A Puzzle by Chalicea
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
A friendly crossword with a ghost theme – it could only be the work of Chalicea. I have not illustrated all the themed items, just in case anyone was wondering
Across
6a Befuddled eloper taking in a person released conditionally (7)
PAROLEE: An anagram (befuddled) of ELOPER into which is inserted (taking in) A (from the clue)
7a Flog book on Irish church (5)
BIRCH: Abbreviations for Book, Irish and church
9a Little finger not at first stained with writing liquid (4)
INKY: A little finger without the first letter
10a Twisted old scrawls ranking above all others (5-5)
WORLD-CLASS: An anagram (twisted) of OLD SCRAWLS
11a Purchase, we're told, jewelled figure of the dragon slayer: fancy that! (2,6)
BY GEORGE: A homophone (we’re told) of purchase and what the BRB defines as the jewelled figure of the saintly dragon slayer worn by Knights of the Garter
13a Cause annoyance; colonise north instead of south (6)
NETTLE: Change the compass point at the start of a synonym for colonise from South to North
15a Feebly flap piece of bunting (4)
FLAG: Double definition
17a Hinder husband with sharpness (5)
HEDGE: The abbreviation for Husband and sharpness or keenness
18a Casually investigate rejection of unserviceable ship (4)
SUSS: The reversal (rejection) of the abbreviation meaning unserviceable followed by an abbreviated ship
19a Lamming sound; leaders of ragtime artists tentative talent and teamwork (3-3)
RAT-TAT: Lamming is part of a verb meaning to beat or attack. The ‘leaders’ of Ragtime Artists Tentative Talent And Teamwork
20a Girl you might pick in 17 down (8)
ROSEMARY: A girl’s name or something that you might pick in the garden, although I would not keep it in a 17d
23a Large outdoor signposts; do they tell you William is getting on? (10)
BILLBOARDS: Split 4,6, these signposts might tell you that William was getting on (a train perhaps)
26a Race son encountered coming back (4)
STEM: The abbreviation for son and a reversal (coming back) of a synonym for encountered
27a Greek fool's an informer (5)
GRASS: The IVR Code for Greece and a fool
28a No sense about unity (7)
ONENESS: An anagram (about) of NO SENSE
Down
1d Ancient city to stay in readiness, one says, for this system of measurement (4,6)
TROY WEIGHT: An ancient city and a homophone (one says) of stay in readiness
2d Force to reduce level of river (6)
FLOWER: The symbol for Force and a verb meaning to reduce level
3d Starts paring each angular rim for an ovate brilliant (4)
PEAR: An oval-shaped brilliant gem – the starts of Paring Each Angular Rim
4d Conformity of adult AC/DC ball (8)
ABIDANCE: The abbreviation for Adult, a more formal way of saying AC/DC and a ball
5d Boundless optimism in speech (4)
ORAL: The inside letters (boundless) of optimism
6d Cooking utensils necessary ultimately for bit of a sissy (5)
PANSY: Some cooking utensils and the ultimate letter of necessarY
8d Difficulties - possesses less, bottom to top (7)
HASSLES: Possesses and LESS (from the clue) where the bottom letter moves to the top
12d The Spanish and the German ancestor (5)
ELDER: Definite articles in Spanish and German
14d Time to question teacher, one who enforces hard, continuous work (10)
TASKMASTER: The abbreviation for Time, a verb meaning to question and a male teacher
16d Conveying heavy metallic element in grams (7)
LEADING: A heavy metallic element, IN (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Grams
17d Educate intensively to a precocious level in this tropical conservatory (8)
HOTHOUSE: Double definition
21d Scheme's unusually messy, involving leader of trouble-making (6)
SYSTEM: The leader of Trouble-making inserted into an anagram (unusually) of MESSY
22d On the radio learns about thin metal parts inserted into instruments (5)
REEDS: A homophone (on the radio) of learns about
24d The French with a fine pair of book pages (4)
LEAF: The French definite article, A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Fine
25d Little marsupial with tense tooth part (4)
ROOT: A small marsupial and the abbreviation for Tense
There are two more words that also connect to the theme, not included in the grid above that Chalicea included when she sent the crossword to Mr K
What a delightful start to the New NTSPP Year with no caffeine required!
Big smiles for 9a, 11a, and 14d.
There seems to be a horticultural theme for which I have 14 ‘members’ but I could have been led up the garden path!
Big thanks to Chalicea and in advance to CS.
Typical Chalicea! Light, great fun, and lots of clues where the wordplay leads to the solution followed by copious use of the BRB to confirm various synonyms (which, of course, were all present and correct!)
Despite the BRB saying 23a is “chiefly N American”, I am in no doubt that it is wholly N American.
My podium selection is 9a, 27a & 4d.
Many thanks to Chalicea and in advance to CS.
A very enjoyable puzzle to solve while I defrosted in the gatehouse after a morning teeing off those daft enough to want to play golf on a frozen course.
Thanks Chalicea
As Senf mentioned, there was definitely a horticultural theme in evidence here but hard to speculate exactly how many answers fit the theme, depends upon how loosely our setter is applying the term.
Top two for me were 9&11a which both raised a smile.
Thanks to Chalicea for a very approachable NTSPP.
Thanks for the puzzle Chalicea. Very light but very enjoyable.
I agree with Senf as I too found 14 entries for the horticultural theme in this NTSPP by Chalicea
Enjoyable puzzle with smiles for 11a, 19a, 23a & 1d
Thanks to Chalicea & CS
An absolute joy to solve with our Sunday breakfast. And then the revisiting to find all the theme answers.
Thanks Chalicea.
Thanks, folks.I am glad you are enjoying it. I think finding 14 is pretty good solving. A Happy New Year to all.
An enjyable and fairly quick solve, with a theme that was easy to spot. Thanks, Chalicea and CS.
Many thanks, CS. Your lovely illustrations left little doubt about the theme!
It appears Chalicea has found inspiration for this puzzle in her garden. In a gentle stroll around we discover she has a pond (22d) and, perhaps, a rather neglected corner (13a)? Otherwise a very orderly collection of both plants and clues, my favourite being the prickly 13a.
My thanks to Chalicea, and to CS for her cornucopian review.
All 14 present and correct!
Thanks to CS for the review and thanks once again to Chalicea for a very enjoyable challenge.
Many thanks for the review, CS. I did dither over whether to include 17&21d but eventually decided against it. I also wondered why she was keeping her 20a in a 17d.
Thanks again to Chalicea for another of her Saturday themers.