A Puzzle by Jeemz
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Jeemz is in the NTSPP spot today. Plenty to smile about in this, including a theme very cleverly indicated by the solutions to 1&4 across. I counted an astonishing 24 related entries Many thanks to him.
Across
1a &4a. Criminal leading a scam for jailbirds? (5, 7)
CAGED: Anagram (criminal) of the following three words
4a See 1a
ANIMALS:
10a Channel not showing United's mishit shot (5)
SLICE: An artificial channel less the abb'n for United. Great surface read.
11a Like reckoning having competence can be taken for granted? (9)
ASSUMABLE: A charade of synonyms for like, reckoning and having competence
12a Exploding torpedoes' well-established ancestry (4,5)
DEEP ROOTS: Anagram (exploding) of TORPEDOES
13a Compound Oedipus Rex complex - evidence of purse being removed (5)
OXIDE: Anagram (complex ) of the preceding two words less the letters making up purse (evidence can be removed)
14a Knowing Mum's dealing with getting extremely wrinkled (6)
SHREWD: An instruction to keep quite, a preposition that could mean dealing with and the outside letters of WrinkleD. Another excellent surface read.
16a Delay resistance? (4,4)
PUSH BACK: Double definition
18a The Parisian doctor's filling repast fired with typically French spirit (8)
FLAMBEED: A French definite article and one of the abbreviated doctors inserted or filling a synonym of repast
20a Enjoys entertaining rock band in women's quarters (6)
HAREMS: An insertion of crosswordland's favourite rock band into a generic synonym of enjoys
24a William for one brings jelly (5)
ROYAL: Double definition
25a Dreadful unruly mob halfheartedly going after head honcho (9)
EXECRABLE: An unruly mob or band with one of its middle letters removed and placed after an abbreviated head honcho, usually preceded by the word chief
27a German consent withheld from carmaker's door's skirts smart protector (9)
GUARDRAIL: Remove the German word for yes from a once iconic car manufacturer, add the outside letters (skirts) of DooR and a synonym smart in the sense of hurt
28a Losers' side fighting back against Belgium engenders punch-up (5)
BRAWL: One of the “sides” of Losers plus a synonym of fighting reversed “against” the abbreviation for Belgium
29a Bailiffs, busy creatures tackling at the start 2, 27 and finally 28 (7)
BEAGLES: Some busy insects placed around the initial letters of the solutions of 2&27 and the final letter of 27.
30a Floozy eventually hooks onto beefcake - look and learn! (5)
STUDY: The final letter of floozy placed on a synonym of beefcake
Down
2d Stuck-up compiler's adorned by splendid vestment (5)
AMICE: An abbreviated first person singular of “be” (compiler's) reversed and inserted into a synonym of splendid or great
3d A cockney's called intellectual. Surprised? One might raise this (7)
EYEBROW: How a cockney may pronounce a synonym of intellectual or bookish
5d Unearths a lot of food, on vacation eats alfresco (5,3)
NOSES OUT: An informal word for food minus its last letter, the outer letters of EatS and a word that describes where you'd be if eating alfresco
6d Parent with no hesitation undermines other parent for spanking (7)
MAMMOTH: Two mothers, one informal and the other less an exclamation expressing hesitation
7d Loosen up having time for a British version of Cuba Libre (9)
LUBRICATE: Anagram of CUBA LIBRE with one of the abbreviations for British changed to that for Time
8d Marley in novel gig catches a cold (5)
JACOB: A synonym of gig or a position, typically temporary, placed around A from the clue and the abbreviation for Cold
9d Dress up to act as Ant's partner in audition (6)
BEDECK: A synonym of “act as” plus a homophone of Ant’s partner in crime, a reference to the truly dreadful, ubiquitous pair of “entertainers”
10d Goes with teams' opinions (5)
SIDES: I think this is intended as a triple definition but it doesn't quite work as teams' (or team's) can't be a definition for sides.
15d Prepared D-day era reconstruction including bits of military equipment (5-4)
READY-MADE: Anagram (reconstruction) of D-DAY ERA including the initial letters of Military Equipment
17d Treat with respect Spooner's repair (8)
VENERATE: A synonym of repair given the Spooner treatment LOL
18d Give up supporting image of oneself (6)
FOREGO: A synonym of supporting followed someone's sense of their own worth
19d Sort of spirit shown by optimistic investor - and scoundrel? (7)
BULLDOG: An optimistic investor on the stock market perhaps (their opposite being a bear) followed by a scoundrel or cur
21d Finally spot a black whale rearing like a gymnast (7)
ACROBAT: The final letter of spoT, A from the clue, the abbreviation for Black and a killer whale all reversed (rearing).
22d In haste, although is seen to go on tiptoe (5)
STEAL: Hidden (in)
23d Salvagers occasionally surfacing regalia (5)
SEALS: Occasional letters of SaLvAgErS reversed (surfacing in a down clue)
26d It's hairy seeing mother and daughter! (5)
BEARD: Mother as a verb and the abbreviation for Daughter
An enjoyable lunchtime treat – thanks Jeemz.
My ticks went to 10a, 14a, 30a, 3d and 19d.
It’s a Jeemz so caffeine required but still enjoyable.
Smiles for 14a, 16a, 30a, 3d, and 18d.
Thanks Jeemz and thanks in advance to StephenL.
Thanks Gazza and Senf for the early feedback. Senf, I thought you’d be the theme spotter!
Not enough caffeine! Thanks Jeemz.
Enjoyable Jeemz, thanks for the hentertainment – can’t quite get my head ahound the 12a surface though
I’m not sure whether the setter’s comment @3 was directing us to search for one but the answer to 1a/4a does suggest a theme and there are quite a number of fish, fowl, animals and insects scattered through the solutions. Well done, Jeemz – shame you couldn’t find an opportunity to insert a Q – I think you’d have a pangram. (Unless, of course, omitting the Q is your Thing!)
Thanks Jeemz and to Stephen in advance
PostMark, I think I’d have needed a Jeemz in the grid too to have a pangram!
Ah yes. I thought I’d accounted for everything but there is no Z either. Quite close.
Thanks for the puzzle Jeemz, very entertaining.
My favourites were 14a, 6d and 21d.
Thanks in advance to Stephen.
That’s taken me a long time but I’ve learnt something new in the required definition of 6d – not one that’s crossed my path before today. Then I had a struggle counting up the themers, rather depends upon where you draw the line – are we to include ‘varieties of’ or not? In the end. I settled for 16 but I could be out by quite a way – I’ll be interested to see what Stephen has to say in his review.
Many thanks, Jeemz, that’s filled my afternoon rather nicely!
Can I put in a plea for any rookies or graduates of Rookie Corner to consider providing a puzzle for the Birthday Bash
I have crossword compiler software and can print pdf and word formats but as much notice as possible would be appreciated
In the past we have had a themed NTSPP on the day and other puzzles have been collated into a special puzzle series and if we get enough puzzles I will be looking for bloggers to do a blog for each of them
Offers to set or blog these puzzles to the birthday bash post here; https://bigdave44.com/2024/11/18/a-date-for-your-diary/
Lots of stuff going on here but managed to find time for this one. So glad we did as it was great fun.
Thanks Jeemz.
I found the bottom half a bit chewier than the top but got it all eventually. I hadn’t encountered the slang(?) for ‘bailiffs’ before and I thought ‘ail’ for ‘smart’ was stretching things a bit. ‘Other parent’ in 6dn was a nice bit of misdirection that had me guessing for a while.
Thanks, Jeemz and StephenL.
Many thanks everybody for your comments and to Stephen for the excellent review, clarifying everything.
There are, arguably, 28 different creatures – if you count as two each of the overlaps: fLAMBEEd MAMMOTH BEAGLES, and one obscure ancient Egyptian term for an elephant -YEB in eYEBrow !
This was a bedtime solve for me last night, and happily it didn’t occasion any nightmares (if it had that would have provided another ‘caged animal’!). I didn’t spot the theme last night, and when I looked again this morning I was too busy seeking a pangram to notice the clever theme that went with 1a/4a. I did wonder if it was to be a (jeem)Z-less pangram but a Q was also lacking. The ‘vestment’ and the synonym for ‘bailiffs’ were a novelty for me. Late night ticks were awarded to 18a, 3d & 7d, but on second viewing many more could have been ticked.
Thanks, Jeemz, for a finely constructed puzzle, and my thanks to StephenL for his insights.
Many thanks for the review, Stephen. It would seem that both you and the setter were far more ‘elastic’ when it came to adding up all the creatures! Having said that, I’d never have got the Egyptian elephant!