NTSPP 751 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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NTSPP 751

by crypticsue  

A Puzzle by Chalicea

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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

Chalicea returns with another chance to use the dictionary and consult the book of Crossword Lists – this time twelve of the solutions are types of cloth.  I had a hard time convincing Googles Images that some of these words were indeed linked to the theme!

Across

6a  In Hull a mainly cud-chewing beast (5)
LLAMA: Hidden in huLL A MAinly

7a  Cultivated an unspecified quantity, we hear, causing horror (8)
GRUESOME: A homophone (we hear) of cultivated followed by an unspecified quantity

10a  Semi-precious mineral of very poor quality returned in container (7)
PERIDOT: A reversal (returned) of an adjective meaning dreadful (of very poor quality) inserted into a container

11a  Decorative coating of flimsy fabric runs around queen (7)
LACQUER: A flimsy fabric and the cricket abbreviation for Runs goes ‘around’ an abbreviation for queen

12a  Former slight colour, no longer existing (7)
EXTINCT: The usual two-letter ‘former’ and a slight colour

13a  Take a mental measure including energy and become immobile (5,2)
SEIZE UP: Take a mental measure ‘including’ the abbreviation for Energy

14a  Powerful battleship: one who fears nothing (11)
DREADNOUGHT: Double definition

19a  Son and husband abandoning scrubby plantation - it's tough (7)
RUBBERY: The abbreviations for Son and Husband ‘abandoning’ a plantation

21a  Purloin old North American paper money (7)
CABBAGE: Steal (purloin) or North American slang for paper money – The theme word relates to pieces of cloth purloined by tailors

23a  Felt intense dislike for article surrounded by source of pressure (7)
LOATHED: A definite article (surrounded) by a source of pressure

25a  Strangely a sulk at hereditary estates (7)
TALUKAS: An anagram (strangely) of A SULK AT – Indian hereditary estates

26a  Surprisingly hated headgear - it can be fatal (5,3)
DEATH CAP: An anagram (surprisingly) of HEATED followed by a type of headgear

27a  Moggy's identification tag on ends of body (5)
TABBY: An identification tag and the ‘ends’ of BodY

Down

1d  Nasty denigrator (not northern one) executed in Alcatraz using wire (8)
GARROTED: The American spelling (as used in Alcatraz) – an anagram (nasty) of DEniGRATOR – not Northern One telling you to omit the N and the I (Roman numeral)

2d  Make firm layer over a road (6)
HARDEN: Something that lays eggs goes over A (from the clue) and an abbreviated road

3d  A fool, a stroppy adolescent gutlessly lousy in an emotionally troubled way (10)
AGITATEDLY:  A (from the clue), a fool, a stroppy adolescent (if BD were still with us, he’d have something to say about that!!) and the outside (gutlessly) letters of LousY

4d  Muddle to turn over in the mind (4)
MULL: Double definition

5d  Corrupt umpire - morally wrong! (6)
IMPURE: An anagram (corrupt) of UMPIRE

6d  Peculiar pedals passed into disuse (6)
LAPSED: An anagram (peculiar) of PEDALS

8d  Plundering old white wine in gallons (7)
SACKING: A type of old white wine, IN (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Gallons

9d  Pancake party principally held by member of North American tribe (5)
CREPE: The principal letter of Party ‘held’ by a member of a North American tribe

13d  Whisky on tap? Essentially great though sticky! (6,4)
SCOTCH TAPE: Another name for Scottish whisky  goes on (in a Down solution) TAP (from the clue) the ‘essential’ letter of grEat being added at the end

15d  Pheasant broods exciting in range of sight (7)
EYESHOT: An obsolete word for a brood of pheasants and a synonym for exciting

16d  The banks properly organised: how grateful I am (6,2)
THANKS BE: An anagram (properly organised) of THE BANKS

17d  Pierce with bullets West African baboon (5)
DRILL: Double definition – a slang expression meaning to pierce with bullets or a West African baboon

18d  Warm garment for cow? (6)
JERSEY: A warm garment or a breed of cow

20d  Work very hard at beard (6)
BEAVER: Work very hard or a slang name for a beard

22d  Retard and be one for whom we say RIP (6)
BELATE: Double definition

24d  Farm bird to dip briefly in water (4)
DUCK: A farm bird or a verb meaning to dip briefly in water

 

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19 comments on “NTSPP 751”

  1. What a delightful NTSPP. Knowing the setter’s predilection for themes, I suspect there may be one but, if there is, I can’t see it.

    I learnt several new things today: both meanings of 21a (lovely to see the Americanism correctly indicated!), 25a, 4d & 20d but all were very fairly clued.

    My favourite was 8d.

    Many thanks to Chalicea for the fun, and thanks too in advance to CS.

  2. A very pleasant start to my Saturday. Like RD, if there is a theme I cannot see it.

    Smiles for 11a, 21a, 4d, 8d, 20d, and 22d.

    Thanks Chalicea and thanks in advance to CS.

  3. Lovely puzzle. 75% went in lickety-split then a struggle with 3 in the SE. I was unaware of either of the contexts for cabbage & only got the answer by revealing the checker having never seen 22d without a D on the end. 25a was also new to me. 3d was my fav with podium places for 7&10a.
    Thanks Chalicea

  4. Thank you, Chalicea. Some new words for us also. We thought there was going to be a pangram but failed to find 2 letters – unless we have an incorrect answer! We couldn’t find a theme either. We enjoyed the challenge, favourites 9d and 18d. Thanks in advance to CS also.

  5. Nice, gentle Saturday afternoon puzzle. A NHO in the Indian word at 16d, a def I did not know in 4d and two definitions I did not know in 21a (one of them being archaic which is my excuse). Same favourites as RD in 8d. I did think 14a battleships were named for the reason given in the clue?
    Thanks Chalicea and blogger in advance

  6. Found this is a mix of straightforward clues and a number of words I hadn’t come across before! I,’ll need our reviewers help to parse 16d. Lots to enjoy though. Thanks Chalicea for the fun.

  7. I enjoyed this puzzle too.
    14a & 13d favourites and 25a was a new word for me.
    Only thing I maybe see for the theme is animals, 6 clearly stated, along with several hidden ones with some of the answers.
    Just a guess.

    Thanks to Chalicea & CS

    1. I saw the same animals popping up but it seemed more coincidental than themic.

  8. Who knew there were so many definitions of 21a – not me! I also didn’t know the hereditary estates and 20d bothered me because my only knowledge of it beyond the obvious dam-builder has nothing to do with hirsute men……….
    13a made me smile and I also liked 8&9d.

    Thanks to Chalicea for an enjoyable NTSPP.

  9. We knew we would have to have our reference books to hand and this proved to be the case, although in every instance it was to confirm what we had deduced from the wordplay. An exercise we really enjoy.
    An absolute pleasure to solve.
    Thanks Chalicea.

  10. Thanks folks! I’m always pleased when solvers were happy. Indeed, there is a theme but evidently it is well hidden and it isn’t animals. My next one will have a far more obvious theme that will leap out at you after a couple of solved clues.

    2. Thanks Chalicea. I’ve not enjoyed crosswording much this week but both yours and NYDK’s hit the spot! Very enjoyable and lots of fun

    3. Thanks again Chalicea. Fortunately solving was not dependent on the theme! Well done to CS for ‘beating Google Images into submission.’

      I am looking forward to the ‘far more obvious theme.’

  11. Chalicea has provided us with a gentler challenge than last week’s Radler, which I had only solved the previous day – what a contrast! Nevertheless, I still had to resort to the same number of dictionary references for both puzzles with unfamiliar words or meanings found in 21, 25 across and 4, 15, 17 down. Knowing that Chalicea likes to embed themes in her puzzles I did check the grid, but this time there wasn’t one to be found… :scratch:
    My thanks to Chalicea for a pleasant puzzle, and to CS for providing material evidence of my ignorance!

  12. Dear CS,
    Thank you, and apologies for giving you such a tough task with the images. I truly didn’t know what some of them looked like.

  13. Many thanks for the well illustrated review, CS. I think Chalicea perhaps went rather overboard with her personal ‘lists’ this time!

  14. An enjoyable puzzle, but I’m another who had no idea there was a theme going on. All happily straightforward, with a couple of “new to me” answers – 21a and 25a. Must say 21a felt rather unsporting, with only two extremely obscure definitions to go on, and ‘farm’ in 24d seemed to be quite superfluous, even erroneous: most duck have nothing to do with farms!

    Many thanks to Chalicea and to CS

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