A Puzzle by Hopping Rhino
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
As usual, the setter will be delighted to receive feedback from you, the solvers. We do ask that you remember that for most setters this is a new experience, so please only offer constructive criticism.
Welcome back to Hoping Rhino after a break. In their earlier crosswords, there were comments about ensuring that abbreviations used were supported by the main dictionaries. There were a couple of unsupported abbreviations in this crossword. The majority of the clues were, however, very good with just a handful of technical points to take into account. The commentometer is a commendable 2.5/28 or 8.9%.
Across
8a You must do this before driving for a comfortable seat (6)
SETTEE: Split 3,3 this is something a golfer needs to do before driving off.
9a Journalist with military stowing chest put aboard ship (8)
EMBARKED: A five-letter word for a journalist within a military unit includes (stowing) a three-letter word for a chest.
10a Paraffin product fixed up sore knee (8)
KEROSENE: A anagram (fixed up) of SORE KNEE.
11a Soldiers on schedule rebuffed speaker (6)
ORATOR: The abbreviation for other ranks (soldiers) followed by a reversal (rebuffed) of a four-letter word for a schedule. Ideally in an across clue, A on B means B followed by A though you will sometimes see this meaning A followed by B.
12a Paparazzi surrounding former royal for these? (6)
PAPERS: A four-letter informal word for paparazzi around (surrounding) the regnal cypher for the late Queen Elizabeth (former royal).
13a Aristocrat‘s bank headed by six sons (8)
VISCOUNT: A five-letter word meaning bank or rely preceded (headed) by the Roman numerals for six and the abbreviation for son.
14a They press charges? (7)
RAMRODS: Cryptic definition of the devices used to charge muskets and other old guns.
16a George: approve please (7)
GRATIFY: The abbreviation for George followed by a six-letter word meaning ratify. Although G stands for George in the regnal cypher GR (Georgius Rex), that does not permit its use as a single letter abbreviation for the name.
20a A horse comes from main polo ground (8)
PALOMINO: An anagram (ground) of MAIN POLO.
23a Small and tight (6)
TIDDLY: Double definition, the second meaning slightly drunk.
25a Colliers‘ children cried out (6)
MINERS: A homophone (cried out) of minors (children).
26a The result of waxing? (4,4)
FULL MOON: The astronomical event occurring every 29.5 days before waning begins again.
27a A gremlin out of control is more wicked (8)
MALIGNER: An anagram (out of control) of A GREMLIN.
28a Black eye for The Sun perhaps (6)
SHINER: Double definition, the second describing the star not the paper!
Down
1d A red mare messily finishing sugar (8)
DEMERARA: An anagram (messily) of A RED MARE. All the dictionaries refer to the solution simply as a brown sugar. Finishing sugar is a generic term for any sugar that can be used to finish a dish. Perhaps adding maybe to indicate that the solution is one type of sugar that may be used for finishing would resolve this.
2d In a book about Hungary (2,4)
AT HOME: The A from the clue followed by a four-letter word for a book around (about) the IVR code for Hungary.
3d Exhausted drudge finished late (8)
DECEASED: The outer letters (exhausted) of drudge followed by a six-letter word meaning finished.
4d Stock of jam’s unopened (7)
RESERVE: An eight-letter word for jam without the first letter (unopened).
5d Hates Arab horse’s guts (6)
ABHORS: The answer is hidden (guts) in the second and third words of the clue.
6d Start escape (5,3)
BREAK OUT: Double definition.
7d Leading lady’s tailless horse (6)
HEROIN: A seven-letter word for a leading lady without the final letter (tailless).
15d Horse I’d whipped across country once (8)
RHODESIA: An anagram (whipped) of HORSE ID followed by the abbreviation for across. Although used in crossword clues, A for across is not a recognised definition in the main dictionaries.
17d No time for false savage (8)
RUTHLESS: A nine-letter word for false without the initial T (no time).
18d Look around amongst the best to get pupil (8)
FOLLOWER: A reversal (around) of a two-letter word meaning look inside (amongst) a six-letter word meaning the best.
19d Fit in with class (7)
CONFORM: A three-letter word meaning with followed by a four-letter word for a class.
21d Plate up horse, possibly? (6)
ANIMAL: A reversal (up) of a six-letter word for a plate.
22d Crazy, senseless, without direction (6)
INSANE: A five-letter word meaning senseless around (without) the abbreviation for South (direction). Without is a dubious containment indicator as whilst without can mean outside, it confuses outside as apart or on the other side of from something – he stood without the gates or there is a green hill far away without a city wall – with outside as surrounding something.
24d Young girl lacking degree admitted to academic department (6)
DOMAIN: A four-letter word for a young girl without the D (lacking degree) inside (admitted to) a three-letter word for an academic person.
There are a couple of abbreviations here that we suspect might not pass muster, but despite these, we did find this an enjoyable solve. 24d gets our vote for top clue.
Thanks Hopping Rhino.
Welcome back to RC, Hopping Rhino. I really enjoyed the solve and I think this is your best submission yet.
My longest delay was in parsing 9a as I have never come across the military journalist before.
There seemed to be a lot of horses involved!
My one qualm is that I can’t find any justification for G = George in 16a.
Very well done and thank you, HR. Thanks too in advance to Prolixic.
Thank you very much RD.
The horse mini-theme emerged organically, and once it started I thought I better carry on!
Re George, fair challenge. I’ve seen it used this way in the Guardian, but I know we hold to higher standards here.
An enjoyable puzzle – thanks Hopping Rhino.
I didn’t know that the ‘Journalist with military’ in 9a could be a noun as well as a verb but I do now,
Ticks from me for 14a, 3d, 7d and 24d.
Enjoyable. Welcome brevity in cluing, mainly with good surfaces.
I did like 26a.
Thanks to Hopping Rhino and in advance to Prolixic.
Welcome back, Hopping Rhino. It’s been a little while.
Apart from the odd dubious single-letter abbreviation, I thought that there was little to fault technically, so well done on that. The equine theme was a pleasant bonus. I don’t see the point of the indefinite article in the clue for 20a. I’ll pick 23a, 26a and 3d as my podium choices.
Many thanks for an entertaining puzzle.
Thank you Silvanus, I appreciate the feedback.
That indefinite article in 20a: I was thinking that it helped indicate ‘an example of’, rather than ‘synonym for’ (if it had simply been ‘Horse’). But perhaps that wasn’t necessary?
Yes, it has been a while – life intervened – but I’m happy to be back to puzzle-composing.
Hello stranger, nice to see you back again! Put me down as another who had to investigate the military journalist – not a job I’d ever have fancied…..
Not sure that the commentometer will pass G for George without a royal connection but everything else should pass muster. Top clues for me were 23&26a plus 3d.
Many thanks, Hopping Rhino, hope to see you again soon.
Thank you Hopping Rhino. We still have 3 we can’t quite parse so thanks in advance to Prolixic for explantations tomorrow. We look forward to your next one.
Thanks very much Prolixic, I will redouble my efforts on abbreviations.
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. It seems to be those unrecognised abbreviations that still catch our setter on the hop! I was thinking today that those IVR codes are a gift to setters but abbreviations are a very different kettle of fish…..