A Puzzle by Zebedee
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid
A warm welcome to Zebedee who makes a debut in the NTSPP with an enjoyable puzzle. Many thanks.
Across
8a Decoration can seem extremely lovely at first (6)
TINSEL: Can/container plus first letters of the following three words.
9a Hypnotic sorcery takes cardinal aback (8)
MAGNETIC: Sorcery/wizardry around a cardinal number rev. Seems a shame to choose a synonym that also ends in TIC. Something like mesmerising would be better
10a Magnesium silicate essential to hospital clinic (4)
TALC: Hidden (essential to). Nice surface read.
11a Teach crime after prison inmates' intrigue (10)
CONSPIRACY: An informal word for prison inmates precedes “teach crime” The Teach here refers to Edward. Very nice
12a Last word in railway hotel's core feature (9)
LINEAMENT: The usual last word inserted into railway/track and the core of hoTel
14a Attractive woman left unfinished tower (5)
BABEL: Affectionate name for a woman/attractive woman plus the abbn for Left
16a Crisis in government when song precedes data analysis (6,9)
NUMBER CRUNCHING: Crisis/critical point plus IN plus abbn for Government all follow informal name for a song
19a My penetrating article bearing fruit (5)
ACORN: My/goodness etc inserted into indefinite article
21a Golly! Miss out deductive reasoning (9)
SYLLOGISM: GOLLY MISS* (out)
24a Periodical gets outstanding justice (10)
MAGISTRATE: Informal periodical plus outstanding/top class (3,4)
26a Stare impertinently when monster changes sides (4)
OGLE: Monster/fiend/beast with the R changed to L. Not keen on “when” linking definition to wordplay. As is better.
27a I head to follow conflict with caution (8)
WARINESS: I plus (geographical) head follow conflict/fighting. Sorry, again not keen on “with” linking wordplay to definition, though it could probably be justified. Ok the other way round.
28a Determined to be camping? (6)
INTENT: Determined/focused split 2,4 to see the wordplay
Down
1d I'm astir, beginning to unwrap boiled sweet (8)
TIRAMISU: I’M ASTIR plus U* (boiled).
2d Spy revolutionary Marxist spirit (6)
PSYCHE: SPY* (revolutionary) plus the usual Marxist. Obviously a three-letter anagram isn't ideal but you do see them so quite legit.
3d Everyone in attendance calls 'More!" wildly (9)
ALLCOMERS: CALLS MORE* (wildly). Very neat.
4d Sign of a hen party? (4)
OMEN: Split the solution, sign/warning 1,3 to see the wordplay. Very nice
5d Yawning disparity between edges of architrave (5)
AGAPE: Disparity/difference inserted into the outer letters of ArchitravE
6d Subsequent to a rising assign last bit of joint blame (8)
REPROACH: A//for each rev. plus an informal name for a cigarette/joint butt. Seems like we have two juxtaposition indicators which makes the clue unnecessarily complicated
7d Move round ring... (6)
CIRCLE: Double definition, bit samey sidey
13d ...on edge, then make loser finally very disheartened (5)
NERVY: The final letters of the first three words following the definition plus VerY.
15d Obsessive odd geeks filch painkiller (9)
ANALGESIC: An informal obsessive plus odd letters of GeEkS fIlCh. “Odd” on its own can’t indicate odd letters. Odds of, oddly, odd bits of etc are ok.
17d Perhaps housemaid's knee relapsing in bedsit is rubbish (8)
BURSITIS: Hidden and reversed (in/relapsing?)
18d Young flier sent mad by Heather (8)
NESTLING: SENT* (mad) plus the usual heather
20d Referee's assistant turned up sporting Tom's neckwear (6)
CRAVAT: (Annoying) ref’s assistant rev. inserted into (sporting) a feline
22d Government rule that hurt the unfinished extension (6)
GROWTH: The abbreviation for Government (try to avoid repetition of abbreviations) plus abbn. for Rule plus an exclamation of pain plus THe
23d Not the same fuss when bass leaves... (5)
OTHER: Fuss/commotion without B(ass)
25d ... and singer chucks tenor for soprano (4)
ALSO: A singing voice replaces abbn.for Tenor with that of Soprano.
Congratulations on the promotion Zebedee and thank you for the perfect diversion while waiting for lunch to cook
I did like the ‘Teach crime ‘ in 11a and I’ll be interested to read Stephen’s, and others, thoughts on the ‘revolutionary’ spy in 2d
Very enjoyable – thanks to Zebedee.
I particularly liked 11a, 19a and 6d.
Welcome to the NTSPP slot, Zebedee, with a very fine puzzle which was a pleasure to solve.
I can’t fully parse 6d, and my repetition radar bleeped with two helpings of G=government in 16a & 22d.
I have a page littered with ticks, with 11a, 24a & 4d making up my podium selection.
Many thanks, Zebedee. Please keep them coming!
Joint in 6d is something to smoke.
Thanks, Gazza. I should have looked up the second syllable of my answer in the BRB. I see it is predominately US drug slang. Not my best area for GK!
24a had me on the hook for ages, otherwise this was a very enjoyable diversion over lunch and coffee. Always partial to a serving of 1d, alas none today. Liked the lurker in 10a. I have a podium of 17d, 15d and 20d. But there were plenty of contenders. Thanks to Zebedee.
A nice puzzle for a sunny Saturday morning, again, on the west coast of BC.
A fun love with some head scratching along the way.
I liked 11a, 24a, 1d, 4d & 25d
Thanks to Zebedee — that I remember from Magic Roundabout in the mid 60’s before we moved to Canada.
Plenty to keep us amused in this well put together puzzle. Last in getting our top vote is 6d.
Thanks Zebedee.
I usually start the NTSPP around bedtime so this setter’s name was quite appropriate. Mind you I did have to finish off the last few clues this morning, particularly 6dn which eventually went in from crossing letters as I just couldn’t parse it. Otherwise no problems and an enjoyable solve.
Thanks, Zebedee and StephenL.
6d was quite a tricky clue, but once I’d figured out what was going on I awarded it the Down podium top step, alongside the ellipsis-linked 23 & 25. My top three in the Across clues were 9, 24 & 27. 27a might have been displaced by 11a if I’d realised the significance of ‘Teach’ – so my thanks to StephenL for his direction on that. 21a was new to me but I did manage to do the letter juggling without the need for any crossers. 3d held me up briefly as I have always used a hyphen in a 3-6 enumeration. Collins informs me that both are fine.
Following this excellent initial foray into NTSPPs, I will be looking forward to encountering further Saturday entertainment from Zebedee. My thanks to him and also to StephenL.
Thanks Zebedee for a very entertaining first NTSPP. Started early yesterday and finished late yesterday with lots of other activities in between.
As we have been invited by CS to comment on 2d – three letter anagrams are a particular anathema for me but the DT allows the likes of Dada to have more than one in a puzzle quite often so one in a NTSPP is probably OK.
Smiles for 12a, 24a, 28a, 4d (seen, probably verbatim, somewhere else recently), and 17d.
Thanks again and thanks to Stephen for the review.
Thanks to everyone for their warm welcome and helpful feedback.