A Puzzle by Madcap
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Following his appearance in the Independent on the 5th November, Madcap now moves to my "side" of the NTSPP blogging rota. This puzzle took me a bit longer than ‘lunchtime’ to solve but I enjoyed both the solve and the preparing of the review
Acriss
1a See 29a
5a Peter out of amateur cup (7)
ATROPHY: The abbreviation for Amateur and a cup
10a Unconscionable odour returned then left (6)
AMORAL: A reversal (returned) of an odour followed by the abbreviation for Left
11a Noggin’s contents emptied and poured into crushed ice - not for a child! (8)
INNOCENT: The outside letters (contents emptied) of NoggiN inserted (poured) into an anagram (crushed) of ICE
12a Behind rate having lost second half (3)
ASS: The first half of a verb meaning to rate
13a Twist over, very briefly disturbing one in bed (6)
OLIVER: The cricket abbreviation for Over followed by the abbreviation (briefly) for Very inserted into (disturbing) someone in a bed
14a He makes a mockery of day I reported joint (8)
SATIRIST: An abbreviated day, I (from the clue) and a homophone (reported) of a joint
15a American from the French Lieutenant’s Woman perhaps (5)
ADULT: The abbreviation for American, the French word for from and an abbreviated lieutenant
16a Has this member of parliament been suspended? (6,3)
BARRED OWL: The name of this member of parliament would infer that it had been suspended or excluded
19a Spooner says, “Cry, my girl, you’re in trouble in here” (4,5)
DEEP WATER: This sounds like the Reverend has mangled a verb meaning to weep and his female child
21a Like being in bed? Take it easy (5)
COAST: A synonym for like inserted into a bed
24a Theatre writer is taking part in a barn dance (8)
BARBICAN: A brand of ballpoint pen is taking part in an anagram (dance) of A BARN
26a Scrooge is having no part in celebration - grouch (6)
MISERY: A tight-fisted person (Scrooge) and a celebration without the PART
27a I say nothing (3)
EGO: Abbreviated for example (say) and the letter representing nothing
28a Is copper in bits and maybe crackers? (8)
BISCUITS: IS (from the clue) and the chemical symbol for copper inserted into BITS (from the clue)
29a &1a. 1 + 1 = ? (3,3,3,4)
ONE AND THE SAME: Write out the first number in full, add a conjunction indicating addition (+) and then describe what the second instance of one is to the first
30a I’m telling you the way to go is… protein shake! (7)
POINTER: An anagram (shake) of PROTEIN
31a Quietly intimate who shortly is agent to be sent back (7)
WHISPER: Truncate (shortly) WHo, add IS (from the clue) and reverse (is sent back) an abbreviated agent
Down
2d Mortified when nasty smell leaked out (7)
HUMBLED: A nasty smell and another way of saying leaked out
3d Drink is eating husband’s cirrhotic liver - dry out (7,2)
SHRIVEL UP: A verb meaning to drink is ‘eating’ the abbreviation for Husband an anagram (cirrhotic) of LIVER
4d Grinding teeth, wife accepts first signs of open love affair (6)
MOLARS: The title of a wife ‘accepts’ the first ‘signs’ of Open Love Affair
6d Extract in C follows Tchaikovsky’s first overture? (8)
TINCTURE: IN C (from the clue) follows the first letter of Tchaikovsky and then goes ‘over’ TURE
7d Take place in upwardly-mobile business supported by loathsome character (5)
OCCUR: A reversal (upwardly-mobile) abbreviated business ‘supported’ by a loathsome character
8d Crewman caught sight of cutter (4,3)
HAND SAW: A member of a crew and a simple way of saying ‘caught sight of’
9d Young woman hoards shillings with ha’pennies, not one in bent condition (13)
MISSHAPENNESS: A young woman ‘hoards’ the abbreviation for Shilling and ha'pennes (not one telling you to omit the I)
17d What ultimately posers do flamboyantly is they make an entrance (9)
DOORSTEPS: An anagram (flamboyantly) of the ultimate letter of whaT and POSERS DO
18d Frost gets under raised crop – it’s terribly unjust (3,5)
WAR CRIME: A type of frost goes under a reversal (raised) of the crop of a fowl
20d Sincerely, is former lover perversely main love? (2,5)
EX ANIMO: A former lover, an anagram (perversely) of MAIN and the letter representing love
22d Unfamiliar stretch of road (7)
STRANGE: An abbreviated road and a stretch
23d Small insect circles round in flat (6)
SMOOTH: The abbreviation for Small and an insect ‘circles’ the round letter
25d Francis may be a bit of a ham (5)
BACON: The surname of Francis the philosopher and politician in the time of James I, or a bit of a ham
A tremendously entertaining puzzle – many thanks to Madcap.
I have masses of ticks on my paper including 5a, 13a, 16a, 26a, 27a, 29/1a and 6d (I love this type of clue though it usually gets a “Some editor’s don’t …” in Rookie Corner).
Caffeine most definitely required and using the ‘Check’ button on a regular basis plus some e-help to get across the finishing line.
I just hope that I have enough brain power left when I start on tomorrow’s Dada in around 10 hours time..
Smiles for 27a, 29a/1a, 31a, and 23a.
Thanks Madcap and thanks in advance to Stephen L.
Madcap became a nationally published setter last month so it will be me, not Stephen
Is he continuing to use Madcap as his pseudonym for his compilations for the national press?
Yes he is
Thanks Sue, I did not know that.
A P.S. to my comment – 16a was a little unfair as it is not a type of member of parliament found in Europe.
Phew! I could admire the vast majority of the clues, many of which were very clever indeed. However, I can’t say I found it much fun overall as it was so tough to crack.
One of my (many) foibles is that I like the stage to be set by getting hooked by the first across. That clearly couldn’t be the case here as it is the second part of a double clue.
I scanned the grid quickly and selected 12a as my first one to try to solve as it had a very short answer. My heart sank. Sigh! Another setter who uses the American spelling for the word for behind 👎. I remembered commenting on exactly that recently so checked back to find to my horror that it was in none other than Madcap’s previous NTSPP. That’s two transgressions! Three strikes and you’re out (as the Americans would say 😉).
I also don’t understand how cirrhotic can be an anagram indicator. These days, it seems that almost anything goes…
Having got those off my chest, there was certainly a great deal to like. The innovative 29a/1a was probably my favourite, and I also particularly liked 5a, 15a, 16a, 91a, 26a & 6d.
Many thanks, Madcap. Please dial back a little on the difficulty level next time.
PS. I’ve just seen CS’s comment above. Many congratulations, Madcap, on your well-deserved promotion.
Jeepers, I had my work cut out with this one! A lot of deep breathing and controlling of panic required to get me across the finish line with that wretched 9d being the last to fall – I have a real dislike of words that get ‘bits’ added onto them.
Top three for me were the suspended MP, the theatre writer and the policeman in a state.
Thanks for the work-out Madcap but a slightly lighter foot on the pedal would be appreciated next time.
Thanks for the puzzle Madcap.
Must be a wavelength thing, because I found that easier than today’s Telegraph back-pager.
Big smile for 29a/1a when the penny dropped, 19a and 21a were also excellent among many others.
Thanks again and in advance to CS.
Very late to this as we decided to do our Sunday morning walk to gird our loins for the battle. Glad that we did as it truly was a battle albeit a most enjoyable one. Really clever clues throughout so too difficult to pick a favourite.
Thanks Madcap.
Great stuff Madcap – if a pretty stiff challenge. There are still a couple of clues for which I await Cryptic Sue’s wisdom to explain the parsing. Lot’s of great and witty clues but my podium consists of 15 and 19a with 29/1a at the top of the pile. Congratulations from me too for reaching the highspot of national publication! Well deserved.
A most enjoyable puzzle from Madcap, the only problem with it being deciding which of the many ticked clues to award podium places to. Even after a ‘cull’ I have a double podium of 5, 11, 19, 29/1 across and 4, 23 down. I thought 19a was the best of that ilk I have seen in a while, and I really liked 29/1a although it had to wait until I had the 1a checkers in place. Like Gazza, I have a soft spot for the occasional ‘lift & separate’ however the surface reading kept 6d off my extended podium.
My thanks to both Madcap and CS. Congratulations, Mapcap, on your publication. I immediately looked on the website to see if I could download the puzzle but the free access only went back as far as November 15th. I guess a subscription would access the archive but the temptation of another archive of puzzles to solve is the last thing I need, especially with Christmas on the horizon!! Please do let us know when your next one appears…
Thanks for your supportive comments, Spartacus. Since you asked, I’m delighted to let you know that my second appearance on The Independent is this morning. See: https://puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/cryptic-crossword-independent
Madcap
Many thanks for the heads-up, Madcap. Your puzzle is duly captured and I shall look forward to solving it (hopefully!) when the fabulous festive family feasting is finished!
It took us a while to complete but we thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Thank you, Madcap. Favourite was 16a, closely followed by 18d and 11a. We look forward to more from you. Many thanks also to CS.
Many thanks for the review, CS, always good to be able to check my parsing attempts!