A Puzzle by Buddy
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
As usual, the setter will be delighted to receive feedback from you, the solvers. We do ask that you remember that for most setters this is a new experience, so please only offer constructive criticism.
I it has been a while since we have had three promotions in a row to the ranks of the NTSPP but with a low commentometer score of 1.5/29 or 3.4%, I think it is justified for Buddy to move to the Saturday slot.
Across
9a Determined to be first man with a new Tesla (7)
ADAMANT: The name of the first man in the story of Genesis followed by the A from the clue and the abbreviations for new and Tesla.
10a Finding fermented cider in Vermont (7)
VERDICT: An anagram (fermented) of CIDER inside the State code for Vermont.
11a I reverse the charges, turning real stingy (9)
ILLIBERAL: The I from the clue followed by a four-letter word for the charges or an invoice reversed and an anagram (turning) of REAL.
12a Piece of farm that is empty land? (5)
FIELD: The first letter (piece) of farm followed by the abbreviation for id est (that is) and the outer letters (empty) of land.
13a Monkey smashed china cup (8)
CAPUCHIN: An anagram (smashed) of CHINA CUP. A small point but as the first four-letters of the anagram appear unaltered in the solution, maybe an alternative treatment of the clue would have been better.
14a Air filter (6)
STRAIN: Double definition.
16a Southern woman again changing partners for hanky-panky (11)
SHENANIGANS: The abbreviation for southern followed by a three-letter word for a woman, an anagram (changing) of AGAIN and the abbreviations for partners in a bridge game.
20a Jimmy accepts a compliment (6)
PRAISE: A five-letter word meaning jimmy or force open includes (accepts) the a from the clue.
22a Initially, confused old man acted calm (8)
COMPOSED: The initial letters of the second to forth words of the clue followed by a five-letter word meaning acted.
24a Singers knocked back port after church (5)
CHOIR: A reversal (knocked back) of a three-letter South American port after the abbreviation for church.
25a American mentor and European noble mostly rotating duties (9)
COUNSELOR: A five-letter word for a European noble with the last letter removed (mostly) followed by a reversal (rotating) of a five letter word for duties.
26a Peacekeepers in uniform at centre of kitschy parades (7)
FLAUNTS: The abbreviation for United Nations (peacekeepers) inside a four-letter word meaning uniform or even followed by the middle letter (centre) of kitschy.
27a Unfair to shun quiet craftsman (7)
ARTISAN: An eight-letter word meaning unfair without (to shun) the abbreviation for quiet.
Down
1d Pudding of pureed apricot: recipe omitted hint of allspice (7)
TAPIOCA: An anagram (pureed) of APRICOT without the R (recipe omitted) followed by the first letter (hint) of allspice.
2d Career from start to finish: boring government work (6)
GALLOP: A three-letter word meaning from start to finish inside (boring) the abbreviation for government and a two-letter abbreviation for government.
3d Grill lawyers over copper involved in endless argument (8)
BARBECUE: A three-letter word for lawyers before (over) the chemical symbol for copper inside a four-letter word for an argument with the final letters removed (endless).
4d Bird has sailor and fighter gripped by depression (9).
PTARMIGAN: A three-letter word for a sailor and three-letter word for a Russian fighter inside (gripped by) a three-letter word for a depression.
5d Kelvin, losing both knights, playing terribly (4)
EVIL: An anagram (playing) of KELVIN after removing both of the abbreviations for knight. Perhaps the definition would more naturally give the solution ending in LY.
6d Oracle reported net income (6)
PROFIT: A homophone (reported) of prophet (oracle).
7d With exasperation, strike first of stinging bugs (8)
WIRETAPS: The abbreviation for with followed by a three-letter word for exasperation, a three-letter word meaning strike and the first letter of stinging.
8d Boss starts to encourage new training for apprentice (7)
STUDENT: A four-letter word for a boss or protuberance followed by the initial letters (starts to) of the fourth to sixth words of the clue.
15d Using two eyes, see wild lion cub with a scrap of rhino (9)
BINOCULAR: An anagram (wild) of LION CUB followed by the initial letter (scrap) of rhino.
16d Overseas, on a layover, devouring periodical (8)
SEASONAL: The answer is hidden in (devouring) the first four words of the clue.
17d Suitable program on old station (8)
APPOSITE: A three-letter word for a mobile program before (on) the abbreviation for old and a four-letter word for a station.
18d State agent takes back fine diamonds (7)
SPECIFY: A three-letter word for a secret agent includes (takes) a reversal (back) of the abbreviation for fine and a three-letter word for diamonds.
19d Loving a party band (7)
ADORING: The A from the clue followed by a two-letter word for a party and a four-letter word for a band.
21d Maroon thread (6)
STRAND: Double definition.
23d Climbing mountains with extremes of strength on display (6)
SPLASH: A reversal (climbing) of the name of European mountains followed by the outer letters (extremes) of strength. I don’t think that wordplay on definition works. A + B on definition would work where B is intended to precede A in the solution (for a down clue), but that is not the case here.
25d Recoiling inside, regrets a casual fling (4)
CAST: The answer is hidden and reversed (recoiling inside) the third to fifth words of the clue.
Yet another extremely well put together set of clues that was a real pleasure to solve. We discussed what we would put forward as a favourite clue but gave up the idea as there are so many that would qualify for the honour.
Thanks and well done Buddy.
A very enjoyable end to my weekend of cruciverbalism.
Plenty to smile at, in particular – 14a, 20a, 26a, 4d, 18d, and 23d.
Thanks Buddy and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
I thought this was really enjoyable, Buddy; your best puzzle yet. You even indicated the American spelling needed in 25a!
I think that Jimmy in 20a is an American term. Collins agrees but Chambers gives you a Get Out Of Jail Free card with the rider “chiefly US”.
I have ticks all over my page – too many to mention.
Very well done, Buddy, and thank you. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
I enjoyed this – thanks Buddy.
The clues that stood out for me were 12a, 24a, 27a and 2d.
Thanks Buddy, very entertaining – definitely your best yet.
I liked 12a, 24a, and 23d but there were plenty of ticks all over.
Thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Well done, Buddy, particular thanks for the clear American indicator in 25a.
Think I ticked all the potential favourites mentioned by others and I’d like to add the story-telling element of 9a.
I doubt that the commentometer will find much to adversely criticise!
Welcome back, Buddy.
For the third successive week I am delighted to use the phrase “your best puzzle yet”, we are certainly having a great run of excellent RC submissions at the moment.
This was an excellent puzzle, the surfaces all read well and the difficulty level was pitched perfectly. With four of the first seven clues involving anagrams I did start to think that might set the tone for the whole crossword, but it wasn’t to be thankfully. I did notice that there was rather an over-reliance on first letter selections/deletions, even though all were clued differently. I counted six in all (12a, 22a, 1d, 7d, 8d and 15d), the Telegraph usually permits its setters a maximum of three such constructions in any one puzzle.
My printed page has too many ticks for me to pick out a particular favourite clue.
Congratulations and well done indeed, Buddy.
Out of interest… is that limit of 3 letter selections/deletions a single limit for all types of letter selection, or could you have say 3 initial letters, 3 final letters, 3 central letters etc? (Not that you’d want to use that many of course.)
Hi Duncan,
It’s normally a limit of three for first letter indicators plus three for last letter indicators.
Thanks Silvanus, that’s worth knowing.
I really enjoyed this very competent puzzle, finding it tightly composed and containing a good variety of clue types. I had so many ticked that to choose favourites seems mean, but on the podium were 25d (great surface for the lurker), 1d and 9a.
I wasn’t entirely convinced by 12a’s “piece of farm” being used to generate the ‘f’, and the BRB corrected me with two I thought were Americanisms. My only real question mark is over 23d, an otherwise super clue, where it appears to be “wordplay on definition”, which struck me as odd. But then again, I’m a layman in these matters and often wrong!
Many thanks indeed Buddy, I think Prolixic (to whom thanks also) will have a gentle job when marking your homework!
Hi Mustafa, I rely (perhaps too much) on the Clue Clinic’s pages for these things and they support “piece” as a first letter indicator.
For 23, I think I’m OK with “A, with B on” meaning “A next to B.” (BRB gives “on” as “against”. But I am no expert in these matters either, so….
I’m not an expert either, but as I understand it…
In a down clue, “on” usually means placed “on top of” (because you’re effectively piling bits of wordplay up in a vertical column). So “SPLA with SH on” clues SHSPLA in a down clue. In an across clue, if I remember correctly, the convention is for “on” to work as you want (but this isn’t an across clue…).
Hi Buddy, I have no issue with the use of “on” in a down clue instructing where A goes with relation to B, it’s all a standard part of the wordplay.
Here though, “On” seems to be superfluous to the wordplay: SPLA [with] SH gives you the answer, and [on] seems to function only as the link between wordplay and definition, but I’m not sure how it can do so, since wordplay [on] definition makes no sense to me and surely splash is “display”, not “on display”?
Without “on” the surface would be gibberish. Since “on” works with the wordplay, even though it’s not strictly necessary, I left it in.
Thanks all for the comments.
Rabbit Dave, I ran “jimmy” past my UK testers and they all thought it was OK. And to paraphrase Miracle Max from The Princess Bride, “Mostly US is partly UK.”
Silvanus, should I ever have to deal with a DT editor (which strikes me as a very low-probability event), I am forewarned. I figured that since, as you note, they are clued differently and are all only part of some additional wordplay (i.e. there are no straight-up acrostics), I was OK.
An excellent puzzle which I thoroughly enjoyed. Ticks aplenty but particularly liked 11&16a + 7d so they might just edge it for podium spots. I wonder if we might have a third successive promotion on the cards.
Many thanks Buddy
Great crossword, very enjoyable, thank you Buddy. Lots of ticks on our sheet but going for 9a, 10a and 4d as those heading our list. We look forward to your next puzzle whether it is here or on NTSPP. Thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Yep, lovely. Smooth and accomplished. Ticks everywhere. Huntsman, as ever, makes a very convincing prediction. Big ticks for 12a, 16a, 7d and 25d. Ta lots with thanks, in advance, to Prolixic.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic, particularly for explaining why 23d doesn’t quite work. I definitely agree that the 5d answer would more naturally finish with ‘ly’.
Heartiest congratulations to Buddy on getting ‘kicked’ upstairs!
Thanks prolixic for the blog and promotion (frankly, I feared relegation). Does this mean I get paid for these now?
Re 5d, I agree it sounds odd but Chambers specifically gives “evil” as “(adverb) badly or terribly” so I went with it.
I think you can look forward to being paid at exactly the same rate as Prolixic is himself! Don’t spend it all at once……….