A Puzzle by duncanjwitham
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Duncan graces the NTSPP spot this week with a really accomplished and enjoyable puzzle so many thanks to him.
Across
1a Son sleeping, not going to class? (8)
SKIPPING: The abbreviation for Son and an informal “sleeping”
5a Perhaps shoots fool abandoning second half of puzzle (6)
BAMBOO: Fool as a verb with the second half of puzzle removed
10a Organised entertaining party, it's a gas (5)
RADON: The usual organised or managed placed around the usual party.
11a Publish column with a scandalous ending? (9)
PROPAGATE: A column or pillar, A from the clue and a suffix attached to a word to indicate a public scandal
12a Understood Tory's real fraud at last (9)
CONSTRUED: An abbreviated conservative, the S from the clue, and an adjective meaning real or genuine plus the last letter of fraud.
13a Stain oddly brought about a smell at the back of the nose (5)
NASAL: The odd letters of StAiN rev. plus A from the clue and the “back” of smell
14a English country manor (6)
ESTATE: The abbreviation for English and a country or nation
15a Holiday flight (7)
GETAWAY: Double definition
18a Mocking chant after team fails to finish (7)
TEASING: TEAm from the clue which the setter has very generously gifted us plus a synonym of chant as a verb
20a Plant trouble kept coming back (6)
DAHLIA: Synonyms of trouble and kept or owned rev.
22a Master's attention with new student first (5)
LEARN: A 3-letter synonym of attention (he had my ***) placed after the abbreviation for student and before that of New. Very smartly done
24a Find daughter next to case of alcohol, passed out (9)
ALLOCATED: The outer letters of Alcohol precedes a synonym of find and the abbreviation for Daughter. Passed out in the sense of distributed. Very nice
25a Loyalty to family bar limits getting drunk (9)
TRIBALISM: BAR LIMITS* (getting drunk)
26a Agrees to accommodate return of Northern Ireland's grunts (5)
OINKS: An informal agrees around the abbreviation for Northern Ireland rev.
27a King in New York following Cabaret, mostly it's ponderous (6)
CLUNKY: An abbreviated New York is split by an abbreviation for King following all but the last letter of a cabaret or nightspot.
28a Movement of ball from tail end's leg (8)
BACKSPIN: The tail end of something, S from the clue and an informal leg. Very smart.
Down
1d Hit and run baffled cops (6)
STRUCK: A synonym of baffled “cops” the abbreviation for Run. Very nicely done again
2d Nation is hot, exhausted Asian stripped off (9)
INDONESIA: A synonym of hot as in popular, one of exhausted or finished, and the inside letters (stripped off) of aSIAn
3d It could be, possibly? Conceivably! (11,4)
PUNCTUATION MARK: There are three examples of the solution (a symbol) in the clue!
4d Compose counter melody for Holst piece (7)
NEPTUNE: A synonym of compose or write rev. (counter) plus one of melody
6d Teaching to slack off before the bell rings? (7,3,5)
AGAINST THE CLOCK: TEACHING TO SLACK* (off)
7d Prohibits capturing drug runners? (5)
BEANS: Prohibits or forbids around the abbreviation for Ecstasy
8d Openers for Oasis valiantly playing Slayer covers (8)
OVERLAYS: The opening letters of Oasis and Valiantly plus SLAYER* (playing). I can't imagine the scenario but decent clue!
9d Food stolen by animal (3,3)
HOT DOG: An informal stolen and a canine
16d Reported how boy might have become yob? (7,2)
WRITTEN UP: The solution effectively states how boy might have become yob in a down clue
17d Ethical plastic cladding - time to fit? (8)
ATHLETIC: ETHICAL* (plastic) around (cladding) T. Not sure about “to” here linking wordplay to definition
19d Banks maybe leave foreigner a bit short (6)
GOALIE: A synonym of leave plus a foreigner without its last letter. Banks here is a proper noun. Excellent clue.
20d When faced with a choice, turn over cover on Austen novel (7)
DILEMMA: A cover or top reversed preceding an Austen novel
21d Strange child, likely to succeed (4-2)
ODDS-ON: Split the solution (in betting terms likely to succeed) 3,3 to see the wordplay
23d Some flipping rescue - I'd accepted it's goodbye (5)
ADIEU: Hidden and reversed. I always think “some” at the beginning of a sentence is a bit of a giveaway.
A lovely lunchtime treat with some cracking clues – thanks to djw.
I particularly liked 11a, 1d, 3d, 16d and 19d.
I agree with Gazza, this was indeed a lovely lunchtime treat
Thanks to Duncan and, in advance, to Stephen
Thanks djw – caffeine almost required! A good cranial workout to start my Saturday morning.
Smiles for 5a, 24a, 26a, and 20d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Stephen L.
I thought this was the best crossword of the week. Some really cleverly constructed clues. I see I ticked exactly the same ones as Gazza, with a double tick going to 19d, my last one in which, when the penny dropped, made me groan, then grin. Special mention too to the long 6d which I only parsed as a nicely disguised anagram after bunging in the answer that had become clear from the checking letters.
Many thanks djw for the entertainment.
Absolutely brilliant, Duncan. Many thanks and very well done!
It was quite a struggle trying to pick a podium selection from so many excellent clues, but 19d makes the cut along with 11a & 3d. I spent ages trying to parse Gordon as my original answer to 19d until the penny finally dropped!
My one question relates to 17d. If I have parsed this correctly, is wordplay to definition OK?
RD, I think “to” works as a link from wordplay to definition when it means “leading to…” which, I think it can be argued, it does here. So it seems ok to me.
Thanks, Jeemz.
An excellent SPP from DJW! Has this setter appeared in the national Daily’s under another alias? If not, why not?
Lots of great clues … but my favourite is possibly 3d?!
Oops! The NTSPP, of course!
Thanks everyone for the kind comments, and thanks to Stephen for the review.
Very enjoyable work-out from our setter which left me with a huge 20d when it came to picking a top three. The nod eventually went to 4,16&21d but I have to type that quickly before I change my mind again!
Many thanks to Duncan and to Stephen for the review.
What an enjoyable NTSPP!
I’m not the only one struggling to make a top selection from so many excellent clues. I have managed to whittle the list down to seven: 3d, 4d, 7d, 16d, 5a, 11a and 28a.
Many appreciative thanks to Duncanjwitham for a super puzzle.
And many appreciative thanks to StephenL too for the review. There was only one clue I had a problem with — the standout 19d. I’m not familiar with Banks! Football? Oh dear!
Sorry for showing up late, but the weekend was swallowed up with other activities. I really enjoyed this puzzle, Duncan, with some delightful cluing and nothing obscure to get hot and bothered about during these sultry summer days! I have several ticks on my printout: 5a, 11a, 1d, 7d, 19d & 21d; with a double tick awarded for the excellent surface reading of 24a. LOI and associated PDM went to 3d – this was a nicely crafted clue for a familiar definition option; albeit I still take a while to spot them!
Once again, my thanks to duncanjwitham and also to StephenL for his review.