NTSPP 762 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
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NTSPP 762

by crypticsue  

Sunless by Chalicea

+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - +

The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

An NTSPP that was solved long before I’d finished my lunch.  The title of the crossword tells you that this one is missing (less) from the theme

Across

9a  Condition for six in due course (7)
PROVISO: A synonym meaning for, the Latin numerals for six and a simple way of saying in due course

10a  Portion (of money, maybe) dishonest rancher conceals (7)
TRANCHE: Hidden in dishonesT RANCHEr

11a  Former partner to lay stress upon state (7)
EXPRESS: A former partner and a verb meaning to lay stress upon

12a  Tattered thing that is lingerie (7)
NIGHTIE: An anagram (tattered) of THING followed by the abbreviation meaning that is

13a  Curiously appreciate, mostly, all sharing alike (3,6)
PER CAPITA: An anagram (curiously) of most of APPRECIATe

15a  Periods recalled in Yosemite (5)
TIMES: Hidden in reverse (recalled) in the last word of the clue

16a  Farewell remark for an advantageous purchase, we hear (7)
GOODBYE: A homophone (we hear) of an advantageous purchase

19a  Lowered oneself; made detailed plan without a hint of skill (7)
DEIGNED: Made a detailed plan without the first letter (a hint) of Skill

20a  Type of hound not initially thing worth having (5)
ASSET: A type of hound without its initial letter

21a  System for distance communication's surprisingly great help (9)
TELEGRAPH: An anagram (surprisingly) of GREAT HELP

25a  Lethargic beetle and minute working insect (7)
DORMANT: A type of beetle, the abbreviation for Minute and a hard-working insect

26a  Official guide, one making announcements about Open University (7)
COURIER: Someone making announcements goes ‘about’ the abbreviation for the Open University

28a  Confusedly name single woodland plant (7)
ANEMONE: An anagram (confusedly) of NAME and a single thing

29a  Original one recalling ancient language circling Italy (7)
INITIAL: The Roman numeral for one and a reversal (recalling) of an ancient language ‘circling’ the abbreviation for Italy

 

Down

1d  Maintenance of top stronghold (6)
UPKEEP: In a higher place (top) and a stronghold

2d  Small change for policeman (6)
COPPER: Small change or an informal name for a policeman

3d  Male in secure prison sentence (4)
TIME: The abbreviation for male inserted into a verb meaning to secure

4d  Good French monkey plant (6)
BONSAI: The French word for good and another name for a capuchin monkey

5d  Banner of normal, regular quality (8)
STANDARD: Four definitions and part of the theme

6d  Standard learning decorating with ornamental plasterwork (10)
PARGETTING: Standard and learning or understanding

7d  Ian or Mac for example, drunkenly used most cans (8)
SCOTSMAN: An anagram (drunkenly used) of MOST CANS

8d  Last month briefly made easier - passed away (8)
DECEASED: The abbreviated (briefly) last month of the year and a one-word way of saying made easier

14d  Independent judge, not primarily storyteller taking in boring piece (10)
ARBITRATOR: A storyteller without its first (primary) letter ‘taking in’ part of a drill (boring piece)

16d  Train worker, Scottish lad, one taking care of property, say (8)
GUARDIAN: A train worker and a lad we met in another clue

17d  Unusually sober rev. one keeping an eye on things (8)
OBSERVER: An anagram (unusually) of SOBER REV

18d  Qualified conclusion about form of address (8)
ENTITLED: A conclusion going about a form of address

22d  The French constant habitual response related to milk (6)
LACTIC: The French female definite article, a mathematical abbreviation for Constant and a habitual response

23d  Sour hotchpotch of CIA and CID (6)
ACIDIC: An anagram (hotchpotch) of CIA and CID

24d  Joyfully proclaim type of merganser (6)
HERALD: Joyfully proclaim or the red-breasted merganser

27d  Single thing concealed in ammunition (4)
UNIT: Hidden in the last word of the clue

 

 

 

18 comments on “NTSPP 762”

  1. Good fun as always for an NTSPP from Chalicea and no caffeine required!

    While I can find nothing to link the answer for 24d with merganser it was reasonably obvious with the checkers.

    Smiles for 11a, 25a, 1d, 22d.

    And amazingly, after staring at the grid for only a few minutes, I found 9 answers that ‘fit’ the title Sunless, 10 if the magazine is included, of course there may be one or two more.

    Thanks Chalicea and thanks in advance to CS.

      1. There are many more sources I would put ahead of the BRB for bird identification and in this case the staff at Chambers appear to be the only people on the planet who know this merganser by this name everyone else just using the colour description that is in the BRB entry.

  2. Shock Horror!

    Unusually for me, I found the theme quite easily.

    I have 10 definite elements to the theme, but will be very surprised if there are not more.

    Thanks to Chalicea for a fun puzzle!

  3. Enjoyed the puzzle over lunch but forgot to look for a theme until we read Senf’s comments. We now have 9 elements. Many thanks, Chalicea and to CS tomorrow to know the tenth one that stanXYZ has.

  4. Thought I was a ‘goner’ with the theme until the clouds suddenly parted!
    As is invariably the case with this setter, I found some new terms to file away although I’ll be very lucky if they ever surface again.

    Thanks to Chalicea for a puzzle that may well have been sunless but nevertheless shone!

  5. This was great fun with a theme that even I could spot. I’ve found 10 themed answers.

    I know one of the meanings of “so” needed for 9a in the BRB is “In due course”, but can someone offer a sentence where one can replace the other?

    Both the answer for 5d appearing as the first word of the clue for 6d and the Scottish lad in 16d appearing in 7d rather gave the game away.

    Many thanks to Chalicea and in advance to CS.

  6. A light puzzle from Chalicea to accompany a light lunch; the trickiest bit being the reason for the title – until I eventually saw the light, so perhaps not ‘sunless’ after all ;-)
    I learned something about beetles, monkeys (although I think I may have ‘learned’ about that one before) and plasterwork, and found my duck in the Dictionaries of the Scots Language, which is always kept close at hand for a Chalicea crossword. I chose my podium places from what I thought to be the best of the many good surfaces, which were 19a, 21a and 18d. Now back into the garden to enjoy what is a fine, sunlit day and finish tidying up from the recent storms.
    Thank you, Chalicea, and my thanks in advance to our reviewer.

  7. An enjoyable puzzle to supplement the prize puzzle today.

    Favourites include 16a, 20a, 21a & 1d
    Love the Scottish clues!

    Thanks to Chalicea

  8. I am always pleased when solvers are happy and so glad that this time the theme was so much easier to discover. I”m working on its replacement in the file which will have, I hope, another evident theme. Indeed, I did count the magazine in the thematic group. Thanks to Mr K and in advance, as always, to CS.

  9. What a delightful romp. This time we remembered to look for a theme when we got to the end and found it without too much trouble.
    Thanks Chalicea.

  10. Very nice. Pretty straightforward (I even figured out the theme, which I rarely do), but good fun nonetheless.

    Thanks Chalicea.

  11. Most enjoyable, and with an easily-spotted theme, but over too quickly.
    Regarding the illustrations, I was surprised to see the long-since defunct Daily Herald. When solving my thought was of the Herald (formerly Glasgow Herald and still going strong). But I guess the Daily Herald was chosen as the forerunner of The Sun.
    Thanks, Chalicea and CS.

  13. Many thanks, crypticsue. I loved your illustrations and honestly didn’t know what some of them look like these days.

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