A Puzzle by Buddy
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
A very warm welcome to Buddy who makes his debut in the NTSPP spot. He's given us an excellent puzzle to mark the occasion so thanks to him.
Across
1a Small firm abandons New York for Connecticut (7)
COMPACT: A word for firm as a noun has the state abbreviation for New York replaced by that of Connecticut
5a Conspirator inspired by putsch emerges (7)
SCHEMER: Hidden (inspired by)
10a Every so often, Annabelle retires to rest (4)
LEAN: Occasional letters of ANnAbElLe when reversed (retires).
11a Unthinking destruction of a calm niche (10)
MECHANICAL: Anagram (destruction of) the following three words
12a Lots of strong wind in Oregon? Just the reverse! (6)
GALORE: Insert the state abbreviation for ORegon into another word for a strong wind, which is the opposite (just the reverse) of the wordplay
13a Endless austerity suggested (8)
IMPLICIT: Remove the first and last letters from a synonym of austerity in the sense of plainness. To me, endless suggests a removal of the final letter but I've seen it used for first and last.
14a State of North Dakota replacing Alabama in alliance (9)
CONDITION: A synonym of alliance with the state abbreviation for Alabama replaced by that of North Dakota. There's a bit of a theme emerging here!
16a How a terrarium is filled? Not with this! (5)
WATER: Hidden (is filled) in the first three words of the clue.
17a Historically significant album <i>London Calling</i> initially reviewed as "noise" (5)
CLASH: The initial letters of the first 5 words of the clue all reversed (reviewed). Clever clue, the album was widely acclaimed for fine tracks like this so apposite wordplay.
19a Dispute Chinese claim about Norway (9)
CHALLENGE: The abbreviation for CHinese plus a synonym of claim into which is inserted the abbreviation for Norway
23a Agenda to get rid of Christmas announced (8)
SCHEDULE: Homophones of synonyms of get rid of or cast and an informal word for the Christmas season
24a Soldier at border composing song of praise (6)
ANTHEM: One of Crosswordland’s favourite “soldiers” and a border (on a skirt maybe). I guess composing is linking wordplay to definition
26a Attributes supporting a secure society (10)
PROPERTIES: A three-letter word for in favour of, a synonym of A in the sense for each and one of secure as a verb. Append the abbreviation for Society.
27a Sad to say, US state lacks spirit (4)
ALAS: Another US state loses an ancient Egyptian “spirit”
28a Emit dark energy (7)
SECRETE: A synonym of dark in the sense of hidden and the abbreviation for Energy
29a Rather regularly lionise The Bard (7)
INSTEAD: Alternate letters of the last three words of the clue.
Down
2d Gastronome can be found mixing dashes of marjoram, sage and thyme with this herb (7)
OREGANO: Remove the initial letters of the three herbs from the first word of the solution and anagram what remains. Very clever
3d Go quickly back to horse (5)
PINTO: A synonym of go quickly reversed and TO from the clue
4d Observe Frenchmen with nurse in bed (7)
COMMENT: Abbreviation for Monsieur X2 plus an Enrolled Nurse inside a (child’s) bed.
6d Rotten fish delivered (6)
CRAPPY: Homophone (delivered) of a North American fresh water fish
7d Reject boring hotel - I'm in a tent! (9)
ELIMINATE: Our third (and very good) hidden clue (boring)
8d Research, direct from America, concerned with origin of exoplanets (7
EXAMINE: If we split the first four letters of the solution 2,2 we have “direct from America”. We then need a preposition that could mean concerned with plus the initial letter of Exoplanets.
9d Initially held incommunicado inside Czech prison, suffering with psychosis (13)
SCHIZOPHRENIC: The initial (my repetition radar has just bleeped) letters of Held Incommunicado inserted into an anagram (suffering) of the previous two words.
15d Could this method of painting go viral? (9)
DISTEMPER: Cryptic/double definition
18d Pike and sea-eagle share last of scarce alfalfa (7)
LUCERNE: A pike found in the northern hemisphere and a sea-eagle share the final letter of scarcE.
20d Big cat devours top-notch special agent (7)
LIAISON: A big cat that you wouldn't want to encounter when hungry goes around an abbreviation for top-notch. Append one for Special.
21d Small bomb nearly reaches heart of relaxed island nation (7)
GRENADA: All but the last letter of a hand-held bomb and the middle letter of relAxed.
22d Almost return defective tee and tank top (6)
TURRET: Anagram (defective) of RETURn plus T. Shame to have almost and nearly in successive clues but a nicely hidden anagram.
25d Feature of bird enthralling artist (5)
TRAIT: One of crosswordland's favourite birds goes around the standard artist.
Very enjoyable lunchtime entertainment with a definite US flavour (or should that be flavor?) – thanks to Buddy.
I didn’t know the 6d fish or the 18d alfalfa but the ever-reliable Mrs Bradford did.
My ticks went to 14a, 23a, 26a and 7d.
No caffeine required! But, I did need to verify 18d. A very enjoyable start to my Saturday.
Smiles for 16a, 24a, 7d, and the aforementioned 18d.
Thanks Buddy for a very commendable first NTSPP and thanks in advance to StephenL(?)
Mostly lunchtime-friendly, but I did have to check the fish – I did know the alfalfa
Thanks Buddy – welcome to the NTSPP – and in advance, to Stephen
This American-flavoured puzzle was a superb debut in the NTSPP slot, Buddy. It was certainly challenging but very enjoyable indeed.
There were lots of American states on show, but these are easy fodder now for us Brits who have been immersed in them for years of cruciverbal entertainment. The only reference I can find to CH meaning Chinese is in Collins which says it is an American abbreviation. Oddly, I have heard of Alfalfa (which the dictionaries say is American) but not to the answer to 18d (which is given as the British equivalent)! I’ve never heard of the fish in 6d (which the BRB says is American) nor the alternative name for pike in 18d.
I had a plethora of ticked clues, with my top picks of those being 1a, 13a, 14a, 28a, 4d & 9d.
Many thanks, Buddy, and please keep them coming. I am certainly happy with this level of Americanisation if that’s the price for such good puzzles!
Thanks all for the comments so far. Dave, my Chambers has CH = Chinese (I can assure you that any abbreviation I use has been Chambers-approved).
Indeed it does. I tend to use the Chambers app, for which it is important to check all the entries. I omitted to do so today. Mea culpa.
In this case, there are three separate entries: ch/CH Ch./ch. and c.h. Chinese appears under Ch. and not ch/CH
Found this to be quite hard work and I didn’t know either the 18d pike or the 6d fish. Still not sure where the ‘h’ comes from in 17a nor what’s historically significant about it so I shall await Stephen’s review with interest. Will also mute the sound on my laptop in case he decides to play a track from the album!
Thanks to Buddy for the American brain stretching.
Jane, so you don’t have to wait for tomorrow’s review, the answer to 17a is a reversal (“reviewed”) of the first letters (“initially”) of the first five words of the clue.
Many thanks, RD. I thought our setter was perhaps extoling the virtues of the band!
Oh, trust me, I was extolling virtues!!
That was fun. We also were unfamiliar with the 6d fish but got it with a guess and a check.
Thanks and well done Buddy.
Thanks for the puzzle Buddy, I enjoyed it. I also didn’t know the alfalfa or various fishes, but figured out the answers anyway. Podium places for 1a, 17a and 23a.
Thanks again and in advance to StephenL.
Welcome to NTSPP Buddy. Thanks for an enjoyable puzzle. Did not know the fish or the album but remember discovering that Lucerne was another name for alfalfa after investigating what it was after reading Catch 22. Favourite clue was 22a.
A bit of a 19ac as some of the answers took a bit of teasing out but I got there in the end although I needed to check the fish at 6dn which I’d never heard of, and I couldn’t parse 13ac. However, I did know both names of the plant in 18dn (an interesting clue with two synonyms leading to a third). Favourite was my first one in, 1ac.
Thanks, Buddy and StephenL.
Many thanks for the review, Stephen and I did remember to turn the sound down before reading it. Sorry, Buddy, but it was a dreadful racket to me!
Forgot to mention my top three in yesterday’s comment – they were 1&14a plus 4d.
Well done, Buddy, on your NTSPP debut.
A bit of Sunday fun for me. I too had to check the fish and alfalfa.
Favourites were 16a, 17a, 15d & 22d — with 22d the winner
Thanks to Buddy & StephenL
Had to set this puzzle aside due to a busy weekend, but it was worth the wait. A good debut in the NTSPP slot, Buddy, with some very nice surface readings. There are several ticks are on my printout – both of the ‘stately’ clues, 1a & 14a, 13a, 28a, 29a & the ambitious 9d. I had heard of the 6d ‘fish’ and the 18d ‘alfalfa’, the latter in a previous crossword encounter, but the ‘pike’ in the 18d wordplay was new to me. Despite the American flavour of the puzzle, the pronunciation of 23a has to be British to work – apparently I am used to the Americanised version as the clue didn’t work for me at first! My excuse is that I worked with many colleagues from the USA, and also lived in the States for a few years.
My thanks to Buddy, and also to StephenL.