A Puzzle by Chalicea
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
A typical Chalicea NTSPP – nice and straightforward and a bit of a theme! Any complaints about crossword-induced itching should be addressed to Chalicea!
Across
9a More ostentatious pack of people circling Italy (7)
SHOWIER: A slang term for a pack of people one disapproves of ‘catching’ the IVR Code for Italy
10a Very active, partly won the goal (2,3,2)
ON THE GO: Hidden in the last three words of the clue
11a Use up and wipe out surrounding page (7)
DEPLETE: Wipe out of remove ‘surrounding’ the abbreviation for Page
12a Pain in the neck and, for the French, sport (7)
CRICKET: A cramp of the neck muscles and the French word for and
13a Board game, surprisingly, is cheaper (9)
PARCHEESI: An anagram (surprisingly) of IS CHEAPER
15a Singular to beat time with this rod (5)
STICK: The abbreviation for Singular and a beat of time
16a Having stopped work discourage going round touring Ireland (7)
RETIRED: A reversal (going round) of discourage ‘touring ‘ an abbreviation for Ireland
19a Old coin getting new finish for West African (7)
GUINEAN: An old coin finished with the abbreviation for New
20a Market limiting cubic measure (5)
SCALE: A synonym for market ‘limiting’ the abbreviation for Cubic
21a Send down idiot with base mini-serving of strong coffee (9)
DEMITASSE: A verb meaning to send down, an idiot and the letter that is the base of the natural system of logarithms
25a Peculiar respect for ghost (7)
SPECTRE: An anagram (peculiar) of RESPECT
26a Take away half of wide area of land (7)
DETRACT: The second half of wiDE and an area of land
28a Hard biscuit, terrible tack in leaders of old age establishments (7)
OATCAKE: An anagram (terrible) of TACK inserted in the ‘leaders’ of Old Age Establishments
29a Extra redesigned crate for waste products (7)
EXCRETA: An abbreviation for extra and an anagram (redesigned) of CRATE
Down
1d University dupes unexpectedly exhausted (4,2)
USED UP: The abbreviation for University and an anagram (unexpectedly) of DUPES
2d Machine for cutting top off seed corn container (6)
HOPPER: Remove the top or first letter from a machine for cutting
3d Fragment of item, back to front (4)
MITE: Cycle the back letter of ITEM to the front
4d Easy undertaking; cinders mixed with sand to make blocks (6)
BREEZE: Double definition
5d Poignant fact about Oxford University College (8)
TOUCHING: A fact goes round the abbreviations for Oxford University College
6d Method of losing weight dramatically - intakes it'd reorganised (6,4)
ATKINS DIET: An anagram (reorganized) of INTAKES ITD
7d Writers once made their point with this little cutting item (8)
PENKNIFE: A very nice cryptic definition
8d Billy's hide or nanny's mate maybe (8)
GOATSKIN: A friend of relation of an animal, the female of which is known as a nanny
14d Sham tavern used by this fellow employed to gather in crops? (10)
HARVESTMAN: An anagram (used) of SHAM TAVERN
16d Stand firm against old primarily rusty electrical apparatus (8)
RESISTOR: Stand firm against, the abbreviation for Old and the primary letter of Rusty
17d Burlesque effort incorporating a piece of underwear (8)
TRAVESTY: An effort ‘incorporating’ A (from the clue) and an item of underwear
18d Daughter with rum and English wine moved unsteadily (8)
DODDERED: The abbreviation for Daughter, a synonym of rum in the sense of peculiar, the abbreviation for English and a type of wine
22d Very small biting insect finally caught (6)
MIDGET: A biting creature and the final letter of insecT
23d Roofing specialist essentially vanishing some time in the future (6)
SLATER: The essential letter of vaniShing and some time in the future
24d Ensnare upset mate endlessly (6)
ENTRAP: A reversal (upset) of a mate without its final letter (endlessly)
27d Beat covering of mattress (4)
TICK: Double definition – shame we had the ‘beat’ earlier in the crossword
Thanks, Chalicea, for the entertainment.
Surely, there must be a theme?
Lots of creepy-crawly things, perhaps? But … how many?
I agree with Jepi that insects have infested the grid. I’m sure that there are ones I will have never heard of – just like the ‘board game’! It was a nice surprise when my third attempt at letter juggling for 13a appeared in the dictionary – “Bingo!”, I thought, but that’s quite a different game…
For me, the most pleasing clues were 9a, 5d & 24d, however, I did detect the surprise presence of a minim in the wordplay (aka 2 ‘beat’s).
Thanks, Chalicea, for the pre-match Saturday entertainment, and in advance to our reviewer.
Many thanks Chalicea for the fun. I found this fairly gentle with the bottom half providing the greater challenge. Did not know the board game, nor the mattress cover but Mrs J put me right. There are certainly a number creepy crawly references – only spotted post solve. Favourite clue was 12a (we did of course beat the French in the only Olympic final for this sport!)
Certainly do seem to be a lot of insects crawling around the grid but I doubt that I could find them all without help from the relevant tome compiled by Mrs Bradford. I was rather taken with the ostentatious pack in Italy.
Thanks to Chalicea although I may pass on learning another board game!
All these insects and parasites have made me itch! I have definitely identified seven, but there could be more I expect. In places I found this trickier than the SPP but enjoyed the challenge. Thanks to Chalicea for the entertainment and to the reviewer.
Thanks, friends. Sorry to make you itch. There are definitely more than seven. I tend to aim at at least ten hiddens.
You’ll itch even more when you see the pictures!
Enjoyed this on a damp Saturday after the back pager.
I’d say insects and creepy crawly things as the theme.
Now the neighbours leaves are calling me to rake them up as his tree kindly donated them into my garden … ugh!
Thanks to Chalicea for the fun
Thanks, Chalicea. We had never heard of the board game or the mattress cover. The SE corner was the last to be filled. We think we have seven crawlies but can’t find more. We await CS’s review for the rest and the pictures!
Croomsters was what my little niece called creepy crawlies when she was learning to speak & it has stuck since. Agree that it was trickier than the SPP & very enjoyable too.
Thanks to Chalicea for the fun & in advance to Sue
Excellent fun as ever from this setter with the added enjoyment in finding all the critters.
Thanks Chalicea.
Lovely puzzle. Thanks Chalicea.
crypticsue, you’ve excelled yourself with those magnicifent illustrations, thanks. The tick really makes me itch (we get them in the garden!)
Google Images is very good, not least because once you start looking for a particular thing (creepy crawlies in this instance, and timepieces elsewhere, as soon as you start typing in the word you are looking for, the correct thing pops up in the list of suggestions
Thanks for the review and illustrations, CS. I had not come across a ‘spectre’ or ‘breeze’ before, although the latter is better known by other names. It is a beautiful sunny day in Kent so I will be out walking in the countryside, and hope not to be troubled by any of the above!
Same unknowns for me as those mentioned by Spartacus – good to now be able to identify them thanks to CS’s great illustrations.
Thanks again to Chalicea for the NTSPP lesson in creepy-crawlies and to CS for always finding those illustrations.
I stashed this one away to solve on a day when I was feeling particularly useless with the DT cryptic, such as today – Monday, when I should have been able to finish without a problem. Anyway, pulled this lovely NTSPP out from Chalicea and thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I did know the board game, and the mattress cover so that did help. LI was 29a which was a new word for me. Thanks to Chalicea. I really wish she had a regular daily slot, ideally Wednesdays 😊.
And I’ve got this one stashed away too…probably for a Friday as I always find them difficult. As you say, Chalicea’s puzzles are always a delight.