A Puzzle by Coot
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
A pangram which I’d describe as ‘tricky in places’
Across
1a 'Very English' Foreign Office furniture (8)
SHELVING: An anagram (foreign) of V (very) and ENGLISH
5a Force behind wood making a retreat (6)
ASHRAM: A verb meaning to force goes ‘behind’ a type of wood
10a Put an end to an associate quitting yearly (5)
ANNUL: A (associate) ‘quitting’ an adjective meaning yearly
11a Avoiding relations like former university colleague (9)
ASEXUALLY: An adverb meaning like, the usual two-letter former, the abbreviation for University and a colleague
12a It's symbolic in Wales when boat overturns (4)
LEEK: a reversal (overturns) of a poetic name for a boat
13a Dad wants sons to succeed (4)
PASS: An informal name for a dad with two abbreviations for Son
14a Poet's task that will do itself with time? (5)
RHYME: The solution will do what it says with the word time
16a Restless fool attending support group told "skip the 2nd half" (7)
AGITATO: A derogatory slang word for a fool inserted into (attending) a support group and followed by the first half of TOld
18a Peer receiving award gets tissue for face (7)
EARLOBE: A peer and an award
21a Encounter boring rocker doing twist in party (5-2)
KNEES-UP: A verb meaning to encounter ‘boring’ a rocker and then reversed (doing twist)
22a Wanderer enters deserted pub - better late than never? (7)
PROVERB: A wanderer enters the outside (deserted) letters of PuB
23a Legal landmark's first seen on Scottish island (5)
JURAL: The first letter of Landmark seen on or after a Scottish island
25a Meet the needs of customers at Evergreen Hedges (4)
SATE: Hidden in (hedges) customerS AT Evergreen
27a Assert a view that is obscured by love (4)
AVOW: Replace the IE (that is) in A VIEW with the letter representing love
29a Quick bite in corrupt tribunal gripping Zambia (6,3)
BRAZIL NUT: An anagram (corrupt) of TRIBUNAL ‘gripping’ the IVR Code for Zambia
30a Make smooth procedure to reverse illness (5)
POLIO: A reversal of a verb meaning to make smooth and an abbreviated procedure
31a Physic prepared in old Greek's vessels (6)
SCYPHI: An anagram (prepared) of PHYSIC
32a Attending university course on higher ground? (8)
UPSTREAM: At university (2) and a course
Down
1d Shadow surrounds shopping centre chit-chat (5,4)
SMALL TALK: A verb meaning to follow and watch (shadow) ‘surrounds’ a shopping centre
2d Old comic, following redesign, is weenier (5,4)
ERNIE WISE: An anagram (redesign) of IS WEENIER
3d Gentleman's servant has no time for farewell (4)
VALE: A gentleman’s servant without the abbreviation for Timer
4d Many a labrador's caught an antelope (5)
NYALA: Hidden (caught) in the first three words of the clue
6d Reduced power compromised oar's torque (6,4)
SQUARE ROOT: An anagram (compromised) of OARS TORQUE
7d Concerning omission at start of sport's broadcast (5)
RELAY: The usual two-letter concerning, on the subject of, and a synonym for sport without its first letter (omission at start)
8d Picked up insect in springtime, perhaps (5)
MAYBE: A homophone (picked up) of an insect in a particular spring month
9d Strips before French drink's served up - that's refreshing (3,5)
REM SLEEP: A reversal (served up) of a synonym for strips and the French word for sea (drink)
15d Put barrier in the way of egocentric swimmer (10)
DAMSELFISH: Put a barrier in the way of and a synonym for self-centred (egocentric)
17d Perez initially taken in by poison spread about German rival (8)
OPPOSING: The initial letter of Perez taken in by an anagram (spread) of POISON, the result finished with the abbreviation for German
19d Ask too much for deliveries on principle (9)
OVERVALUE: Some cricket deliveries and rank or importance (principle)
20d Below ground, secure standing space (5,4)
ELBOW ROOM: An anagram (ground) of BELOW and a reversal (standing) of SECURE
23d Sneers and jeers occasionally, when international baron enters (5)
JIBES: The occasional letters of JeErS into which is inserted (enters) the abbreviations for International and Baron
24d Arrange crew at Derby in prime positions (5)
READY: The letters in prime positions in cREw At DerbY
26d Sum that is unchanged, puzzlingly (3,2)
TOT UP: Whichever way you write the synonym for sum it stays the same
28d Springtime quarrel! (4)
SPAT: A spring and the abbreviation for Time
A very enjoyable pangram – many thanks to Coot for the lunchtime entertainment.
I liked both ‘springtime’ clues a lot. My ticks include 11a, 14a, 22a, 8d and 28d.
Remembering that Coot is a ‘pangram setter’ was a big help but still some e-help, but no caffeine, required for 31a in particular.
Smiles for 22a, 1d, and 20d.
Thanks Coot.
Didn’t think to look for a pangram until it was all over but doubt that knowledge would have made much difference anyway!
Had a couple of doubts along the way – the part of speech used in 11a being one of them, but overall a very good puzzle for the NTSPP slot. Ticks went to 14&22a plus 8,20&28d.
32a reminded me of a visit a few years ago to see a performance of the Alan Ayckbourn play in Chichester.
Thanks to Coot for another enjoyable Saturday offering.
Enjoyable breezy puzzle from Coot – we could do with some breeze outside to shift the grey and miserable damp! 1a, 22a, 27a, 4d, 6d, 8d, 15d and 20d are my likes. Nho the mouthful that is 31a, presumably forced by the pangram.
Thanks to Coot and to CS for the blog in the morning.
BTW, Coot. Forgot to mention when typing earlier, it is not the kindest of grids. Not immediately apparent but there are only two connections between left and right hand sides.
I thought this pangram was great fun.
I’m not sure about the accuracy of the definition for 9d, and I’ve been never heard of 31a but the answer couldn’t have been anything else given the anagram fodder and checking letters.
Many thanks to Coot for the entertainment.
I did need to reveal a couple – 31a for one – but, otherwise, this was an enjoyable solve. I didn’t notice it was a pangram but I never do. I must remember that if “Z”, “Q” and “J” appear it might be worth looking for one. My favourite is the peer getting an award at 18a.
Thank you, Coot. More please. 👍
Thanks for the puzzle Coot, most entertaining. Favourites were 14a, 18a and 27a.
Thanks to everyone who has solved and/or commented. Just picking up a few points:
Jane – I think the parts of speech just about match in 11a, for example as in the sentence, “she hoped to bear a child avoiding relations”!
RD – I’m no neuroscientist (!) but I believe that 9d is necessary (but not necessarily sufficient) to feel refreshed on waking up
PM – point taken on the grid. I normally try to avoid single links between quadrants – but clearly I don’t always manage it!
Thanks again and, in advance, to CS for the review.
We had to reveal a few letters to complete the crossword and we completely missed the pangram! The top third was the easiest to complete for us and then we lost the plot! Thank you Coot and in advance to CS for help with parsing tomorrow.
Excellent fun for a fine spring Sunday morning. Realising it was a pangram had us on the look out for those rarer letters. Too many ticks to be able to select any particular favourite.
Thanks Coot.
A satisfying solve, if tricky in places, but I couldn’t think of the correct barrier in 15dn. I hadn’t heard of 31ac but it was easily got from checking letters and confirmed in the BRB. I liked the prime number positions device in 24dn, something difficult to achieve and get a convincing surface – I’ve tried it myself and abandoned the effort as the clue ended up horribly complicated. Well done there!
Thanks, Coot and CS.
Many thanks for the review and excellent illustrations, CS.
As noted by others above, I found this tricky in parts, but also most enjoyable to solve. I don’t think I have seen “in prime positions” before which made 24a my LOI.
Ticks for 27a, 8d, 20d and 24d.
Thank you Coot and CS.
Enjoyed the puzzle albeit found it pretty tricky in places & used 2 letter reveals to complete. Wasn’t familiar with the term at 9d & 31a new to me as well. Think I’d heard of the fish but confirmed it anyway. My picks the same as Shabbo.
Thanks Coot & to Sue – don’t know how you fit it all in.
Wasn’t meant as a reply – maybe because of the prime positions comment. Think Django has employed it to great effect a number of times
Pitched very nicely for an NTSPP, with a good mix of difficuty, elegance and a touch of quirkiness. Three of the 4 letter answers got ticks from me – 13a, 27a and 29d; and further ticks went to 1a, 14a, 21a, 22a, 1d and 20d. I also enjoyed the other ‘springtime’ clue, 8d. That’s a lot of ticks! I missed the pangram, although the ‘tricky’ letters should have given the game away.
Thanks for the review, CS. I contrived to come up with an alternative answer for 16a – ANIMATO; which is a similar musical designation. I had the same construction as you described but found a foolish Shakespearean character (aka Nym) instead of the rather more obvious one you have described..!
Thanks for an entertaining puzzle, Coot.