A Puzzle by Chalicea
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
I will be interested to read whether other solvers thought this NTSPP from Chalicea was a bit trickier than her ‘usual’
I didn't think there was a theme until I saw the completed grid which Chalicea sent to MrK when she submitted this crossword for publication. Have a look at the end of the blog
Across
1a Shift magic influence (5)
SPELL: A shift or turn at work; a magic influence
4a Top journalist backing fundraiser, reaped reward (9)
BENEFITED: An abbreviated top journalist goes after (backing) a fundraiser
9a Is artist ancient priest? One from the Middle East (7)
ISRAELI: IS (from the clue), an abbreviated artist and the usual Old Testament priest
10a Instructor's skill recollected in Boston's hospital department (7)
TRAINER: A reversal (recollected) of a skill, IN (from the clue) and the way someone from Boston, Massachusetts would refer to a particular hospital department
11a After short time oddly turns to horse (5)
MOUNT: A short period of time and the odd letters of tUrNs To
13a Approach to house of medic, one very English (5)
DRIVE: An abbreviated medic, the Roman numeral for one and abbreviations for Very and English
15a Sly insect (3)
FLY: Double definition
16a Born person unique in her way, with no limits (3)
NEE: Thank you Rabbit Dave - "one-er" minus its two outside letters with the "in her way" simply reinforcing the gender of the answer
17a Mothers primarily active in East African pastoral folk (5)
MASAI: Some informal mothers and the primary letters of Active In
19a Colour of plain loaf regularly cooked at first (5)
LILAC: The regular letters of pLaIn LoAf followed by the first letter of Cooked
21a Produce road traffic sign (5)
YIELD: Produce or a North American road sign we’d refer to as Give Way
23a Ancient Roman official, a guru in a turmoil (5)
AUGUR: A (from the clue) and an anagram (in a turmoil) of GURU
24a Given to drinking, we get tipsy initially (3)
WET: WE (from the clue) and the initial letter of Tipsy
25a Like lodgings mostly (3)
DIG: Remove the final letter from some informal lodgings to get an old slang word meaning to like or approve
26a Fibre of timber originally used maladroitly (5)
OAKUM: A type of timber and the original letters of Used Maladroitly
28a Dance can go awry (5)
CONGA: An anagram (awry) of CAN GO
29a Opposed to aristocrat and old queen (7)
COUNTER: An aristocrat and the regnal cipher of our late Queen
31a Crowds run in skimpy underwear (7)
THRONGS: The cricket abbreviation for run inserted into some skimpy underwear
33a Confidence of devious Russian ace I ignored (9)
ASSURANCE: An anagram (devious) of RUSSiAN ACE ignoring the I
34a Little people returning, use time boundlessly (5)
MITES: Reverse (returning) the inside letters (boundlessly) of uSE TIMe
Down
1d Unfinished symphonies about taxes raised to construct fleet (4,5)
SHIP MONEY: Remove the last letter (unfinished) of SYMPHONIEs to get a historical tax imposed by the sovereign to build a fleet of ships. I altered the enumeration as these days it isn't all one word. It would appear Charles I had his own ideas as to how the word should be spelled although if you think about words such as parsimony and alimony, he was probably right!
2d Ten euro mishandled on the road (2,5)
EN ROUTE: An anagram (mishandled) of TEN EURO
3d Untruth's endlessly repugnant (3)
LIE: An adjective meaning strange or repugnant without its ‘ends’
4d Sent an account, we hear, for physical structure (5)
BUILD: A homophone (we hear) of sent an account requesting payment
5d Anxiety now and then for idiot (3)
NIT: The even (now and then) letters of aNxIeTy
6d Celebrity involving Republican plan (5)
FRAME: Celebrity or renown into which is inserted (involving) the abbreviation for Republican
7d Melodious lute, fun properly organised (7)
TUNEFUL: An anagram (properly organised) of LUTE FUN
8d Bred preposterous pony finally for horse race (5)
DERBY: An anagram (preposterous) of BRED followed by the final letter of ponY
12d Stupid Italian turns up, showing lack of confidence (5)
TIMID: A reversal (turned up) of a synonym for stupid and an abbreviation for Italian
14d Committing murder in Baltimore, taking risks removing dead (5)
ICING: Taking risks without the abbreviation for Dead at the start of the word
18d Special discussion's main supporting structure (5)
STALK: The abbreviation for Special and a discussion
19d Part of fairly rich song text (5)
LYRIC: Hidden in part of fairLY RICh
20d Archaists misrepresented purging of emotional tensions (9)
CATHARSIS: An anagram (misrepresented) of ARCHAISTS
22d Urge trophies as containers for breakfast items (7)
EGGCUPS: A verb meaning to urge and some trophies
24d Small metal fastener to secure good new huts essentially (7)
WINGNUT: A verb meaning to secure, the abbreviations for Good and New and the ‘essential’ letters of hUTs
25d Chief academician going after deserted area for country retreat (5)
DACHA: Abbreviations for Deserted and Area, CHief and Academician
26d Dirty dog decapitated water creature (5)
OTTER: Remove the letter at the ‘head’ (decapitated) of a thoroughly depraved or worthless person (dirty dog)
27d Assembled concerning base SI unit (5)
METRE: Assembled, concerning or on the subject of
30d Game knight's rush for payment (3)
RUN: An abbreviated game and the chess abbreviation for knight
32d Outer limit of endless crime (3)
RIM: cRIMe without its outside letters (endless)
This was a delightful NTSPP albeit one with a US flavour, references to which were well indicated where necessary apart from 21a and perhaps also the spelling of 4a, which to me (but not to the BRB) looks American.
I’d never heard of 1d, but on the subject of the BRB, this gives the enumeration as (4,5).
There seemed to be quite a bit of chopping off of both ends of words: “with no limits”, “boundlessly”, “endlessly” and “endless”.
Doubtless there is a theme in there somewhere, but I can’t spot it.
Many thanks to Chalicea for the fun.
That was fun, no caffeine required! Still looking for a theme.
I agree with RD on enumeration of 1d, a rare error by the Floughie Lady(?), and on the ‘nationality’ (although North American might be more appropriate) of 21a.
Smiles for 1a, 26a, 31a, 18d, 22d, and 26d.
Thanks to Chalicea and, in advance, to CS.
Do you “give way” in Canada as we do in the UK, rather than “yield” as they do in the USA?
Sadly, we ‘yield’ although the sign is just the inverted triangle, no word, while the US sign does have ‘Y***D’ on it.
Can’t see a theme either & agree re 1d’s enumeration. As enjoyable as ever.
Thanks Chalicea
Thoroughly enjoyable solving experience as ever. It mist be tricky to find interesting ways to clue three letter words and this grid has eight of them.
Thanks Chalicea.
Many thanks for the review, CS, and well done on spotting the theme.
I parsed 16a slightly differently. I took it as “one-er” minus its two outside letters with the “in her way” simply reinforcing the gender of the answer.
P.S. The answer to 5d is not hidden.
Firstly, as you will see from the introduction, I didn’t actually spot the theme!
Secondly, I didn’t really understand 16a so I have altered the hint to match your parsing.
Thirdly, I have hidden the solution to 5d
Thank you
Am I being more dense than usual? I’m still unsure of the theme even with the themers highlighted
Under the grid it says that the highlighted words are all actions
So it does – d’oh
Many thanks for the review, CS, and also thanks to RD for the parsing of 16a which had me fooled. Could someone also be kind enough to help me out with the ‘rush for payment’. Unusually for a Chalicea compilation, I thought the theme was a little weak but I suppose it gets very difficult to come up with a new one for every occasion.
Rush for payment is one of the definitions in the BRB
Thanks, Sue, I’ve now found that in the BRB. I thought perhaps it related to a runner on a film crew but it’s apparently more to do with a bank – wouldn’t have thought of that one!
“A bit trickier than her usual”? Not here; I simply whizzed through this in a very few minutes. Didn’t spot the theme, though.
Thanks, Chalicea and CS.
Thanks all and especially crypticsue. Yes this was a pretty obscure theme and apologies for the 1d enumeration. I have far more obvious themes in the next ones – themes you can’t fail to spot – now there’s a challenge!
We failed to find a theme and definitely found it trickier than usual for a Chalicea puzzle so we were pleased to read the review. Thank you CS. We look forward to your next crossword, Chalicea.
In response to CS, the only thing I found trickier than usual was figuring out what words were ‘limited’ or ‘endless’ to derive a couple of the three-word answers, and I never did come up with anything satisfactory for 16a! That said, spotting a theme was most definitely tricky, and ideas about irritating insects and modes of travel didn’t lead very far. I’ll look forward to spotting (or perhaps not spotting?) the advertised obvious ones in future editions…
My favourite clue was 31a for the amusing image engendered by the surface reading.
Many thanks to Chalicea and to CS.