A Puzzle by Jaffa
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
We haven’t had an NTSPP from Jaffa for quite a while. I thought this was on the tricky side for a ‘lunchtime diversion’
Across
1a Supply teacher on a reduced timetable? (13)
QUARTERMASTER: A male teacher goes on or after a reduced timetable
8a Transylvanian girl maybe overcome by vampire narcosis (5)
IRENA: Hidden in the last two words of the clue
9a Compromise here when boarding a train to Carlisle? (6,3)
SETTLE FOR: A station announcement might tell you to change at the first word of the solution xxx the train to Carlisle
11a Immature US guy is a flop (3)
DUD: A slang word for an American man without the final letter, as indicated by ‘immature’
12a Diminutive Charles' initial marriage developed rift (5)
CHASM: The diminutive form of Charles and the initial letter of Marriage
13a Country GP, yet to be employed (5)
EGYPT: An anagram (to be employed) of GP YET
14a Freshen sheets for aspiring doctors (6)
THESES: Aspiring PhDs must prepare dissertations – an anagram (freshen) of SHEETS
15a Electronic advice on ball placement shouted at Hillsborough? (8)
INTERNET: A homophone of how someone from Yorkshire (Hillsborough?) might give advice on placing a ball xx xxx xxx
18a Malaise of old Democrat with ache developing (4,4)
HEAD COLD: An anagram (developing) of the abbreviations for Old and Democrat and ACHE
20a "Here be dragons!" Where it's fine in retrospect to have a mood change (6)
KOMODO: A reversal (in retrospect) of an informal way of saying its fine and an anagram (change) of MOOD – Is the action of moving one letter really make this an anagram?
23a Arrange to regularly train contrary dog (3,2)
RIG UP: The regular letters of tRaIn and a reversed (contrary) breed of dog
24a Cheer the Spanish team on the radio (5)
ELATE: The Spanish definite article and a homophone (on the radio) of a team (of rowers perhaps)
25a Paper covering current agreement (3)
FIT: The abbreviated ‘pink’ newspaper ‘covering’ the symbol for electrical current
26a We hear Glasgow beauty queen will reign badly (9)
MISGOVERN: A homophone (we hear) of the title of a beauty queen from a particular part of Glasgow
27a Yes to tea in Russian retreat (5)
DACHA: The Russian word for yes and another name for tea
28a "I don't believe it!" Man, game for drink, is the champion! (6,7)
VICTOR LUDORUM: The forename of the sitcom character who regularly uttered the words at the start of the clue (man), a board game and an alcoholic drink
Down
1d Potter's play needs money to throw away (9)
QUIDDITCH: An informal name for a Pound Sterling and a verb meaning to throw away
2d City laddie from Cambuslang usually has a low voice (8,5)
ABERDEEN ANGUS: A Scottish city and a boy’s name found between cambuslANG USually
3d Shareholding spread between Tennessee banks (7)
TRANCHE: A North American stock farm inserted into the outside letters (banks) of TennesseE
4d Oriental seafarer swapping sides is a scoundrel (6)
RASCAL: Change the sides of an Oriental sailor
5d Extreme Serb element opposing non-European finance (8)
ANTIMONY: The outside letters (extreme) of SerB are the chemical symbol for this element – a synonym for opposing and some finance without (non-European) the abbreviation for European
6d Dishevelled lout heads off at 67.5° to become solvent (7)
TOLUENE: An anagram (dishevelled) of LOUT and the compass bearing 67.5°
7d Alarmed by an undercooked French fry (4)
FRIT: A French ‘chip’ without its final letter (undercooked)
10d Cranwell graduate may paradoxically be ground crew (6,7)
FLYING OFFICER: A graduate from the RAF School who may be serving in a plane or as part of the ground clue
16d Planned raft tour to my first fishy business (5,4)
TROUT FARM: An anagram (planned) of RAFT TOUR followed by the first letter of My
17d Following change, ogre with no resistance reverts to Dr Jekyll? (5,3)
ALTER EGO: A verb meaning to change and a reversal (reverts) of OGrE without the symbol for Resistance
19d Limit placed on Eire's original consignment of goat (7)
CAPROIC: A limit and the initials given to the country also know as Eire followed by the original letter of Consignment
21d Composer retained by old Duke excelled (7)
OVERDID: An Italian composer ‘retained’ or inserted between the abbreviations for Old and Duke
22d Sensual passage about Romeo (6)
CARNAL: A watercourse, duct or passage goes about the letter represented by Romeo in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
23d Member caught short during vigorous frolic? (4)
ROMP: A cricket abbreviation (short) for a dismissal of a player caught short of ground and a Member of Parliament
Very entertaining (and highly inventive in places – I’m thinking of 5d and 23d) – thanks to Jaffa.
I’m not sure that ‘initial marriage’ (12a) and ‘original consignment’ (19d) would be allowed by all.
Top clues for me were 15a (very amusing), 26a and 28a.
I wonder whether our setter is a chemist? That would certainly explain some of his clues!
Found this quite hard work, especially on the parsing side, but think I’ve jjust about got there now.
Favourite clues were 26&28a plus 1d.
Thanks to Jaffa for the mauling!
Thanks Jaffa for the early Saturday morning cranial exercise – caffeine and ‘checking on entering’ required for completion of the ‘second half.’
Smiles for 15a, 26a, and 17d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to CS or will it be Stephen L.
As usual for this setter, this was quite challenging in places, very inventive and a lot of fun.
It was great to find the “man” in 28a very cleverly qualified, but I did find several definitions very stretched: 1a, 9a, 14a, 15a & 19a. I expect I am missing something but for me the wordplay for 23d leads to MPRO.
My podium selection was 26a, 28a, 5d & 6d.
Many thanks for the lunchtime entertainment, Jaffa.
Took a bit of musing to parse the last couple in – 10d & 23d, but I got there in the end. Very inventive, as others have already commented! Lots of ticks but my final threesomes in each direction are 13, 14 & 24 across and 3, 4 & 23 down. 23d was picked for amusement value, the other 5 for their elegant simplicity. PDMs also encountered for 15a (hah!) and 5d (clever).
As RD has said – great lunchtime entertainment, Jaffa. A perfectly pitched puzzle for the NTSPP slot.
My thanks to you and, in advance, to our reviewer.
Thanks for the puzzle Jaffa, definitely tricky in places but I enjoyed it. Favourite for me was 15a – I’m not convinced at all by the definition, but the wordplay made me laugh. Honourable mentions for 5d and 17d.
Thanks again, and in advance to the reviewer.
I wonder whether our setter is a Scottish chemist?
Really liked 2d and 26a (the Scottish ones) & 5d (needed to look it up in the periodic table).
Thanks, Jaffa.
A chemist yes but a proud Man of Kent who lived in Guernsey for nearly 40 years. I have a Scottish wife and we’ve lived just north of Glasgow for the last 4 years. I’m clearly going native….🏴🇬🇬🏴😂
Thank you, Jaffa, that explains a lot!
That had us working very hard indeed but we did eventually get it all sorted with lots of smiles and penny-drops along the way
Thanks Jaffa.
That had us working very hard as well – and a little bit of help was needed! Favourite was 15a. Many thanks to Jaffa and CS.
Solved at a very pedestrian pace whilst watching the England v West Indies ODI on TV.
I found it really tricky and should probably have given it my full attention.
I struggled a bit with the definition at 1a and DNK the definition at 7d.
Like RD, I am not convinced that the order of 23d works, but perhaps I am missing something.
A really enjoyable puzzle – thank you Jaffa and CS, of course.
Ticks for 14a, 15a, 26a, 28a, 2d, 4d and 10d.
Many thanks for the review, CS. My parsing obviously worked but I still have the odd doubt about clues such as 23d.
Many, many thanks for all of the comments that you have made about the crossword. Your level of analysis is very detailed and helpful and I’ll hopefully learn from your observations. I think my report on my own efforts would read (a) word play – good (well, not too bad) on the whole (b) definitions – need improvement. You may of course disagree….. half of the clues were mentioned favourably in dispatches so I think I can infer from that, that some enjoyment has been derived from the crossword.
To highlight two clues. I remember for 1a trawling for some time through the deeper depths of different dictionaries to confirm that QUARTERMASTER can be used as a verb. I think it can. For 23d I think I’m guilty as charged. Perhaps “ Vigorous frolic caught short politician” might have worked. I do rather like the run out/caught short device. I will use it again, along with, of course, a little bit of chemistry….
Finally many, many thanks to Mr K and CrypticSue. Their (and the other prefects) dedication in keeping the blog going is incredible. Thank you, you are wonderful 😎