NTSPP 807 – Big Dave's Crossword Blog
View closed comments 

NTSPP 807

by crypticsue  

A Puzzle by Shabbo

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

The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

Shabbo’s turn to provide our Saturday lunchtime entertainment

Across

1a  &11. Song originally written where the Duke of Westminster got married (10)
WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL: A novelty song by the New Vaudeville Band - The original letter of Written and a three-word description of the place  where the Duke of Westminster got married  A song I thought I'd long forgotten, but the ear worm persists!

6a  Playwright certain to be read aloud (4)
SHAW:  A homophone (to be read aloud) of a synonym for certain

10a  Oddly wasted after party - go in search of water (5)
DOWSE:  The odd letters of WaStE go after a party

11a  See 1a

12a  Quitting holiday at Disneyland? (8)
VACATION: Leaving a place or the American word for a holiday.  There are Disneylands in Paris and Tokyo so perhaps Florida or California should have been added at the end of the clue

13a  Managed church estate (5)
RANCH:  A synonym for managed and an abbreviation for church

15a  German song now playing in lounge (3,4)
LIE DOWN:  A German song and an anagram (playing) of NOW

17a  Mean to have a very good time inside taking ecstasy (7)
AVERAGE:  A (from the clue), the abbreviations for Very and Good between which is inserted a period of time, the abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy being added at the end

19a  Leads with article constrained by limited brief (7)
TETHERS:  The definite article is ‘constrained’ by a truncated (limited) synonym for brief

21a  Charlie abandons broken catheter at play area (7)
THEATRE:  The letter represented by Charlie in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet is removed from cATHETER and an anagram (broken) of the remaining letters will produce the solution

22a  More 1d? (5)
EXTRA:  An adjective meaning more or a run scored in cricket from a bye, of which 1d is an example

24a  Wine from odd parts of Rhine gets army support (8)
RIESLING: The odd letters of RhInE plus something that supports a wounded arm

27a  Scotland sorts out giant winger (9)
ALBATROSS:  A medieval Scottish kingdom and an anagram (out) of SORTS

28a  Cancel Times and Echo merger (5)
ERASE:   Some periods of time (we had one earlier) and the letter represented by Echo in the NATO Phonetic Alphabet

29a  Quits rugby format with no flankers (4)
EVEN:  A form of rugby without the outside letters (no flankers)

30a  Where decathlete must excel, come what may (2,3,5)
IN ANY EVENT:  A decathlete must excel at all the sports in the decathlon

 Down

1d  Wayward delivery by Broad (4)
WIDE:  A wayward cricket delivery, perhaps bowled by Stuart Broad or an adjective meaning broad

2d  Points operator - one working in a kiosk, perhaps (9)
NEWSAGENT: The four points of the compass and an operator

3d  Apathy enables predator to get caught (5)
HYENA:  Hidden (caught) in the first two words of the clue

4d  Division meeting when Bury is relegated (7)
SECTION: A meeting without (is relegated) the synonym for bury (the capital B is there to mislead)

5d  Sketchy notes on 1a country (7)
ESTONIA: An anagram (sketchy) of NOTES on I A (1a)

7d  Leading man gets number of tall bird (5)
HERON: A leading man and the abbreviation for number

8d  Rich has nicely recovered, we hear (4-6)
WELL-HEELED:  This sounds a description of a nicely recovered wound

9d  Bottom Irish song on the radio (8)
DERRIÈRE:  A homophone (on the radio) of a song from a particular part of Ireland

14d  Still identical? (3,3,4)
ALL THE SAME:   Double definition

16d  Ham's done by the book (8)
OVERACTS:  The apostrophe isn’t needed in the solution.   Done or finished and some books of the New Testament

18d  By mid-morning you reportedly had to slow down (9)
ATTENUATE:  Split the solution 2,3, 1, 3 to get a time you reportedly dined

20d  Beefy cut Knight, then Nicol retired having lost heart (7)
SIRLOIN: The title of a knight and then a reversal (retired) of NIcOL without (having lost) the middle letter

21d  The cause of Yorkshire disloyalty (7)
TREASON:  How someone from Yorkshire might say the cause

23d  Suggest furniture inventory (5)
TABLE: Triple definition

25d  Story, say, about Belgian city (5)
LIEGE:  A story or falsehood goes about the abbreviation meaning say, for example

26d  Transmitted broadcast to bring about change in America (4)
CENT:  A homophone (broadcast) of a synonym for transmitted

 

 

21 comments on “NTSPP 807”

  1. Brilliant puzzle with superb surfaces throughout and a lot of laughs – many thanks to Shabbo.
    My only query relates to the apostrophe in 16d.
    I loved the 24a army support and the 20d beefy cut as well as the very clever 1a, the misleading 1a in 5d and the amusing 9d.

  2. Caffeine not required! Exactly what Gazza wrote in Comment 15 on the SPP blog! It even made the multi-tasking of solving and watching the Lions-Wallabies achievable.

    Smiles for 28a, 5d, 9d, 20d, and 23d.

    Thanks Shabbo and thanks in advance to CS.

  3. I always enjoy Shabbo’s puzzles, and this was no exception. It was light and fun with brief, accurate clueing and smooth surfaces throughout.

    My only query relates to “at Disneyland” in 12a. If I have parsed this correctly, I wonder if the (highly laudable!) intention is for it to be an American indicator but, as there are a lot of Disneylands in different parts of the world, it is not specific enough for this purpose.

    15a was my favourite (clue not wine!) of many ticked clues.

    Many thanks to Shabbo.

    1. 12a would have been fine with ‘Florida, say’ instead of Disneyland. Or indeed any American holiday location. That said, I’m always mindful of the time these creative compilers put in to entertain us with their work, so I do feel a tinge of guilt at being picky.

  4. Thank you, gentlemen, for your very kind comments. Much appreciated.
    I agree with Gazza that the apostrophe is not necessary in 16d and with RD about the American indicator in 12a.
    Never mind, all is well with the world after a thrilling rugby match this morning!

  5. That was lovely. Pretty straightforward but fun. I liked 15a, 24a and 20d.

    Thanks Shabbo, and in advance to CS.

  6. What’s not to like about this delightful NTSPP? I have many, many ticks on my printout.

    9d was my fave. I also particularly liked 1/11a, 15a, 19a, 24a and 2d, 3d, 18d and 20d.

    10a brought back memories from my long past childhood. My parents and I visited a farmer friend. He had a water diviner there. My Mum had a go and the ‘Y’-shaped branch she held actually turned! For a child, this was mega exciting! (How one wishes one’s short-term memory were as sharp as one’s long-term one…)

    Thank you ever so much for the enjoyable lunchtime entertainment, Shabbo! This is an excellent puzzle.

  7. What a cracker!
    I don’t normally have time to do more than one cryptic on any given day, but following Gazza’s recommendation in today’s prize puzzle I decided to give it a go. I am so pleased I did! Enjoyed it all. Too many great clues to list them all – but I have to give a shout out to 18d.
    Well done Shabbo! I look forward to more like this!

  8. A sweet treat. 1a’s smart, 24a’s “army support” is fun and 20d’s surface is ace. I really enjoyed 18d too. Etc. Best thanks to Shabbo.

  9. Absolutely superb! Thank you, Shabbo for adding to the Saturday fun. My favourite is the Yorkshire disloyalty at 21d.

  10. Thanks, Shabbo, for an enjoyable puzzle. Favourites were 1a and 15a. We look forward to your next one. Thanks also in advance to CS.

  11. Excellent Sunday morning fun that we thoroughly enjoyed solving. 24a was our favourite.
    Thanks Shabbo.

  12. Can’t say I remembered the nowt to write home about song or knew where the duke married but the checkers/wordplay helped. As ever with a Shabbo puzzle not overly tricky but delightfully clued throughout & good fun. Perfect in my view for a Mon/Tues DT back-pager. 9d last in & my fav.
    Thanks Shabbo

  13. Utter delight, thankyou Mr Shabbo. I’d give five stars for this puzzle that was full of originality and clever surfaces. I loved “sketchy” as an anagram indicator and the aforementioned “army support”. Kudos to the clues already mentioned but 10a was mine.

  14. Thanks again to Shabbo for a great puzzle and thanks to CS for the explanations.
    There’s more to 1/11a than meets the eye – the Duke was married ‘In Chester Cathedral’ preceded by the original letter of Written. Very clever clue!

  15. Thanks for the review CS.

    Without prolonging the discussion too much, I hope, ‘Disney World’ on its own would have worked in 12a – that is what the location in Florida is called. The rest, including the one in California, are called ‘Disneyland.’

    1. Thanks, Senf. Mea culpa.
      I asked my Scottish pal about this, but he disney give a damn.

      1. An ‘oldie but goodie’ from north of the border – what’s the difference between Bing Crosby and Walt Disney? Bing sings and Walt disnae!

  16. An enjoyable solve with no real problems apart from the misdirection in 5d where I wondered how an old song was connected with a Baltic state – a facepalm moment when I saw what was going on.
    Thanks, Shabbo and CS

  17. Fun solve for me on Sunday morning after the somewhat tricky Dada this week.

    Favourite 1a/11a

    Thanks to Shabbo & CS

  18. Finally got to enjoy this puzzle last night. I must have been tired after hosting visitors all weekend (or still in a daze having also watched both the Lions rugby and the Lioness’ football) as I only ticked three clues – 30a, 18d & 21d. Shabbo’s puzzles normally deserve many more! And I did miss the ‘more to 1/11a than meets the eye’ as reported by Gazza, because I omitted to check out the Duke’s wedding venue and hence fully justify the wordplay. Sorry, Shabbo, you were competing for my attention this weekend!
    Many thanks to Shabbo and to CS for her review.
    PS I had a sense of deja vu for 9d…

Comments are closed.