A Puzzle by Zorro
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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.
Welcome back to Zorro. Often after a long period of absence, a setter returns with a puzzle disappoints as lessons learned have been forgotten. In Zorro’s case, this has not happened and it is their best crossword to date. As the commentometer reads as 0.5/28 or 1.8%, I think Zorro has earned a place in the pantheon of the NTSPP.
Across
7a Power and elegance secure gold for natural swimmer (8)
PORPOISE: The abbreviation for power and a five-letter word for elegance include (secure) the two-letter heraldic term for gold.
9a “To which individual do you refer? Our mutual ursine acquaintance?” as Owl might say – what a bright bird! (6)
HOOPOE: A homophone (might say) of WHO (to which individual do you refer) POOH (our mutual ursine acquaintance as Owl might say. Whilst the clue works, the verbosity of it, is in complete contrast with the concise nature of the remaining clues.
10a “OMG” from before our time, say (4)
EGAD: Before the abbreviation for anno domini (our time) add the abbreviation for “for example” (say).
11a Sewer rat messes about with bit of sludge (10)
SEAMSTRESS: An anagram (about) of RAT MESSES followed by the first letter (a bit) of sludge.
12a Fix hard case, cutting right side of face (6)
ATTACH: A seven-letter word for a hard type of briefcase with the final E (right side of face) removed (cutting).
14a It might cover bottom of lake, going after fish (8)
LINGERIE: A four-letter name of a North American lake after a four-letter word for a fish.
15a Ah! _____ worked to become polymath with origin in Egypt? (7)
PTOLEMY: An anagram (worked) of AH plus the solution would give you POLYMATH E (the origin of Egypt).
17a Hughes finally picked up award for verse (7)
STROPHE: The final letter of Hughes followed by a homophone (picked up) of trophy (award).
20a Held back by moss, a grass or a seaweed? (8)
SARGASSO: The answer his hidden and reversed (held back by) in the forth to sixth words of the clue.
22a Aeroplane toilet occupied by a German (6)
BOEING: A three-letter slang term for a toilet includes (occupied) by the German for a.
23a Tear portion of delicate material (10)
LACERATION: Split 4,6, the answer could be a portion of delicate material from a place such as Honiton.
24a Con artist’s beginning in East End district, ripping off large number (4)
HOAX: The first letter (beginning) of artist inside the six-letter name of an East End district with the word TON removed from it (ripping off large number).
25a Bankrupt the French business (6)
BUSTLE: A four-letter word meaning bankrupt followed by the French masculine singular for the.
26a Honey pot emptied messily by Eeyore at first – he lacks experience (8)
NEOPHYTE: An anagram (messily) of HONEY PT (pot emptied) by the initial letter (at first) of Eeyore.
Down
1d Fake breast? Never mind! (6,2)
FORGET IT: A five-letter meaning fake followed by a three-letter word for a breast.
2d Political adviser may be cause of complete train wreck (4)
SPAD: Double definition, the second being the abbreviation for signal passed at danger.
3d In Primark it’s cheap and trashy (6)
KITSCH: The answer is hidden (in) in the second to fourth words of the clue.
4d Fruit seen under box tree (8)
CHESTNUT: A three-letter word for a fruit such as an almond underneath a five-letter word for a box.
5d Bewildered crossword enthusiasts initially scour OED: something for compiler to work on? (6,4)
SOURCE CODE: An anagram (bewildered) of CE (crossword enthusiasts initially) SCOUR OED.
6d Raised one like toff, resulting in diminutive growth (6)
BONSAI: A reversal of the letter representing one, a two letter word meaning like and a three-letter word for a toff.
8d Correspondence from Dorothy’s aunt distresses (6)
EMAILS: The two-letter name of Dorothy’s aunt in the Wizard of Oz followed by a four-letter word meaning distresses.
13d Moving rather briskly? Every wading bird has to (10)
ALLEGRETTO: A three-letter word meaning every followed by a five-letter name of a wading bird and the TO from the clue.
16d Ill-judged spray tan, essentially, on Barbie’s man (8)
MISTAKEN: A four-letter word for spray followed by the middle letter (essentially) of tan and the name of Barbie’s squeeze.
18d Gathering of birds before ringing procedure? (3,5)
HEN PARTY: Cryptic definition of the bride’s pre-wedding bash.
19d Weirdo ingesting titanium as cosmetic application (6)
LOTION: A four-letter word for a weirdo includes (ingesting) the chemical symbol for titanium.
21d One can count on this unending support in an unfortunate situation, primarily (6)
ABACUS: A four-letter word meaning support with the final letter removed (unending) inside the initial letters (primarily) of an unfortunate situation.
22d Thump goon regularly on the nose (4,2)
BANG ON: A four-letter word meaning thump followed by the even letters (regularly) of goon.
24d Ditch leader of hip Norwegian band (2-2)
HA-HA: The first letter (leader) of hip followed by the three-letter name of a Norwegian band.
Thanks Zorro. This one was quite a head scratcher with ‘checking after entering’ to get across the finishing line.
Smiles for 7a, 9a – even if it is a War and Peace clue, 22a, 6d, 13d, and 22d.
A few for which I will await the wisdom of Prolixic to understand the parsing.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Thank you, Senf!
We had to work hard in places and had to search online to learn 2d that was totally new to us.
Quite a bit of GK required and some clever wordplay. We’ll go with 1d as our favourite.
Thanks Zorro.
Thank you, 2Kiwis!
This started off quite friendly and then I had to work, especially on the RH side to get a completed grid.
My favourite was 18d
Many thanks Zorro and, in advance, to Prolixic
Thank you, crypticsue!
Tricky in places but an enjoyable puzzle – many thanks to Zorro.
The clues I liked included 10a, 14a. 5d and 22d with my favourite being 18d.
More like this please.
Thank you, Gazza!
Welcome back to Rookie Corner, Zorro. It’s been a very long time since your previous appearance, just over four years!
This was an enjoyable solve despite, as others have said, being tough in places, more so than your previous puzzles if my memory serves me correctly.
9a & 15a were both clever but not to my taste. The former was too wordy (although the surface was excellent) and, in the case of the latter, I don’t particularly like clues where the answer is a missing word.
My podium selection is 10a, 18d & 22d.
Many thanks, Zorro, and please don’t leave it so long before your next puzzle. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
Thank you, Rabbit Dave! Yes, it’s been a long time. I have another that’s almost good to go (although I shall await any further feedback, including Prolixic’s, on this one before I sign it off).
I suspected the ‘War and Peace clue’ (as Senf put it) would be controversial, but it got a couple of smiles at least! It was a last-minute replacement for a rather more succint but scatological one that I cold feet about…
* got cold feet about…
Hi Zorro, thanks for the puzzle. A bit tricky in places, but enjoyable. Podium places for me were 22a, 13d, and 16d.
It’s unfortunate in 22d that part of the answer appears in the word play (immediately after the part clueing it too), because it’s otherwise an excellent clue.
Thanks again, and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Thank you, Duncan!
Yes, good point about 22d.
Welcome back, Zorro.
Mostly this was very good indeed, but the self-indulgently wordy 9a gets a big thumbs down, unfortunately. I had similar thoughts to Duncan about 22d and, although nobody else has mentioned it, surely 20a doesn’t work as a “lurker”, as two of the letters are in the wrong place?
The top three clues for me were 24a, 16d and 18d.
Excellent stuff, congratulations and many thanks, Zorro.
20a is a reverse lurker.
So it is! Thanks, Gazza!
Thank you, silvanus!
You had me worried there for a moment about 20a! Point taken about 9a…
Well that made up for the absence of a Toughie puzzle on a Monday. I really enjoyed it but found it hard going up north. I wasn’t familiar with the bird so had the wrong vowel at the end of 9a & the parsing of a number escape me too so will await the review. I particularly liked 7,10,14&26a + 3,4,13,18&22d.
Many thanks Zorro
Thank you, Huntsman! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Found this very hard in places which reduced the enjoyment factor significantly for me but I suppose that’s my problem. My favourite clue was 7a and I also ticked the ‘war & peace’ clue and the cheeky 22a, along with 1,6&22d.
Thanks to Zorro, a little dialling down would be appreciated next time!
Thank you, Jane! I will take that on board, although I think I find it hard to assess the difficulty of my own clues. I hope you find my next one more enjoyable.
Thank you to Prolixic and to all of you who spend time having a go at the Rookie puzzles and providing feedback. It’s been a great way to learn the ropes and practise!
Well done & congrats on your promotion
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. I certainly needed it this time to sort out a couple of bits of parsing and confirm the odd unknown. Congratulations to Zorro, I look forward to your NTSPP debut with some trepidation……..