A Puzzle by Jeemz
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Jeemz fills this week's alternative exercise in lateral thinking with a clever and witty pangram so thanks to him.
Across
1a How to make baby owl panic? (5,1,6)
THROW A WOBBLY: Reverse anagram where the indicator and fodder are part of the solution. I like these and this is a good one.
8a Orders despatched by close of business on first of November (7)
NEATENS: A synonym of dispatched in the sense of food follows the first letter of November. Add the final letter of business.
9a Finally they amplify the volume (7)
ADDENDA: Cryptic and extended definition, the volume being a book
11a Pupil is part of this study party (7)
EYEBALL: Synonyms of study as a verb and a (dance) party
12a Sight of see-saw by the sound of it (7)
EYESORE: An informal synonym of see and a homophone of saw. Unusual to take a homophone of a word in the clue rather than a synonym of it. Well disguised definition though.
13a On reflection much of hairshirt penitence is futile (5)
INEPT: Hidden and reversed (on reflection/much of)
14a Protection from potentially nasty fate - eye-opener for 23 (6,3)
SAFETY NET: Anagram of NASTY FATE with the initial letter of Eye replacing the abbreviation for the solution of 23. To me, a bit of a stretch to expect the solver to take the abbreviation for 23.
16a Simply, cleaner's uniform's unusually lousy (9)
VACUOUSLY: An informal cleaner, the abbreviation for Uniform and an anagram of LOUSY. Some editors may make you account for the possessive S in the clue.
19a Opening round's best bits regularly shown (5)
ONSET: rOuNdS bEsT (bits regularly shown). Very neat.
21a Scot's hunkiest Nationalist quits - proving most lightweight! (7)
BONIEST: How the Scots may describe someone supremely hunky with one of the abbreviations for Nationalist removed. Lol.
23a Surname Ricardo, somewhat Latin perhaps... (7)
AMERICA: Hidden (somewhat)
24a …accordingly supporter of European monarch (7)
EQUALLY: Abbreviations for European and a female monarch plus a synonym of supporter. So, split the solution 1,2,4 to see the wordplay. A question mark may be helpful here.
25a Typical case of old tree needing boost of alimentation primarily (7)
EXAMPLE: The usual prefix for old plus a (Canadian perhaps) tree with the initial letter of alimentation given a “boost”. To me, this would work better in a down clue but perhaps I'm being fussy.
26a Deliver on promise to carry a weapon (4,4,4)
KEEP ONES WORD: If we split the solution 4,3,5 we can see the wordplay.
Down
1d Kind of artist's set-up with unknown drugs lying around (7)
TRAPEZE: A scheme or trick plus an abbreviation for unknown with instances of the abbreviation for Ecstasy lying either side.
2d Role-play in a recent production (2-5)
RE-ENACT: Anagram (production) of A RECENT
3d Personal agendas - for attention of fairy godmothers? (4,5)
WISH LISTS: Cryptic definition
4d Thrash with beer hotel included (5)
WHALE: The abbreviation for With and some beer into which is inserted the abbreviation for Hotel
5d Most rotten spot of bother putting out Sweden - it's unrecoverable (3,4)
BAD DEBT: A superlative adjective meaning most rotten with the IVR code for Sweden replaced by the initial letter of Bother.
6d See Green Party leader once (7)
LINCOLN: Triple definition, the least obvious being a shade of green
7d Incredible buzz of beehive with blocked exit? (12)
UNBELIEVABLE: If we split the solution (a synonym of incredible) 2,2,8 it sounds like (buzz) the rest of the wordplay. A bit of a stretch to say the least!!
10d One won't get far in Japan with this penchant (1,3,2,6)
A YEN TO TRAVEL: Cryptic definition. I think we need a perhaps or question mark here as it's cryptic/definition by example
15d Landing strips where air travellers could meet a sticky end (9)
FLYPAPERS: Another cryptic definition the air travellers being insects. Very amusing
17d Produce trick most of panel praise at the finish (7)
CONJURE: One of the usual tricks, a panel (in a court maybe) without its last letter and the final letter of praise.
18d Need drink after six balls go past the edge (7)
OVERLAP: Six balls in cricket and a synonym of drink (like an animal)
19d Season with this bespectacled daughter in tragic play (7)
OREGANO: King Lear's middle daughter “wearing spectacles”
20d Poorly prepared to take off parliament's principle character - Miliband? (7)
SKIMPED: A synonym of take off or remove the top part, the initial letter of Parliament and one of the Miliband brothers. The setter's owned up to the typo in the wordplay, easily done.
22d Fitting artifice (3-2)
TRY-ON: Double definition
Spell check – 20d clue should read “principal” not “principle” My apologies!
Pretty tricky with lots of cunning wordplay and most enjoyable – thanks to Jeemz for a top-notch puzzle.
Apart from 7d (which I thought was a bit too quirky) and 12a I could have ticked nearly all the clues. I’ll go with 1a, 14a, 25a, 1d, 5d, 6d, 15d and 19d.
Phew! This artful pangram proved to be quite a challenge, but I did enjoy the tussle for the most part.
There were a couple of surfaces that didn’t quite cut the mustard for me and I can’t decide if I like 7d or not. Also “much of” is incongruous in 13a as it refers to five out of eighteen letters; “some of” would have been more appropriate.
I had a plethora of ticks with 1a, 24a, 26a, 1d, 6d & 19d my top picks.
Many thanks, Jeemz.
Caffeine required! Thanks Jeemz for another brain mangling, I think. Another one of insert into grid and check as I went.
The SW was last to fall and I have to admit the opening line of RD’s comment was a great help as it led to the immediate identification of the second letter of 24a and overall completion.
Smiles for 1a, 12a, 21a, 10d, 15d, and 19d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Stephen L.
Thanks for the puzzle Jeemz – pretty tricky, but manageable in the end. I’m not sure one question mark is enough for 7d, but it made me laugh when the penny dropped, so it’s fine by me. My favourites were 1a, 12a and 26a, amongst plenty of others.
Thanks again, and in advance to Stephen L.
A very slow start but we stuck with it and eventually everything slotted into place. 1a set the tone so we’ll go with that very clever clue as our favourite.
Thanks Jeemz
Some help required to finish, but an enjoyable challenge and I spotted it was a pangram. 1ac held me up for ages as I was fixated on the baby owl being an owlet.
Thanks, Jeemz and StephenL
Many thanks everyone for your comments and to Stephen L for the excellent review. I think I should apologise for 7d. It really is a pretty dreadful pun! As you said Gazza, perhaps too quirky to get past most newspaper editors but it tickled me so thought I’d try it here. I did wonder about the legitimacy of 12a as a a cluing technique so glad it got some “likes.”
Phew! That was quite a challenge for us but thank you, Jeemz. We found the right hand side ‘easier’ than the left and we needed to reveal letters to complete. Like Exit we were also fixated on owlet! 21a also held us up and we had the wrong ‘orders’ on 8a. Nevertheless, very enjoyable and kept us busy. Thank you also to Stephenl for explanations.
The puzzle got off to a fine start with the excellent 1a, which accompanies 8a, 10d, 15d and 18d in my list of favourite clues. 7d may indeed be quirky, but it was great fun! Clues like 7d provide some of the enjoyment I find in the inimitable NTSPP format. Last ones in were the intersecting 9a and 5d which I had put aside overnight, but which fell into place with a fresh look this morning. I had wondered if my 4d was correct and that I had been misled by some straightforward wordplay, but a dictionary check this morning confirmed my initial checking letter for 9a and also provided an addition to my vocabulary (which I doubt I will ever use!).
My thanks to Jeemz – keep the quirkiness coming – and to StephenL for his review.
Many thank Spartacus for your comments. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks too for your support for quirkiness. I’ll try to oblige!