A Puzzle by Hubble
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Hubble makes his first appearance in the NTSPP slot this year with a very entertaining puzzle that wasn't overly difficult. Perfect for this week's alternative exercise in lateral thinking. Thanks to him.
Across
1a Want to get rid of father? (6)
DESIRE: Split 2-4, the solution, a synonym of want, could whimsically mean get rid of father
5a Eating starter of antipasti, had meal and set off (8)
LAUNCHED: A synonym of had meal containing (eating) the initial letter of Antipasti
9a Trader intended to stock half of stiffener (8)
MERCHANT: A synonym of intended “stocks” the last half of a stiffening agent
10a Found space inserted in document (6)
DEEMED: A printers space inserted into a legal document
11a Compére near Independent about to make speech (12)
PRESENTATION: Put together synonyms of compere as a verb, a preposition that could mean near, the abbreviation for Independent and another preposition that could mean about or concerning
13a Arm for one legionnaire in mega battle at the front (4)
LIMB: Initial letters of the four words following the definition
14a Fantastic diet many digested (8)
DYNAMITE: DIET MANY* (digested)
17a Description of some aircraft in which travelling yob wed without papers (4-4)
WIDE-BODY: YOB WED* containing the usual papers
18a Buzz one Conservative amongst thousands (4)
KICK: The letter representing one and the abbreviation for Conservative inside two single letter abbreviations for thousand (in monetary terms for example)
20a Mobile converters reject phone card angrily as noisier (12)
MISSIONARIES: A reversal of a phone card plus AS NOISIER* (angrily) Great definition.
23a The woman and I will shortly join a girl in Perth (6)
SHEILA: A third person pronoun, an abbreviated I will and A from the clue
24a Nourishing new nuttier mixture (8)
NUTRIENT: The abbreviation for New plus NUTTIER* (mixture)
25a Issues moving to inside (8)
EDITIONS: TO INSIDE* (moving)
26a Country's top seed, Brown, returning (6)
NATION: An abbreviated way of describing a top seed or best player plus the usual “Brown” all reversed
Down
2d Blade cutting opening in tent (4)
EPEE: An Indian tent with its opening (letter) cut
3d Impotent Home Secretary implicated in urgent message (9)
INCAPABLE: The usual (at) home plus an abbreviated secretary around which goes a dated urgent message. Excellent surface read.
4d Often, a melody enthrals canine guard (6)
ENAMEL: Hidden. Somewhat bizarre surface read.
5d Group famous for despatching 20 rehash Satan's dirty tale (6-3,6)
LATTER-DAY SAINTS: SATAN'S DIRTY TALE* (rehash)
6d Wanting initial drink, stepping out with refreshment (8)
UPDATING: An informal drink as a verb missing the initial letter and a synonym of stepping out, romantically. I'm not sure with can link wordplay to definition but no doubt it can be justified
7d Container of fruit missing nut (5)
CHEST: A fruit from a beech tree minus NUT from the clue
8d Meeting of viewers hearing of writer with subtlety (3,7)
EYE CONTACT: A homophone of a type of writer (creating religious texts) plus a synonym of subtlety. Nice definition
12d Little Diana's skirt discarded - it's shrunk (10)
DIMINISHED: An informal Diana, a short skirt and a synonym of discarded.
15d Temporary spell of work tracking form (9)
MAKESHIFT: A word for a spell of work (in a factory maybe) “tracks” a synonym of form or create
16d State school board add job at intervals (8)
COLORADO: Regular letters in sChOoL bOaRd AdD jOb.
19d Boy that's drawn money twice (6)
TINTIN: One of the usual informal words for coins repeated. Another clever definition
21d Southern bank provides support (5)
STILT: The abbreviation for Southern plus a synonym of bank as a verb
22d Release retriever say without limits (4)
UNDO: Remove the outer letters of a canine bred to fetch kill
A really excellent and very enjoyable puzzle – many thanks to Hubble.
My printout is a sea of ticks – I’ll just mention 18a, 26a, 3d, 15d and 22d with my favourite being 8d.
Thanks Hubble – no caffeine required! Very enjoyable with some clever constructions.
Smiles for 23a, 26a, 3d, 19d, and 22d.
Thanks again, more like this please, and thanks in advance to Stephen L(?).
A very enjoyable Saturday diversion and I now have an ear worm courtesy of 18a – the Frank Sinatra version for me. Podium places here for 1a plus 15&22d.
Thank you for bringing us this one, Hubble.
Thanks Hubble for a very enjoyable puzzle. I found this a pleasure to work through with some really entertaining clues. I particularly !liked 20a 19d and two of the 4 letter clues 2d and 22d. I did struggle to finish the North East and I’m not sure I understand 7d so await tomorrow’s blog to confirm.
Good to see you back here again Thanks once more.
Thanks for the puzzle Hubble, I enjoyed that. Favourites for me were 1a, 20a and 29d. The NE was definitely the tricky spot for me too.
Thanks in advance to StephenL too.
Just what we needed for a chilly winter’s morning. A beautifully crafted puzzle that was a real pleasure to solve.
Many thanks Hubble.
An enjoyable if challenging puzzle. I took ages to see the parsing of 11ac,although the answer was obvious enough. A great aha! moment on seeing the connection between 5dn and 20ac. I’m not sure, though, that ‘Indian’ in the description of 2dn is politically correct these days.
Thanks, Hubble – and StephenL
Thanks to Stephen for the review.
I parsed 8d somewhat differently as a homophone (hearing) of I (writer) + CON (with) + synonym of subtlety.
Same here.
Thanks, you’re no doubt both correct but I was always taught that to clue I or me in this way it should be THE writer/setter etc to avoid this confusion.
Thank you for a great puzzle, Hubble, although we couldn’t parse a couple of our answers. Is the acute accent on compére the correct one? We missed the run on in 4d for ages and our NE corner was the last to be completed. We look forward to your next one. Thanks also to StephenL for his review.
When I saw the H’s (H for Hubble, of course!) in the grid I thought we might be in for an H-less pangram, but instead we were just in for a fun puzzle. Several ticks on my printout, with my podium places awarded to 3d, 12d & 19d. Last one in was 20a – I liked the definition there – and that then explained the wordplay for 5d, which had me puzzled. I also enjoyed the anagram indicator in 14a, where the definition word appeared to be the more obvious anagram indicator
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My thanks to Hubble, and to StephenL for his review.
Big thanks to all who have left a comment. It’s always nice to receive feedback, and very satisfying when it’s positive. Thanks also to Stephen L for the explanations, and to all at Big Dave for making it all possible
We don’t see a puzzle from this setter very often but they’re certainly worth the wait, Many thanks for the review, Stephen, all present and correct, although I parsed 8d in the same way as Gazza and Jeemz.
Thanks again to Hubble, hope we don’t have to wait as long for your next one.