A Puzzle by Chalicea
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid
Chalicea said her next NTSPP would have a very obvious theme and she wasn’t kidding!
Across
6a One local primarily ideal shape unchanging in character (7)
UNIFORM: A dialect (local) word for one, the primary letter of Ideal and a synonym for shape
7a Dance to be in motion following beat (5)
TANGO: A simple way of saying to be in motion goes after a verb meaning to beat
9a Emcee needs this to loiter idly in the country (4)
MIKE: What an Emcee needs or a slang verb meaning to loiter idly
10a Puzzling homework returned on law in government (10)
PERPLEXING: A reversal (returned) of some abbreviated homework, followed by the Latin word for law, IN (from the clue) and the abbreviation for Government
11a Political system concerning the people (8)
REPUBLIC: Concerning, or on the subject of and the people in general
13a Time to permit type of fat (6)
TALLOW: The abbreviation for Time and a verb meaning to permit
15a Dad's two-step it's said (4)
PAPA: Homophones (it’s said) of two lots of a step
17a Lover from Italy's capital essentially devoted (5)
ROMEO: The capital of Italy and the ‘essential’ letter of devOted
18a Weight of potassium and iodine left over (4)
KILO: The chemical symbols for potassium and iodine, the abbreviation for Left and the cricket abbreviation for Over
19a Insist upon a sure thing, we're told (6)
ASSERT: A (from the clue) and a homophone (we’re told) of an informal way of describing a sure thing
20a Mob never misbehaving for these thirty days (8)
NOVEMBER: An anagram (misbehaving) of MOB NEVER
23a Cool pizza not at first cooked like ash used in cements (10)
POZZOLANIC: An anagram (cooked) of COOL PIZZA and N (the first letter of Not)
26a Spanish city rejecting Yuletide (4)
NOEL: I was pleased to note that I wasn’t the only solver who thought this clue read as though the solution was the Spanish city found by reversing yuletide
27a Fourth grade daughter sadly late (5)
DELTA: The abbreviation for Daughter and an anagram (sadly) of LATE
28a Wild purplish-blue flower around end of garden (7)
VIOLENT: A purplish-blue flower goes around the letter at the end of gardeN
Down
1d Cute dames I disastrously improperly teach (10)
MISEDUCATE: An anagram (disastrously) of CUTE DAMES I
2d Drive conservative ordinary MP with zeal from time to time (6)
COMPEL: Abbreviations for Conservative and Ordinary, MP (from the clue) and the even (from time to time) letters of zEaL
3d Ruler taken in by upset experiment (4)
EMIR: Hidden in reverse (taken in by .. upset) in the final word of the clue
4d This spiky heel awkwardly tilts toe (8)
STILETTO: An anagram (awkwardly) of TILTS TOE
5d Gem in old New York Times (4)
ONYX: The abbreviations for Old and New York and the letter used to indicate ‘times’ in a multiplication sum or measurement
6d Turning up in retinue, act together (5)
UNITE: Hidden in reverse (turning up) in rETINUe
8d Have purpose, one disadvantaging your home team (3,4)
OWN GOAL: Have or possess and a purpose or sim
12d Some vade-mecum includes aromatic seeds (5)
CUMIN: Hidden in vade-meCUM INcludes
14d Having similar opinions, Liberal US President took care (4-6)
LIKE-MINDED: The abbreviation for Liberal, the informal way we refer to the 34th US President, and part of a verb meaning took care
16d Quickly leave company with heartless nod after advisory board finally meets (7)
ABSCOND: An abbreviated company and the outside letters (heartless) of NoD go after the abbreviation for Advisory Board and the final letter of meetS
17d Despicable person, we hear, runs away from these nasty little parasites (3-5)
RAT-FLEAS: A despicable person and a homophone (we hear) of runs away from
21d Winner concealed in convict organisation (6)
VICTOR: Concealed in the last two words of the clue
22d Choose for office rigidly upright (left, not right) (5)
ELECT: Replace the R (not right) in rigidly upright with the abbreviation for Left
24d Old Scottish two-masted fishing vessel; variable usage, loved universally initially (4)
ZULU: A fishing vessel which apparently was introduced at the same time as the [solution] war of 1878/79
25d Blue, disheartened canal labourer (4)
NAVY: A canal labourer without (disheartened) its middle letter
A fun challenge from Chalicea in which I identified a theme of ten elements. I did need e-help on 23a – not part of, and unlikely to become part of, my every day vocabulary!
Smiles for 10a, 11a, 19a, and 22d.
Thanks Chalicea and thanks in advance to CS.
My goodness, for once I spotted the theme early on. It hindered rather than helped as I then wanted 9a to be a thematic country, but once I unscrambled 1d it couldn’t be so. Like Senf, I also needed to research 23a, but I did solve it first by juggling given letters into the blanks between crossers to devise a potential word. I was also slightly hindered by reversing the answer for 26a as that was my reading of the clue, but that then didn’t fit with 22d or 14d. My pronunciation of 15a doesn’t quite fit with the homophone possibly intended, or perhaps I have missed something? The loitering in 9a and the herring boat in 24d were new to me, and I was interested to read the history behind the name of the boat. The clues I enjoyed most were 6a, 10a and 17d, the latter because it succeeded in sending a shiver down my spine – ugh!
My thanks to Chalicea for a fun puzzle, and I look forward to CS’s observations in due course.
My draft review mentions the fact that I too thought 26a was clued ‘the wrong way round’
A most enjoyable puzzle but, of course, I missed the theme despite having been warned there was one. I’ve never heard of 23a and, like Senf, am unlikely to remember it. I, too, got 26a the wrong way round and I didn’t know 1d was a word.
Thank you, Chalicea for a fun puzzle. Thank you, CS in advance.
This was good fun despite having my hackles raised by the dreadful “emcee” especially when MC would have done the same job.
I spotted the theme quite early on, and my unknowns today involved 9a, 23a & 24d.
I too initially got 26a the wrong way round.
Many thanks to Chalicea.
I, too, found the theme in this most enjoyable puzzle. If the List committee venture in this direction, I feel that 23a is a shoo-in for inclusion. Like others, a word that I’m happy to forget, but it will probably come to mind every time I see the word pizza. Cotd is 14d. Grand fun. Thanks to Chalicea and in advance to CS.
After a brain mangling SPP, this was a joy from start to finish. Never heard of 23a and count me in on the wrong way round 26a. I did spot the theme. Thanks Chalicea for the fun and thanks too to Cryptic Sue
A bit of new information learnt in the SW but everything went in smoothly for us. Spotting the theme early on certainly helped.
Many thanks Chalicea.
I’m pleased that this one was enjoyed and the theme not too difficult to spot. Looking forward to Cryptic Sue tomorrow. Thanks, all.
Failed to spot the theme, otherwise I might have got 9ac where all I could think of was that the definition was ‘country’ and ‘Eire’ the answer. OTOH 23 was a write-in for me having spent a good deal of my professional career studying the chemistry of cement. Oh well, swings and roundabouts I suppose. And I too thought the clue for 26ac was ambiguous.
Thanks, Chalicea and CS
Thanks CS. Yes, technically 26 was flawed as we are not allowed that sort of ambiguity.
Never heard of the word in 23a and like Senf, I likely won’t be using it soon!
Clues to like 18a, 20a, 5d, 14d & 22d
Thanks to Chalicea & CS