A Puzzle by Gazza
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Gazza always gives us a puzzle that is full of wit and clever and inventive wordplay. This one was no exception so thanks to him.
Across
1a Premier's about ready to go walkies? (4,2)
LEAD ON: A synonym of premier or number one and a preposition meaning about. Amusing
4a Primarily where 18's bishop is lurking (5,3)
ABOVE ALL: Double/cryptic definition, the second referring to the position of the abbreviation for Bishop in 18d. Very smart.
9a Perhaps Davey's had a child (5)
SIRED: Split the solution 3-2 to see the reference to the leader of the Lib Dems
10a Scoundrel out to lunch knocked back port (9)
ROTTERDAM: A scoundrel or cad and a reversal of out to lunch in the sense of crazy
11a One used to make toast in honour of King (4)
FORK: A preposition that could mean in honour of plus a single-letter abbreviation for King. Perhaps this would benefit from a "possibly" or "maybe" after the definition
12a Peerless player's try astounds Twickenham initially (4)
GOAT: A synonym of try or attempt plus the initial letter of the following two words
13a Film to achieve great success? On the contrary (5)
FARGO: A phrase (2-3) meaning “achieve great success” has its component parts switched.
15a Neat country singer's first source of steady income (4,3)
CASH COW: A type of animal referred to by “neat” follows a famous country singer.
16a European prince regularly viewed as high-flyer (4)
ERNE: The abbreviation for European and the regular letters of pRiNcE
19a Red bustle (4)
TROT: Double definition
20a Channel Four partially lost heart (7)
URETHRA: Half the letters (partially lost) of foUR from the clue plus HEART* (lost)
23a Indifferent to Indian potato fritters at first (5)
ALOOF: A name of an Indian potato and the initial letter of Fritters
24a Rod's pupil invested in guitar (4)
AXLE: Abbreviation for student/pupil inserted into an informal name for an electric guitar
25a Farm boss's virile lover (4)
STUD: Triple definition
27a Sorcerer's faction is entertained during month of Halloween (9)
OCCULTIST: A faction or sect & IS from the clue inside an abbreviated autumn month
28a Take a look at that painting in London museum (5)
VOILA: A type of painting inside one of crosswordland’s favourite museums (not the Tate!). I like this.
29a A pair scores first for the final answer (5-3)
FORTY-TWO: A pair follows the number made up of two “scores” The solution is a reference to the Douglas Adams novel.
30a Peacekeepers clearly not in good shape (6)
UNWELL: The usual abbreviated peacekeepers and an adverb that could mean clearly.
Down
1d False CEO forced to back down (4,4)
LOSE FACE: FALSE CEO* with forced as the indicator
2d Make snap modifications (8)
AIRBRUSH: Cryptic definition where a snap is a photograph. Nice
3d What must be selected in Sept for a price at Ascot? (4)
ODDS: The solution (a price at Ascot) represents what must be selected in SePt. Very smart
5d Seize the opportunity to pinch ammunition (4,3,6)
BITE THE BULLET: Double/cryptic definition
6d Maybe opinion pollster's framing assistant (10)
VIEWFINDER: If we split the solution (a camera component) 4-6 we could have a term for an opinion pollster.
7d Arboreal disease ravages all exhausted trees (6)
ALDERS: Outside letters (all exhausted) of the first three words.
8d Fellow quits to disconcert clumsy oaf (6)
LUMMOX: Disconcert or puzzle with the abbreviation for Fellow removed
10d Novel series set around women in a hit movie flopped (4,4,1,4)
ROOM WITH A VIEW: A series or sequence around A HIT MOVIE* into which is inserted an abbreviation for Women
14d Dirty half of breakfast cereal eaten with a sneer (10)
SCORNFULLY: Half of CORNFlakes inside (eaten) a synonym of dirty as a verb
17d Facility allowing rabbit to be shared by dog in Wapping! (4-4)
CHAT-LINE: Cryptic definition based on what rabbit and dog (and bone) represent in Cockney rhyming slang (in Wapping)
18d Conceivably Chinaman's lying in support of worker's game (8)
HANDBALL: What a Chinaman in cricket is an example of follows (supports in a down clue) one of the usual workers. Very neat
21d Leisure time that's taken to make dairy airy (3,3)
DAY OFF: The solution (a term for a period of leisure) would also make dairy into airy. Fun.
22d Striker reported in American football (6)
SOCCER: Nothing to do with American football, rather the American term for football…a homophone (reported) of a striker or hitter
26d Established pair ditched air fryer? (4)
OVEN: Remove the abbreviation for PaiR from a synonym of established as a verb
No surprises that a Gazza NTSPP is an excellent cranial workout with caffeine assistance required and some e-help needed to get across the finishing line.
Smiles for 15a, 24a, 29a, 3d, 22d, and probably a few more.
Thanks Gazza and thanks in advance to Stephen L.
Greatly enjoyed that one, Gazza, although know you would say that I didn’t technically complete it because I have a few bits of parsing still to unravel. I’ll keep worrying away at them before Stephen makes everything clear tomorrow. My personal list of top clues comprises 1,9,10,11&15a plus 8d – deliciously expressive word!
Many thanks for another most enjoyable NTSPP, Gazza.
As always, a very entertaining puzzle from Gazza. Perhaps more difficult than usual, but all the better for that.
26d, 21d and 3d make up my podium, with 3d winning by a short head (at Ascot).
Thanks, Gazza!
An absolute Saturday treat, as expected. Impossible, really, to pick favourites but 3d’s smart, 6d’s fun and 10d is a glorious spot. Etc. Super stuff. Best thanks to Gazza, and Stephen in advance.
We always feel we are in for a special treat when we see Gazza’s name as setter. Superb fun from start to finish with chuckles all the way through. All that we still have to sort out is how the Wapping dog fits in with 17d.
Many thanks Gazza.
Like 2Kiwis, my final challenge was to figure out the Wapping dog’s contribution, but it didn’t take too long to find. Last one into the grid was 3d where I needed the checkers to identify the particular ‘snap modification’. Altogether a very enjoyable puzzle to solve – as I expected when seeing who the setter was. There are lots of ticks decorating my printout – mostly in the across direction: 4, 10, 15, 23, 27 & 28; with 6d chipping in on behalf of the orthogonal direction. I also enjoyed 29a – and I wonder what today’s AI would come up with if asked the same question? Probably the same answer because the reference is most likely sitting somewhere in the depths of their ‘large language model’, and so-called AI is incapable of coming up with anything truly original…
Many thanks to Gazza and, in advance, to StephenL
Cracking puzzle Gazza. Like Jane a couple of whys to sort out but they’ll have to wait until tomorrow as this wasn’t quite the quick pre lights out completion the brisk start suggested it was going to be. 3d my clear fav with podium spots for 6&17d but loads of other likes – 4a/18d combo, the 🎥 s, 9a + 2&14d to name but a few.
Many thanks & in advance to Stephen.
I didn’t have time to tackle this yesterday, but I wasn’t going to let a Gazza puzzle pass me by. And what a good decision! This was excellent with a very long list of ticks: 4a, 9a, 11a, 12a, 15a, 20a, 25a (lovely TD), 10d & 17d.
Not sure why “American” is needed in 22d?
Many thanks to Gazza and in advance to SL.
Many thanks for the review, Stephen. Looks as though I was trying to over-think the couple of missing bits of parsing which doesn’t surprise me at all!
Thanks again to Gazza, your puzzles may not appear very often but they’re invariably a lot of fun when they do.
Many thanks to Stephen for the review and thanks to all who commented.
A bit challenging in places but I got everything unaided, so no complaints. Thanks, Gazza and StephenL.