A Puzzle by Acnestis
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Acnestis is in the NTSPP slot today with his/her first appearance since May '23. The puzzle was well worth the wait with clever and smooth constructions throughout.
Across
1a Has child oddly removed filling from rich tart? (6)
ACIDIC: hAs ChIlD + rICh…Alternate letters of has child and the inner letters (filling) from rich
5a Jam with second best rock guitarist (8)
STOPPAGE: The single-letter abbreviation for Second, a synonym of best and an iconic guitarist
9a Music producer with wine at home is drunk (8)
CLARINET: The usual “at home” inserted into (is drunk) a red wine
10a Italian word for 'you' in French examination (6)
TUSCAN: A second person singular pronoun in French plus a (medical perhaps) examination
11a Might drizzle? Time to go inside, surely (3,7)
FOR CERTAIN: A synonym of might as a noun plus one of drizzle into which is inserted the abbreviation for Time.
12a Intersection on road we avoided regularly (4)
NODE: Alternate letters oN rOaD wE. Perhaps not ideal to have one of these constructions so close to the previous one.
13a Spoken of extremely briefly, sailor turned and left (6)
VERBAL: An adverb meaning extremely or so without its last letter, a reversal (turned) of one of the usual sailors and the abbreviation for Left
15a Useless at escaping temptation abroad (8)
IMPOTENT: TEMPTatION* (at escaping, abroad)
17a PM tours round country (8)
CAMEROON: Place a former Tory PM around (tours) the round letter
19a It hurts Head of History to admit student is wise (6)
OWLISH: An exclamation of pain and the initial letter of History “admit” the abbreviation for student and IS from the clue.
21a Dictator's powerless for a period of time (4)
WEEK: A homophone (dictator's) of a synonym of powerless or feeble
22a Athlete's son opens trendy club (4,6)
SHOT PUTTER: The abbreviation for Son, a synonym of trendy and a (golf) club
24a Something with a pronounced effect on orca mortality keeps on returning (6)
MACRON: Hidden and reversed (keeps on returning)
25a Furious replies left by priest at first (8)
EARLIEST: This is an anagram (furious) of REpLIES AT (left by priest). I'm not keen on the construction here.
26a Good quality that revolutionary still possesses is boldness (8)
TEMERITY: A word meaning good quality or excellence “possesses” a reversal of a synonym of still as a conjunction. I like this one though.
27a Swimmer liked playing golf (6)
DUGONG: An informal liked, the usual playing and the abbreviation for Golf
Down
2d Pizza from region south of California (7)
CALZONE: A region or area below (south of in a down clue) the state abbreviation for CALifornia
3d Scientist backs away from dire act (5)
DIRAC: Remove the end letters of the final two words of the clue
4d Singer pivotal to getting first in Eurovision replaced by band (9)
CONTRALTO: A synonym of pivotal plus TO with the initial letter of Eurovision changed to O (band). No doubt it's used but O for band is a bit of a stretch.
5d Friends possibly used to intimacy struggling to hide love (9,6)
SITUATION COMEDY: USED TO INTIMACY* around O (struggling/ to hide love)
6d Old fellow going on X regularly (5)
OFTEN: Abbreviations for Old and Fellow “going on” the number X represents in Roman numerals. Very neat
7d After Labour job, Brown rejected top couple of alternatives (9)
POSTNATAL: A synonym of job plus a reversal (rejected) of a shade of brown plus the first two letters of ALternative
8d Cheer from German, loaded after snatching diamonds (7)
GLADDEN: The abbreviation for German and a synonym of loaded in the sense of burdened into which is inserted the abbreviation for diamonds
14d Get away intact (5,4)
BREAK FREE: Whimsically the solution could mean intact or faultless. Nice.
16d Did well for a journalist, receiving upper end of salaries (9)
PROSPERED: A synonym of for/in favour of, one of A and the usual journalist go around the initial letter (upper end in a down clue) of Salaries
18d One having tea reportedly consumed salt (7)
ACETATE: The card representing one, a homophone of tea and a synonym of consumed. I'm not a fan of having a homophone indicator that could apply to either the preceding or following word.
20d Organised lad grabs shirt and hat (7)
STETSON: A synonym of organised and a male offspring “grab” a casual shirt that this blogger has a penchant for and far too many of.
22d Part of Egypt's capital overtaken by crime (5)
SINAI: A misdemeanor plus an abbreviated capital or best
23d A little nudity in graphic drawing (5)
TYING: Hidden (a little)
A very enjoyable puzzle with smooth surfaces throughout – many thanks to Acnestis.
I’d never heard of the band in 4d but it couldn’t be anything else.
It’s difficult to pick out individual clues from such a fine selection – I’ll just mention 9a, 11a, 26a, 3d and 16d with my favourite being 7d.
Thanks Acnestis. I found this a step up in difficulty compared to your last NTSPP with caffeine and some e-help needed to get across the finishing line. We have a lot of ‘guess a girl or boy’ but for me ‘guess a rock guitarist’ was a guess too far.
Smiles for 10a, 22a, 4d, 6d, and 14d.
Thanks again.
***** for enjoyment and absolutely flawless surfaces! Clues awarded podium places were 11, 15 & 26 for the Across direction and 5, 7 & 16 for the Down direction.
Re: Gazza at #1 – I have the band in 4d being a ‘band-shaped letter’ replacing ‘first in Eurovision’ in a 7,2 phrase?
Many thanks to Acnestis and, in advance, to StephenL.
You’re probably right about the band-shaped letter but I can’t recall the letter being clued as ‘band’. My Googling revealed that there was a band from Jersey called the required letter.
That’s an interesting piece of research – they’re nowhere near as well known as the bands in which 5a’s ‘rock guitarist’ featured!
So great to see Acnestis back and with a really enjoyable puzzle to boot. Lots and lots of ticks on our pages but we’ll go with 11a as favourite.
Thanks Acnestis.
Very enjoyable indeed & the perfect pre lights out solve. Cracking surfaces & a host of ticks – 5,11,26&27a plus 5(terrific fodder spot),7(my fav)&14d particular likes.
Thanks Acnestis – more like that please.
Held up in the SW corner; it took me ages to realise what the definition was in 22dn but once I got that the diacritic in 24ac was obvious. The rest was all straightforward enough but by no means a doddle. Thanks, Acnestis and StephenL.
Many thanks to Stephen for the lovely review, and to everyone else who has left a comment. I promise the wait for my next one won’t be quite as long as last time (though I have a feeling I’ve said something like that before!)
Very late to add comment but managed (at last) to print this crossword whilst we are away on holiday and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you Acnestis. We look forward to your next one. Thanks also to StephenI.