A Puzzle by Shabbo
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
This week's lunchtime diversion was set by Shabbo
Across
1a/4a Venue obligated to play "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"? (14)
DOUBLE NEGATIVE: An anagram (to play) of VENUE OBLIGATED
4a See 1a
10a Impertinent fool in outskirts of Surrey (5)
SASSY: A fool inserted into the ‘outskirts’ of SurreY
11a Price included in regular wellness breaks (9)
ELEVENSES: Betting price ‘included’ in the regular letters of wElLnEsS
12a Article about concert? (7)
RECITAL: An anagram (about) of ARTICLE
13a Half twin sister heading off a storm in America (7)
TWISTER: The first half of Twin and sISTER without its first letter (heading off)
14a Arresting officer treats managers badly (8-2-4)
SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: An anagram (badly) of TREATS MANAGERS
17a Cautioned about names for teacher? (14)
EDUCATIONALIST: An anagram (about) of CAUTIONED followed by a roll of names
21a Maybe working men's club is closing early for a change (5-2)
TRADE-IN: People engaged in a particular occupation (working men) and where they might meet without the final letter (closing early)
23a Place feathers as a form of humiliation (3-4)
PUT-DOWN: A synonym for place and some feathers
24a Fast moor walk requiring balance (9)
TIGHTROPE: Fixed or fast and both moor and the word in the solution can both mean fasten
25a Aide memoire initially returned to press? (5)
MEDIA: A reversal (returned) of AIDE and the first letter of Memoire
26a Deceive Greek island setter (8)
CONCRETE: Deceive or trick and a Greek island
27a Looked to have got leading role right away (6)
STARED: Got a leading role without one of the Rs (right away)
Down
1d Question detective's conviction (8)
DISTRUST: An abbreviated Detective Inspector’s and conviction or belief
2d Open a French dry posh claret (9)
UNSECURED: A dialect word for one (a), the French word for dry, the letter meaning posh and the colour of claret
3d Baby's clothing already covering behind? On the contrary (7)
LAYETTE: The opposite (on the contrary) of how the clue reads: a synonym for already inserted into behind (time)
5d Father issues treacle, perhaps (7,7)
ELECTRA COMPLEX: An anagram (perhaps) of TREACLE followed by another anagram indicator
6d Carmen contains violent crime in the States (7)
AMERICA: A motoring organization (car men) into which is inserted an anagram (violent) of CRIME
7d Main settlement includes school staff training (5)
INSET: Or what those of us with children in their forties would call a Baker Day! Hidden in (includes) the first two words of the clue
8d Midge will go after East End party girls - guarantee it! (6)
ENSURE: The surname of Midge the pop singer goes after how a Cockney who doesn’t sound the H would refer to a party of girls, usually before a wedding
9d Kentish Town also embraces new footwear (10,4)
WELLINGTON BOOT: A town in SE London and an expression meaning also 'embraces' the abbreviation for New
15d Gallagher upset by Speaker's instruction on e-commerce (4,5)
MAIL ORDER: Reverse the forename of Mr Gallagher and follow with something the Speaker of the House of Commons is always instructing MPs to do
16d Principle criterion for normal flag (8)
STANDARD: Quadruple definition
18d Fiddler is cold but getting warmer (7)
CHEATER: The abbreviation for Cold and something that warms
19d Struggle to get locum placed in telecoms company (7)
ATTEMPT: A stand-in worker (locum) placed in a telecoms company
20d Still entertained by Jacques Tati comedy (6)
STATIC: “Entertained” by the last three words of the clue
22d Gas organ refurbished (5)
ARGON: An anagram (refurbished) of ORGAN
It’s always a pleasure to solve a Shabbo puzzle and this one was no exception even though I can’t fully parse my answers to 21a & 24a.
I also have one small niggle. According to Chambers, Collins and me, 10a is an American word. It also has the dubious honour of being my first ever Wordle failure.
I have a sea of ticks on my page, and my top picks are 1a/4a (my favourite), 26a, 5d, 9d & 16d.
Many thanks to Shabbo.
RD and others – if I am correct(?), somewhat stretched in my opinion but I parsed 21a as, before closing early, a (5,3) term for a working men’s club where the second word is more usually used as a synonym for a pub, etc.
That’s very inventive, Senf, but stretched to breaking point IMO if that is the explanation.
Thanks, Senf. You must be correct but I’ve never heard of the club and it’s not in the BRB or Collins as far as I can see.
As I noted in #6 I have the same parsing as you Senf. The ‘Maybe’ is very important here as I take it to be Shabbo’s tongue-in-cheek suggestion of what a Working Men’s club might reasonably be considered to be, but without the last letter.
Thanks to Shabbo for a very entertaining puzzle.
The brilliant 1a/4a gets first place, closely followed by the reverse anagram at 5d.
Like RD I cannot parse 21a, and 24a was my last one in once I realised that “moor” is a verb.
Thanks again !
Thanks, Stan, for explaining the piece of parsing for 24a that eluded me.
ps. RD, does the NTSPP have any rules regarding Americanisms?
Have a Nice Day!
Stan.
Great stuff. Like RD and StanXYZ I’m struggling with 24a, but otherwise much to admire and enjoy. I too am going for the linked 1/4a as cotd. Thanks Shabbo.
A very enjoyable puzzle with loads of wit – many thanks to Shabbo.
Add me to those who can’t parse 21a.
I particularly liked 1/4a, 26a, 27a, 5d, 8d and 9d.
Isn’t the first word of 21a simple a synonym for working men (people engaged in a particular occupation) and the second word the club with the final letter removed (closing early)?
Thanks, Prolixic. I can see that the first word means ‘line of work’ but I think it’s a stretch to get to ‘working men’.
Thanks Shabbo for another entertaining NTSPP. I did have to do a couple of letter reveals to get across the finishing line but I was solving pre-caffeine which might have been an error.
Smiles for 1a/4a, 12a – it must be an oldie but goodie, 2d, and 9d – once the penny dropped on ‘also’!
Thanks again and thanks in advance to CS.
Having just battled my way through an Elgar from Dec 2022 that even Dutch found hard going, this was an absolute delight! Although, to be fair, this puzzle would be a delight in any circumstances
I also liked the clever use of ‘refurbished’ in 22d. After a bit of thought I came up with the same parsing as Senf for 21a. Is 15d really the same as ‘e-commerce’? I guess the delivery method hasn’t change so all is well.
From lots of ticks my podium places went to 11, 27 & (tied) 24 & 26 Across, then 3, 5 & 6 Down. I didn’t include 1/4 Across and 8 Down on my podiums because they were absolute stand-outs for me and deserve their own special mention
My appreciation for a brilliant puzzle from Shabbo. I will look forward to reading other comments and the review in due course.
Many thanks, Shabbo. We did need Google help and we shall still be very grateful to CS to parse some of the answers which we haven’t fully understood. We look forward to your next one.
Really enjoyed this on a crisp frosty Sunday morning. Favourite was the 1a/4a combo. Now time to put on warm clobber for a brisk walk.
Thanks Shabbo.
Enjoyed Twm’s Sat Prize Puzzle but this one had the edge for me. Like others the two that stood out were the cracking 1/4a opener & the reverse anagram but lots of ✅s elsewhere – 11a + 2,9&16d other particular likes. One or two parsing head scratches rendered this trickier than some of Shabbo’s recent puzzles. A pleasure as always.
Thank you all for your comments and thanks to Sue for the review.
I’m sorry 21a caused so much debate. Spartacus and Prolixic have correctly explained the intended parsing, but if the wordplay is a bit misleading, I can only apologise.
I also has no idea that 10a was an Americanism, but Chambers confirms it as such. RD’s sensor for such things is obviously much more highly tuned than mine.
Apparently the word started over here as “saucy” and crossed the Atlantic in the late 1790s. It then evolved into the form used in the puzzle and travelled back to Blighty in the middle of the last century.
Here endeth the lesson. Susie Dent…your job is safe.
See you again soon.
Great puzzle, Shabbo, for which many thanks.
BTW, where are the members of the Shabbo fan club of siblings and inlaws hiding this time?
Good point. They may not be aware. I’ll let them know!
I’ve been rather busy this weekend, wedding dress shopping yesterday with Shabbo’s Niece, and a day out at the Game Fair today with Shabbo’s brother in law, no time for crosswording!
A team effort with Shabbo’s Sister-in-law, Shabbo’s nephew and Shabbo’s niece failed to finish. 🙄 Enjoyed it nonetheless. Our lack of knowledge on Greek Mythology had us stumped.
1a/4a is my favourite ever clue. Shabbo’s mother helped by pointing out the (deliberate) poor grammar in the clue.
No family prize this time.
Many thanks for the review, CS. BTW – your explanations are so assiduously succinct that you overlooked ‘new’ in the wordplay for 9d…
Also, my thanks once again to Shabbo.
I think my mind had already moved on to Walmer Castle to find Wellington’s Boots
Living not that far away in Kent and being EH members we have no adequate excuse for not having visited Walmer Castle and admiring those boots first hand.
We must right that wrong asap – just as you did with the 9d explanation
Thanks again to Shabbo for a top-notch puzzle and thanks to CS for the explanations.
In spite of all the attempts to explain it I still don’t understand 21a; could someone please provide an example of how ‘working men’ is a synonym of ‘trade’?
My mind jumped to (rough) trade as a possibility, but surely not? One for Shabbo!
In my mind, a Working Men’s Club, or indeed a Trades and Labour Club, could loosely (hence the “maybe”) be interpreted as a Trade Inn.
Given the reaction to the clue, I accept that I may have stretched this one a bit too far. If so, I apologise.
My take on 21a was that the trade inn would be the hostelry frequented by the workers in that trade
Late to the party in that I just haven’t got round to commenting earlier; I actually solved this quite quickly on Saturday. Fairly straightforward although I thought the clue to 21ac a bit odd. What set my mind boggling, though, was the clue to 13ac – what might a half twin (or a half twin sister) be?
Thanks, Shabbo and CS