A Puzzle by Hubble
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Hubble fills the NTSPP spot this week with an enjoyable puzzle so many thanks to him.
Across
1a Stimulant dispensers in bag fed to Liverpool players caught for time (10)
COFFEEPOTS: An insertion of a synonym of bag into some Liverpool players (not the reds) with the abbreviation for Caught replacing that for Time
6a Cast "Cats" performers (4)
ACTS: Anagram of CATS and an extended definition
10a I tear around on the double introducing southern spicy dishes (4-5)
PIRI-PIRIS: Two reversals of I plus a synonym of tear or rend followed by the abbreviation for Southern
11a Mollusc graduate leaves unattended (5)
ALONE: Remove an abbreviated Bachelor of Arts from a marine snail
12a Box the man's brought into court (5)
CHEST: An insertion of an abbreviated “he is” into the abbreviation for CourT
13a Moved quickly to wrap underwear collected (9)
HARVESTED: A synonym of moved quickly or raced around (to wrap) an item of underwear
14a Ties the rest in knots (7)
TETHERS: Anagram of THE REST (in knots)
16a Retailer's sister pinching fashion magazine (6)
SELLER: The abbreviation for SisteR “pinching” a fashion magazine
19a Relaxed a little returning through bishop's headquarters (6)
SEDATE: Reverse a synonym of little and insert into the headquarters of a bishop
20a Ornamental pipe male cut in pieces (7)
CALUMET: Anagram (in pieces) of MALE CUT
23a Before close of session repositioned Foot near PM (9)
AFTERNOON: Anagram of FOOT NEAR (Ignore the false capitalisation) and the final letter of session
25a Concerning old bird withdrawing kitchen tool (5)
CORER: The usual “concerning” and a mythical bird all reversed
26a Break down, pass out and gradually decline (5)
LAPSE: Triple definition
27a Occupied popular bar closed by principal following heart transplant (9)
INHABITED: The usual popular plus a synonym of bar inserted into one of principal with the two central letters transposed
28a Want wide angle without head (4)
WISH: The abbreviation for Wide followed by a synonym of angle as a verb without its first letter
29a Traverse Greek island loudly, reaching decision point (10)
CROSSROADS: A synonym of traverse and a homophone of a Greek Island
Down
1d Yankee state charging Egyptian mimic (7)
COPYCAT: An insertion (charging) of the abbreviation for Yankee and the abbreviation for CAlifornia into an Egyptian dialect
2d Because of damaged feet, I'd surrendered (9)
FORFEITED: A word meaning because of followed by an anagram (damaged) of FEET I’D.
3d Rising tariffs almost overwhelming priest who lives abroad? (5)
EXPAT: A synonym of tariffs without its last letter reversed and placed around an abbreviation for Priest. The clever question mark is definitely needed here.
4d Hold start of player's game up on track (8)
PURCHASE: A charade of the opening letter of Players, a reversal of one of crosswordland's favourite games and (on in a down clue) a synonym of track as a verb
5d Stuns troubled actress dumping cocaine (6)
TASERS: Anagram (troubled) of AcTRESS (without cocaine)
7d Trade over for a farm (5)
CROFT: A trade or art with the abbreviation for Over replacing A from the clue
8d Flimsy poster stuck by nail in the end (7)
SLENDER: A word that could describe a person who posts around the final letter of nail
9d Cheers! Note, we're swapping halves (lager and lemonade at the outset) (8)
FAREWELL: A note on the sol-fa scale, followed by "we're" with the second half placed before the first (swapping halves) and the initial letters of Lager and Lemonade. My natural instinct was to follow lager with lime (which would have worked) but I'm probably showing my age there! Good clue!
15d Dropping off various CVs during high tea services where they may take place (8)
EATERIES: Anagram (high) of TEA SERVICES after the letters that make up CV’s have been removed at random (various)
17d Blame tart for crashing scooter (9)
LAMBRETTA: Anagram (for crashing) of BLAME TART. One you wouldn't get in the Telegraph!
18d "Herb, one may like this" (8)
ACANTHUS: Put together an indefinite article, a modal verb and a word meaning “like this”
19d Will cry of pain be insincere? (7)
SHALLOW: Another modal verb and one of the usual exclamations of pain
21d Deals with one's outbursts (7)
TIRADES: The letter that represents one or single inserted into a synonym of deals.
22d Pastry's jamming my office equipment (6)
COPIER: A pastry dish inserted into an exclamation of surprise lol.
24d Thanks fool from the south providing light snacks (5)
TAPAS: An abbreviated thanks and a fool reversed (from the south)
25d Pole is regularly both crabby and weary (5)
CABER: CrAbBy wEaRy.
An enjoyable puzzle – thanks to Hubble.
I thought that 1a (my last answer) was slightly unfair; the BRB enumerates it as 6,4 and ‘players in Liverpool’ might be fairer.
My ticks went to 10a, 29a, 4d, 9d and 22d.
For me, etc, a head scratcher with caffeine most definitely required. I agree with Gazza on ‘Liverpool players’ vs ‘Players in Liverpool’ – compared to the former, the latter certainly conjures up the idea of more than one group of players.
Some parsings that I am not entirely sure of so I will await the review with interest.
Smiles for 11a, 29a, 15d, 18d, and 22d. Not a term I like in 15d and I imagine someone else might agree with me – is he still on holiday in Crete?
Thanks Hubble and thanks in advance to Stephen L.
Think he’s due home on Monday.
I’m hardly in a position to query the niceties of 1a as I didn’t know the Liverpool players anyway – had to solve the clue by definition and checkers, followed by a question to Mr G!
A few surface reads that I thought could have been improved upon and a couple of rather stretchy synonyms but overall a decent enough NTSPP. 2,4&22d gained my ticks.
Thanks to Hubble for this latest puzzle.
Thanks, Hubble, although we did struggle with several answers and had to reveal letters so we shall be interested to read the review tomorrow. Still some we are unable to parse. Favourite was 23a. We look forward to your next one.
Luckily we had heard of some footballers with that name but had no idea where they came from so did not question the finer points of 1a. A couple of new words to learn in 10a and 20a and over-all, an enjoyable Sunday morning solve for us.
Thanks Hubble.
Found this a bit of a struggle in parts with NW last in.
Never heard of 10a at all and I can’t say 18d is a daily word in my vocabulary.
Liked 14a, 23a, 29a, 2d & 5d
Thanks to Hubble & Stephen L
I found this tricky in places but eventually finished it unaided. I share other commenters’ reservations about 1ac; in fact I expected howls of outrage from supporters on both sides of the Liverpool divide – but perhaps they don’t do crypyic crosswords.
Thanks, Hubble and CS.
My late father-in-law was a lifelong Evertonian and would turn in his grave at 1a. To the extent that I could not get reds out of my mind until all the crossers were in place and the penny dropped. 11a and 22d my favourites. Very minor comment on the blog: I think the container in 1d is defining one of the Egyptian sect rather than their language which ends with -ic.
Thanks to setter and blogger
Thanks again to Hubble and thanks to SL for the review.
A minor point: there’s no anagram in 9d.
Of course, now altered. Thanks Gazza.
An agreeable crossword from Hubble, with my favourites making up the entire SW corner: 19, 23, 26, 28 across and 15, 19, 24 down (albeit some more favoured than others). I thought the synonym for ‘bar’ in 27a was unusual, but it is listed in Collins as a countable noun. I had initially justified it to myself as describing part of a bridle. The ‘ornamental pipe’ was also new to me, but was found by doing some vowel juggling once all checkers were in place. For me, ‘Liverpool players’ was OK, because it is nicely misleading – but I was well aware of there being two famous clubs in Liverpool, together with their nicknames!
My thanks to Hubble and StephenL.
Many thanks for the review, Stephen, I did investigate the nickname of the Liverpool players – quite bizarre where some of these monikers spring from!
Thanks to Stephen L and everybody who has commented on the puzzle. Gazza, 1a is given as both 6,3 and 9 in Collins