SI by Radler
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
The first Radler NTSPP of 2025 and as is usual with one of his crosswords, it was exceptionally difficult, although solvers were aware from the very start that there was a theme.
NTSPPs are often referred to as ‘lunchtime diversions’. Solving this one took a very long lunch and a siesta in the middle before the pudding, not to mention a lie down in the proverbial darkened room after solving, never mind explaining, it!
Across
1a 9 visible in background (8)
KILOGRAM: An abbreviated SI 9d is hidden in the last word of the clue
5a Spare time (6)
SECOND: A synonym for spare or an SI 9d
10a Juvenile form doubles average runs per student (5)
LARVA: A reversal (doubles) of the abbreviation for average, the cricket abbreviation for runs per an abbreviated student
11a Comments on condition cycling in the year before (9)
ANNOTATES: The Latin for in the year goes before a synonym for condition where the first letter ‘cycles’ to the end
12a Badly instructed Radler's going to sound strained (3-6)
ILL-TAUGHT: How Radler would say he was going to and a homophone (sound) of strained
13a 16 used by linesman and referee (5)
RULER: A 16a used by someone making lines; a referee
14a 16 notes in order (6)
SCALES: Something used to 16a or some musical notes in order
16a 24 extent and spread mostly OK (7)
MEASURE: Most of a repast (spread) and a word of agreement (ok)
19a In reversing direction, accepted arrangement to keep money (3)
ISA: Reverse the pole in IN and then add the abbreviation for Accepted
20a CD box next to unfinished shelving (7)
CANDELA: A box or container goes next to a truncated postponement (shelving)
21a Minority from the right among others before long (6)
NONAGE: A reversal (from the right) of EG going before a poetical way of saying ‘before long’
23a Skinny American male goes hungry (5)
EAGER: The American word for skinny without the abbreviation for Male
25a Many rent out film room (9)
MULTIFORM: An anagram (rent) of OUT FILM followed by an abbreviated room
27a As an exception, universities screening student representatives combine (9)
UNUSUALLY: Two single letter abbreviations for University ‘screening’ the abbreviated name of the Students’ Union, the result followed by a synonym for combine or join together
28a 9 encountered on time (5)
METRE: A simple way of saying encountered and the ‘usual’ two-letter way of saying on the subject of
29a Pureed scraps becoming distracted (6)
EPERDU: An anagram (scraps becoming) of PUREED
30a One having difficulty focussing snubbed church administrator (8)
PRESBYTE: A long-sighted person – truncate (snubbed) a church elder
Down
1d Keat's first 9 (6)
KELVIN: The first letter of Keats is the symbol for this 9d
2d Call round to locate missing person (4,5)
LORD LUCAN: An anagram (to locate) of CALL ROUND
3d Flying North via Latin America, finally land in Africa (5)
GHANA: The final letters of flyinG nortH viA latiN americA
4d Drinkers once drank ales spiked with gin as hangover relief (9)
ANALGESIA: The self-help organisation for former drinks into which is inserted (drank) an anagram (spiked) of ALES GIN
6d Host tipped Mark after paying guest to appear topless (9)
ENTERTAIN: A mark without its first letter (tipped) goes after someone who pays for lodging (guest) without the first letter (topless)
7d Base layer's minimum with coat undone (5)
OCTAL: An anagram (undone) of L (the minimum letter of layer) and COAT
8d Course missing essential character... er, who's left? (8)
DESERTER: A pudding course without the middle (essential) letter followed by ER (from the clue)
9d One such as 5 or 20 (4)
UNIT: A single entity (one) or what the solutions to 5 and 20 are
15d Spread out, an idler with time to waste? (3,6)
LIE AROUND: An anagram (spread) of OUT AN IDLER without the T (Time to waste)
16d Killer Queen crews put on top (9)
MANSLAYER: The regnal cipher of our late Queen goes after a verb meaning crews and a verb meaning to put
17d Spooky thugs, only not at all spooky (9)
UNGHOSTLY: An anagram (spooky) of THUGS ONLY
18d Retiring avoids church's hidden agenda (8)
SCHEDULE: A reversal (retiring) of a synonym for avoids into which is inserted (hidden) an abbreviated church
22d Van won't start of base 9 (6)
AMPERE: A type of van without its first letter and the letter that is the base of the natural system of logarithms
24d Bore picked up fruit (5)
GAUGE: A homophone (picked up) of a type of fruit
25d 9 spot digger making heaps, dip protected harbour (4)
MOLE: Five different definitions
26d Live in Ireland's capital, nonsense snippets of Limerick (5)
IAMBS: The capital of Ireland, live or are and some abbreviated US slang nonsense
Solutions include the seven base SI units (second, metre, kilogram, ampere, kelvin, mole, candela) plus unit, measure, gauge, ruler and scales.
Radler is the trickiest of the regular NTSPP setters and the plethora of cross-references made me work really hard to solve this. I did enjoy the struggle and the theme helped.
I made a horlicks in the SW by writing a cycled version of the correct answer in 29a (which I think is equally valid) and that held me up for some time.
I can’t parse 19a.
I particularly liked 6d, 8d, 16d and 26d with my favourite being the quintupule at 25d.
Thanks to Radler.
Gazza, 19a was one of the few I actually managed to solve! It is IN with the direction reversed, i.e.: IS, followed by the abbreviation A for accepted.
Thanks, RD.
I should have known better than to attempt a Radler NTSPP again. I was utterly defeated and threw the towel in after an unequal struggle with only a smattering of answers filled in.
One of the few I did manage to solve was 25d, which amazingly looks like a quintuple definition, although the surface doesn’t make any sense at all to me.
Thanks to Radler, but please don’t forget the adage that the solver is supposed to win in the end …
Perhaps I can borrow Steve Redgrave’s quote. Please shoot me if you see me trying to solve a Radler puzzle.
I decided quite a while ago that, in the interest of preserving brain cells, I would pass on all future Radler NTSPPs!
I tried doing this in the garden but ended up risking sunburn, and anyway needed to head inside for some e-help in order to confirm or resolve a number of entries. I finally threw in the towel with 29a unsolved and with 30a, 3d and 19a unparsed (thanks RD!). 19a was one of the first to go in, but my answer was RAD – which lurks in reverse, is money (a type of cryptocurrency, apparently) and fits the theme nicely. However, it didn’t fit with 4d or 16d so RAD had to go in favour of the correct (albeit unparsed) answer! I was too busy solving to properly appreciate and tick good clues (no ticks but lots of ?s and !s on my printout) – however, reviewing Gazza’s list I’ll happily go along with his picks. Time to return to the garden now with some much-needed refreshment, the sun is now less strong and it is most definitely over the yardarm…
My thanks to Radler, and I look forward to our reviewer’s words of wisdom tomorrow.
Just shows how my mind was scrambled when solving this yesterday. It took me about a minute (and a couple more dictionary references) this morning to sort out my unsolved/unparsed list. I can understand why 29a and 30a held me up, but missing the parsing for 3d — clearly scrambled!!!
Thanks again, Radler. I do enjoy the occasional mind-scrambling puzzle
I shall now look forward to our reviewer’s confirmations of my grid fill!
Totally beyond me, even after I guessed the theme and revealed a few letters at random. I threw in the towel with only about half a dozen answers entered.
Many thanks for the review and, happily, confirmations of my grid fill, CS. As I look back over this I would also like to add 2d to my (well, actually, it was Gazza’s) list of favourites.
P.S. In your clue highlighting it would appear you have painted 7d red rather than 9d?
Thank you. Now amended