.
    Thanks Amoeba.

  10. Congrats on your NTSPP debut Amoeba, thanks for a satisfying and entertaining puzzle. I got off to a flying start but ground to halt, needing a second session this evening to chew over the final few. As commented, your definitions were particularly fine, and agree with PM in picking your delightful hidden in 25a as COTD. I also particularly enjoyed 9a, 27a, 28a, 4d, 6d and 13d. Lovely stuff!

  11. An absolute cracker, but I knew it would be: sweet misdirection and nifty definitions. The lurker is brilliant and this also boasts the best-clued Norma – that awful opera so beloved by setters – that I’ve ever seen. Ta lots, Amoeba.

  12. What a great NTSPP debut puzzle. Not quite the quick pre lights out puzzle I could have done with up early the morrow & this was a Toughie time solve for me. Really enjoyed some of the wordplay & had ✅s against plenty of clues. The super lurker at 25a, 21a/24d & 19d (can’t recall seeing cargo as a containment indicator before if I’ve parsed it correctly) are my top 3. Last in was 8d & not sure I have it parsed correctly.
    Thanks Amoeba – look forward to the follow up.

  13. Congratulations on your NTSPP debut, Amoeba. A very fine debut it was too! My pick of a really good bunch were 10a, 11a, 27a, 4d, 15d and 19d.

  14. Well done Amoeba . Cracking puzzle . I needed two stints with a break to get through. Had to look up 6d.Special ticks for 9a, 25a, 2d, 15d. Looking forward to your next one

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