A Puzzle by Chalicea
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Chalicea with another of her themed NTSPPs, the theme was obvious from the start even if a couple of them were new to me
Across
1a Plough or excavator's bucket (6)
DIPPER: Another name for the Plough constellation or the bucket of an excavator
4a Acrobat's a clumsy person needing time for balancing at first (7)
TUMBLER: Replace the B at the start of a clumsy person with the abbreviation for Time
9a Walk dogs, maybe, in retirement (4)
STEP: A reversal (in retirement) of what dogs are an example of
10a Demand too much with regard to child in one's care (10)
OVERCHARGE: With regard to and a child in one’s care
11a Building hosting some of such urchins (6)
CHURCH: Hidden in the last two words of the clue
12a Vivid red colour, part of scratchcard in a lottery (8)
CARDINAL: Hidden in the last four words of the clue
13a Blithely at first wandering, gathering blackberries (9)
BRAMBLING: The first letter of Blithely and a synonym for wandering
15a Lightweight plaything - small furry animal with energy (4)
KITE: A small furry animal and the symbol for Energy
16a Uncommon river measurement unit (4)
RARE: The abbreviation for River and the unit of the metric land measure (100 sq m)
17a System is ultimately tantamount for this Wesleyan (9)
METHODIST: A system or way of doing something, IS (from the clue) and the ultimate letter of tantamounT
21a Peculiarly insular including one of an ancient British tribe (8)
SILURIAN: An anagram (peculiarly) of INSULAR into which is inserted the Roman numeral for one
22a Slightly dotty fellow, troubled cook chasing after copper (6)
CUCKOO: An anagram (troubled) of COOK goes after the chemical symbol for copper
24a Wipe out old boy, person able to read and write (10)
OBLITERATE: The abbreviation for Old Boy and a person able to read and write
25a Temporarily submerge an amphibious military transport vehicle (4)
DUCK: Double definition
26a Take in broadcast about barrier (7)
SWALLOW: Broadcast seed goes ‘about’ a barrier
27a Inattentive and dozy; shake please! (6)
ASLEEP: An anagram (shake) of PLEASE
Down
1d Drainage trench worker to be indecisive about opening of channel (7)
DITCHER: A verb meaning to waver or be indecisive goes about the letter that ‘opens’ Channel
2d Hamelin's rat remover; pay him and you may call the tune (5)
PIPER: The second part of the clue refers to an expression meaning to making someone accommodate your wishes
3d Of great momentum, rising to deal successfully with Bard's prince (7)
EPOCHAL: A reversal (rising) of a verb meaning to deal successfully and Shakespeare’s name for the young Henry V
5d Straighten out one French mongrel with rules essentially (6)
UNCURL: The French word for one, a mongrel dog and the essential letter of ruLes
6d In a fashion befit idea that's blessed (9)
BEATIFIED: An anagram (in a fashion) of BEFIT IDEA
7d Deeply impress frenzied avenger (7)
ENGRAVE: An anagram (frenzied) of AVENGER
8d Relating to three-hundredth anniversary of a surprising inlet entrance (13)
TERCENTENNIAL: An anagram (surprising) of INLET ENTRANCE
14d Active and lively calmer cur I alarmed somewhat (9)
MERCURIAL: Hidden in (somewhat) calMER CUR I ALarmed
16d Pot of gold at the end of this? (or maybe just type of trout) (7)
RAINBOW: Double definition
18d Ball game with curved sticks succeeded in local harvest home suppers (7)
HOCKEYS: A ball game played with curved sticks and the abbreviation for Succeeded
19d Succeeded, as things are, to halt flow from frozen polar cover (7)
SNOWCAP: The abbreviation for Succeeded (again!), in the present circumstances (as things are) and a verb meaning to halt the flow
20d Roman orator's short boast about formality (6)
CICERO: A truncated verb meaning to boast goes about formality or reserve
23d Scoundrel say, turning up to scrounge (5)
CADGE: A scoundrel and a reversal (turning up) of the abbreviation meaning say, for example
Many thanks to Chalicea for a light and fun NTSPP which has turned out to be Not The Sunday Prize Puzzle!
I found nine themed items quite quickly but, with a busy day in prospect, I haven’t got time to search for more.
My repetition radar bleeped with “succeeded” = S appearing in successive clues,
We might be 12 hours later than our usual solving time slot but could not turn down the opportunity of a Chalicea puzzle. It all went together smoothly for us although we had to reach for our BRB to confirm 18d. We’ll make that one our favourite.
Thanks Chalicea.
In order to give Chalicea’s fans ample time to solve this NTSPP, I won’t add the review until this evening
I have eight, possibly nine, themed items. This was a fun solve, only held up by convincing myself that my answer to 18d was correct which a sly reveal of the grid confirmed. Thanks to Chalicea for top notch entertainment as ever and in advance to CS.
A pleasant and fairly easy puzzle from Chalicea. I thought at first the theme might be ecclesiastical with three or possibly four answers but then saw the actual theme; I have definitely eight themed answers and another two possibles.
Thanks, Chalicea – also to Crypticsue in advance and for delaying the review, not forgetting Mr K for getting the site working again.
A great puzzle, as usual, from Chalicea. Unusually for me, I found some of the themed answers and may look for more later. I’m surprised I remembered the ancient British tribe and the Roman orator but they arose somehow from the windmills of my mind.
Thank you, Chalicea for Not the Sunday Prize Puzzle. Thank you in advance to CeeSoo.
Worth waiting for, thanks Chalicea! With a little e-help I have found/confirmed 11 ‘members’ of the relatively easy to identify theme.
Smiles for 13a, 26a, 3d, 18d, and 20d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to CS.
Very enjoyable, thank you Chalicea. We found 8 of (we think) the themed answers and we look forward to CS’s review to know the rest. Thank you in advance CS also.
I enjoyed this Chalicea offering this Sunday morning. I too, with a little e-help, discovered 11 members of the theme … but a couple took a stretch to be included … but they were legitimate in the long run.
Liked 4a, 22a, 24a, 2d & 23d
Thanks to Chalicea and CS
I really didn’t understand why the puzzle didn’t appear yesterday but gather now that there was some kind of site problem – really pleased that all the old friends have solved even though it became a ‘Not the Sunday ….’ and many thanks to CS for, as always, making it a beautifully illustrated blog, I especially appreciated the illustration to 22a which brings to like the awful situation nature puts a maternal little flier through. I’m told it’s a meadow pipit’s nest that the intruder usually puts her egg into. I’m currently on the Scottish coast and we have watched a 26a chick that seemed to have fallen out of the nest, sitting on our balcony in driving rain for nearly an hour before it managed to take off and fly away. Thank you all.
I didn’t notice the late publication as we were away for a very enjoyable long weekend in Somerset, but I’ve caught up during the week.
A couple of interesting discoveries for me – 21a was only a geological term for me previously, and the 18d ‘suppers’ were also new. Clues getting my podium places were 4a, 20d & 23d.
The theme was nice and clear this time, although 4a and 16d weren’t familiar. I did wonder if 1d might be another unfamiliar themed entry!
My thanks to Chalicea and to CS.