A Puzzle by Jeemz
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Jeeves gives us an enjoyable pangram for this week's NTSPP so thanks to him
Across
1a Suffering bad hangover perhaps - from apparently low watering hole? (3,2,3,4)
NOT AT ALL WELL: If we split the solution (how one might feel with a bad hangover) 3,1,4,4 the wordplay becomes clear.
9a Given hard time double-check ledger entries (7)
HECKLED: Hidden as indicated by the final word of the clue
10a At a distance start absorbing artist's jumbled miscellany (7)
FARRAGO: A synonym of “at a distance” and one of start “absorb” the usual abbreviated artist
11a Board game Jeopardy? (4)
RISK: Double definition
12a Major turning to opinionated die-hard (5)
BIGOT: A synonym of major as an adjective plus a reversal of to from the clue. So many potential illustrations here but in the interest of tact and diplomacy I'll move on
13a Doctor guzzles each drink (4)
MEAD: An abbreviated doctor around the abbreviation for EAch.
16a Shining example of 6's behaviour after suggestion of gym? (7)
GLAZING: Precede an example of the solution to 6d’s behaviour with the initial letter of Gym.
17a Stands in favour of websites having odd bits blanked out (7)
FORESTS: A simple synonym of in favour of plus the even letters of wEbSiTeS. The definition is a group of trees similar in age, size and structure
18a Prioritises strange rites involving vacuous acting (7)
TRIAGES: Anagram of RITES involving ActinG.
21a Uniform's just lacking the wow factor (7)
EQUABLE: A synonym of just lacking “it” (wow factor)
23a 6 missing algebra occasionally - idiots (4)
OAFS: Remove occasional letters of aLgEbRa from various places of the solution for 6d
24a Sailor with personal problem going to Thailand becoming a monk (5)
ABBOT: Put together one of the usual sailors, an unpleasant feature of one who doesn't shower perhaps and the abbreviation for Thailand.
25a Given their cards a yet unknown number finally straggle aboard (4)
AXED: A from the clue, an unknown number and the last letters stragglE abroaD.
28a Carried back Queen's dresser (7)
ENROBER: A reversal of a synonym of carried plus the royal cipher of the late queen
29a European foreign nationality Tony's abandoned (7)
ITALIAN: Anagram (foreign) of NATIONALITY once the letters that make up Tony have been removed
30a Swearing it's the talk of Turkey so we heard (4,8)
FOUL LANGUAGE: A homophone of a group of birds a turkey belongs to plus a synonym of talk. Lol
Down
1d Labouring, coins it abundantly initially in city (7)
NICOSIA: Anagram of COINS plus initial letters of It Abundantly
2d Work at checkout (4)
TILL: Triple definition, a verb, a preposition and a noun
3d Sycophantic old associate I displace when having clear out (7)
TIDYING: Remove abbreviations for Old and Associate from a synonym of sycophantic and replace with I from the clue
4d Why steps are taken for launch? (4-3)
LIFT-OFF: A very smart cryptic definition, the solution giving a reason we may use steps
5d Cautious or like a fight? (4)
WARY: Double definition the second being somewhat whimsical
6d Pumps, assorted solar panels, noneffective essentially (7)
LOAFERS: Anagram of SOLAR around (panels) the essential letters of nonefFEctive.
7d Corrected order of tee shirt and thong - it's what Eric needed! (3,5,5)
THE RIGHT NOTES: Anagram of TEE SHIRT and THONG. The solution is a reference to the late comedian who famously played the solution “in the wrong order” Very smart
8d Toffee-nosed recidivist's going down (13)
CONDESCENDING: Split the solution 3,10 to see the wordplay
14d Shadowy vessel husband's offloaded (5)
DINGY: A sea-faring vessel popular for cross channel trips loses the abbreviation for Husband
15d Stop talking and work in the kitchen (3,2)
DRY UP: Double definition.
19d Reckon on returning fire (7)
INFERNO: A synonym of reckon plus on from the clue reversed.
20d Southern part of Europe, where to see midnight sun? (7)
SIBERIA: The abbreviation for Southern and an area of Europe probably best known as the national area of Spain
21d Lynne's group message's taking off (7)
ELOPING: Lynne here is singer Jeff and his band is followed by an informal message as a verb. Here's the great man
22d Scrap aircraft one get's to fly after strings are pulled (3,4)
BOX KITE: Cryptic definition based on a synonym of scrap as in fight and a basic “aircraft”. I like this.
26d Auditor's ready, being first person to pass (4)
ABEL: A homophone (auditor's) of a synonym of ready giving a biblical reference
27d Asian island language (4)
JAVA: Another double definition, the second one IT related
A very enjoyable pangram with chuckles galore – many thanks to Jeemz.
I ticked lots of clues including 1a, 21a, 30a, 5d, 7d and 19d.
Hard work for me, even with the first caffeine of the day, but I always have difficulty getting onto to Jeemz’s wavelength. I needed e-help to identify ‘Lynne’s group’ and 28a held me up for quite a while. And, of course. I missed the pangram!
Smiles for 11a, 24a, 30a, 26d, and 27d.
Thanks to Jeemz and in advance to SL.
Well done to Senf for managing this on a cup of coffee – took me a lunchtime glass of wine to even broach the puzzle! Quite a battle as is usual with this setter’s offerings, and I was very grateful to Gazza for having identified the pangram.
I despair to think that our beautiful language has deteriorated to a point where a message is nothing more than a ‘ping’ but I guess that’s what the world is like these days.
Favourite was definitely 30a with a nod to the brilliant sketch in 7d – take a bow for keeping a straight face, Mr Preview!
Thanks to Jeemz, who’s been very busy cooking up NTSPP’s for us recently.
Very enjoyable, thank you Jeemz but it did take us a while – and that was with e-help and revealing a couple of letters! We do need SL to unravel a couple of answers for us tomorrow. Favourites are 1a, 12a, 8d and 15d.
Thanks for the puzzle Jeemz, very nice. Took me a while to get going, but I got there in the end.
Favourite is 30a, smiles for 1a and 7d too, amongst others.
Even though I was pushed for time today, I am glad I decided to give this NTSPP a go. It was challenging (although spotting the likelihood of a pangram helped) and I really enjoyed it.
My only query is that I don’t understand how “stands” defines the answer for 17a.
I can’t quibble with Duncan’s choices @5 of 1a, 30a & 7d for podium places.
Many thanks to Jeemz.
I should perhaps add that I first came across the term many years ago reading Hammond Innes’s novel High Stand – about forestry and the logging industry in Canada.
Apologies. This should have followed my comment @7.
In my teens and twenties I read and very much enjoyed every single Hammond Innes novel, but the significance of that one escaped me after 50 years!
R.D. Glad you enjoyed it. For 17a BRB defines stand as “a standing growth of crop” For a better explanation try this link: forestrybook.com/forest-stand
I needed a few letters revealing in the bottom half of the grid, plus the knowledge thet only Q and X were needed for a pangram, to complete this. Otherwise fairly straightforward if tricky in places. I liked the cross-references to 6dn – in fact they helped me to get 6dn. I was fooled for a while by 26dn thinking ‘ready’ referred to money; on the other hand I did know of ‘stands’ for groups of trees.
Thanks, Jeemz and SL.
My printout has three ticks, three smileys and three hmms – just the ticket for an NTSPP. 17a, 21a & 4d got the podium accolades; 1a, 30a & 7d received chuckles; and 5d, 14d and 27d were met with hmms, although in retrospect 27d does seem fair enough in computerese – and it contributed very efficiently to the pangram! A perfect accompaniment to my Sunday morning tea.
Thank you, Jeemz, and thanks to SephenL for the review. I’m playing the clip of the ELO classic while I write this comment. They are one of my favourite groups and Jeff Lynne has had a truly remarkable career in music.
Thanks for you comments Spartacus. Happy to know it contributed some chuckles to go with your morning tea. I can’t say I blame you for hmming 4d. I thought it was a but risky myself! But I am curious too know why you thought 14d deserved one?
Hi Jeemz, in 14d it was simply my first reaction. In Collins it is indeed listed as a synonym in the sense of dark. I have to admit there are lots of times I initially think ‘hmm’ for a synonym which then turns out to be acceptable in some sense or other – that’s all part of the fun in crossword solving, and I assume part of the satisfaction for the setter when contriving devious and misleading clues. Hopefully one day I’ll be brave enough give it a go myself…
Thanks again for a fun crossword and conjuring up the image of Eric and ‘Mr Preview’ once again – it was an exceptional moment of comedy!
Ha! I know what you mean. How far to stretch a synonym fairly is a regular dilemma for compilers and a regular bugbear for solvers!
Thanks everyone for your comments and thanks too to StephenL for the well expressed explanations. I did go though several alliterations of clueing 7d to indicate that the solution needed to be in the right order! I’m glad the version I chose seemed to have worked ok. Thanks too to my test solver for convincing me to rewrite 30a to make it work better.
Many thanks for the review, Stephen. Like Jeemz, apparently, I couldn’t quite decide whether he had used the right order in 7d but all’s well that ends well!
Hi Jane,
“Wrong order of tee shirt and thong – it’s what Eric had” was one of my various options! Technically I think both could work!
Anyway solvers seemed to have got the answer to the clue and the reference to one of the greatest comedy lines ever written was bound to raise a smile or two! Thanks for giving the crossword a go.
Thanks once more to Jeemz for a fine puzzle and thanks to SL for the fine review.
I’m still trying to come up with a sentence where the ‘at’ in 2d and the answer are interchangeable.
Gazza, I did ponder this and came me up with “You can have breakfast at/till 10 at the latest” So convinced myself it was ok!
Thanks, Jeemz. That works.