A Puzzle by Chalicea
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
It seems to have been a while since we last had an NTSPP from Chalicea but this one was very typical of her work – friendly but with the chance to learn some new words/definitions. In between beeps from the repetition radar, I did spot several solutions which could be part of a theme - I haven't illustrated them all but I have added an image of the thing 'nobody knows' at 17a
Across
8a Missile to stagger an alien? (6)
ROCKET: An informal verb meaning to stagger and Crosswordland’s favourite alien
9a Tike OK so potentially the most eccentric (8)
KOOKIEST: An anagram (potentially) of TIKE OK SO
10a Male in time to make money (4)
MINT: The abbreviation for Male, IN (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Time
11a Boycott and blot out memory of type of smartphone (10)
BLACKBERRY: Boycott and an unindicated homophone of a verb meaning to blot out memory of
12a Court to become old-fashioned (4)
DATE: Double definition
13a Overdramatise former lover with dreadfully great age (10)
EXAGGERATE: A former lover with an anagram (dreadfully) of GREAT AGE
17a Some private tuition for housewife (4)
ÉTUI: A small case for sewing accessories, also known as a housewife is hidden between the second and third words of the clue
18a Historical advice-boat is found in heart of Savoy (5)
AVISO: IS (from the clue) inserted into the letters at the ‘heart’ of sAVOy. I knew this word as a notification but not an historical boat
19a Fish line in Oban (4)
LING: A fish or a Scottish word for a line
21a Truer image surprisingly for Scarlet Pimpernel's wife (10)
MARGUERITE: An anagram (surprisingly) of TRUER IMAGE
23a Wooden bows of more than one of you we're told locally (4)
YEWS: Wooden bows or a homophone (we’re told) of how our daughter-in-law in Northern Ireland might address me and Mr CS collectively!
24a Instrument that is soft then loud (10)
PIANOFORTE: The musical terms for soft and loud combine to give an instrument
28a Got up lines of things reportedly (4)
ROSE: Another homophone (reportedly) – this time of lines of things
29a Exploit fashioned, we hear for dairy worker (8)
MILKMAID: Exploit and a homophone (we hear) of fashioned
30a Some scores ultimately producing consequence (6)
RESULT: Hidden in some of the second and third words of the clue
Down
1d Pre-eminent party worker keeps primarily making important negotiations (8)
DOMINANT: An informal party and one of Crosswordland’s workers ‘keeps’ the first letters of Making Important Negotiations
2d Moving lightly, fishing by drawing bait over the water (10)
SKITTERING: A double definition of a word I would imagine very few people would ever have known until they solved this crossword
3d Sane and sensible partner's product from same establishment as another (10)
STABLEMATE: Sane and sensible and a partner
4d Cook rarely includes dish prepared with gumbo (4)
OKRA: Hidden in the first two words of the clue
5d Cut off part of wharf (4)
DOCK: Double definition
6d Long for some happiness (4)
PINE: Hidden in the last word of the clue
7d Liveliness of turbulent priest (6)
ESPRIT: An anagram (turbulent) of PRIEST
14d Flustered doc with this excuse for failure might become diabolic (5)
ALIBI: An anagram (flustered) of DOC and this excuse for failure would make the word diabolic
15d Idiot to inter, we're told, an unwanted third person (10)
GOOSEBERRY: A stupid, silly person and the second appearance of a homophone (we’re told) of a verb meaning to inter (or hide!)
16d Republican collaborator annoyed in form of motor sport (10)
RALLYCROSS: The abbreviation for Republican, a collaborator and a synonym for annoyed
20d Why lines tangled in a fairly up-to-date manner (8)
NEWISHLY: An anagram (tangled) of WHY LINES
22d Sour hotchpotch of CIA and CID (6)
ACIDIC: An anagram (hotchpotch) of CIA and CID
25d Get rid of northern four-stringed guitar (4)
NUKE: The abbreviation for Northern and an informal name for a small, usually four-stringed, guitar
26d Draw attention to paving stone (4)
FLAG: Double definition
27d Old tale about gods mostly (4)
REDE: The usual about, on the subject of, and most of the Latin word for gods
I do enjoy a Chalicea puzzle and this didn’t disappoint. The fishing element of 2d foxed me and needed confirmation but that was my only real holdup. 15d gets cotd. Thanks to Chalicea for the fun.
Very enjoyable NTSPP entertainment from Chalicea. I did need e-help to confirm the identity of Mrs Pimpernel in 21a and to reach for The Crimson Tome to confirm the boat in 18a and the tale in 27d.
If there is a theme I can’t identify it although there is a hint of fruit and veg.
Smiles for 8a, 24a, 5d, 15d (been there, been accused of being that), and 25d.
Thanks to Chalicea and in advance to CS.
This was light and very enjoyable even though I had a larger number of NHOs that I usually find with this setter, keeping my well-thumbed BRB busy.
I’ve never heard of an advice-boat nor the answer to 18a. The Scottish line in 19a was new to me, as well as both meanings for the DD in 2d.
I expect I am missing something but doesn’t 11a need a homophone indicator?
I found 13 of what I think are theme items, and wondered if 29a might have been a 14th, However, if Wikipedia is to be believed, it needs to be plural to fit the theme.
Many thanks to Chalicea for the fun.
With regard to 11a, that’s what I’ve pointed out in my draft review
A DNF for me – I lost patience/got fed up checking & revealed last in (or not in to be accurate) 27d, which I still don’t really understand. Though I did enjoy the puzzle there were a lot of things I just wasn’t familiar with so Mr G was on speed dial for confirmation which got a wee bit tiresome – the case with 2d + 17,18,19&21a. I was also slightly surprised to see the same 5 letter word in a homophone in 2 clues albeit one without an indicator. That said still lots to like & always a pleasure to get a Chalicea puzzle so many thanks & in advance to Sue.
Thanks for the review. Now understand 27d – had forgotten the Latin word (d’oh)
Thank you, Chalicea. Our Mr G was also busy checking answers and we still haven’t understood 27d. We think we may have 12 items to form a theme. We enjoyed the challenge and look forward to CS’s review.
Apologies for the lack of a homophone indicator in 11ac. I’m happy, as always, that solvers are enjoying the puzzle.
Always good to solve a Chalicea puzzle, thank you. I did find it quite tricky in places though and with a few new words learned. I’m embarrassed to say that I struggled for far too long on the four string guitar…I’m sitting but a few inches from one!! Thanks to Chalicea and in advance to Sue.
Plenty of reasons to involve both Mr G and the BRB during the course of the solve, better prove to have been worth it when I eventually nail the required theme! I’ve learnt – and will doubtless soon forget, several new things including an alternative definition of the satisfying expression at 2d and the name of the Scarlet Pimpernel’s wife, not sure I even knew that he had one!
Biggest smiles went to clues that perhaps weren’t amongst the most difficult but still very giggle-worthy, namely 8&24a plus 3&26d.
Now I’m off to hunt for the theme…..
Thanks to Chalicea for her different sort of Saturday challenge.
Found this a little tricky today from Chalicea. I had issues with the clues most commenters have pointed out, ( 21a, 15d & 27d plus a couple more too), but all came out in the end.
In between rainstorms, (Pineapple Expresses in the old terminology that works just fine, thank you), here on the West Coast of B.C.
Thanks to Chalicea & CS
An absolute delight as ever with a couple of places where we had to check our answer in the BRB which we had sitting beside us. Think we found the ghost theme in a stroll around a cottage garden.
Thanks Chalicea.
Most enjoyable and solved without help, apart from checking in the BRB the second definition in 19ac. And I spotted the theme, too.
Thanks, Chalicea and CS.
A bedtime solve which gave rise to several question marks that I needed to check out this morning. The ‘Dictionars o the Scots Leid’ was called into action to confirm 19a, and Collins Online was interrogated for the ‘advice-boat’, ‘fishing’ technique and ‘Old tale’. The 21a ‘wife’ also needed confirmation, and I have been so inspired by my research into gumbo that I will be trying out a number of Creole and Cajun recipes. I had thought that ‘memory’ was quite an unusual homophone indicator, but it would appear that the indicator was missing altogether! I did note the presence of a miscellany of plant life. My favourite clue was the succinct ‘Long for some happiness’
My thanks to Chalicea for the puzzle – always a learning experience – and to CS for the review.
Many thanks CS for the review and your usual pleasing illustrations. Apologies for the flaws some have pointed out.
Many thanks for the review, CS. Seems to me that Chalicea’s theme covered a rather wider range than usual.