A Puzzle by Radler
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid
As Radler lunchtime diversions go this wasn't as difficult as many of them are.  Still a toughie but do-able with thought. A pangram with a Nina even I could spot – the title of the puzzle is a good hint as to where to look!
Across
1a Guards affected the forecast (6)
YEOMEN: An affected way of saying the and a sign of a future event (omen)
5a Compliance of one wandering old city walls (8)
DOCILITY: An anagram (wandering) of OLD CITY ‘walls’ or goes round the Roman numeral for one
9a Overtake cycling: claim mostly from gravity (8)
LEAPFROG: Cycle a claim (the BRB shows this as Shakespearean) then add most of FROm and the symbol for Gravity
10a Noisy vibrator drained battery, calm restored (6)
CYMBAL: An anagram (restored) of the outside letters (drained) of BatterY and CALM
11a Runs back to produce tears (4)
REND: The definition is a particular pronunciation of ‘tears’ – the cricket abbreviation for Runs and the back of something
12a Angry at first, rioting splits men who started it (10)
ORIGINATOR: The first letter of Angry inserted into an anagram (splits) of RIOTING, some Ordinary Ranks of soldiers (men) being added at the end
13a Studies contribution from those duteously retiring (6)
ETUDES: Hidden in reverse (contribution from …. retiring) in thoSE DUTEously
15a The rest of the players and me? (4-4)
HALF-TIME: ME is HALF of TIME
17a Courses announced quietly, vote for Republican government supporter (8)
TAXPAYER: A homophone (announced) of ships’ courses, the musical abbreviation meaning quietly, a vote for something and the abbreviation for Republican
20a Run off with a black pipe (6)
ABDUCT: A (from the clue) the abbreviation for Black and a pipe
22a Worker protest reveals secret dismissals (10)
STRIKEOUTS: A protest by workers, makes public (reveals secret)
24a Teenager spots instrument that lady left for son (4)
ZITS: A stringed musical instrument without ‘that lady’ but with the abbreviation for Son
25a Network kidnapping child of five nag family member (6)
EQUINE: A mobile phone network known by its initials ‘kidnapping’ one of five children born at the same time
26a Parking reported around doorway periodically spreading (8)
DIASPORA: A reversal (around) of the abbreviation for Parking and a simple way of saying reported, followed by the even (periodically) of dOoRwAy
27a Loaded couple provides accommodation for four couples (8)
WEIGHTED: Couple or join in matrimony into which is inserted (provides accommodation for) a number that is total of four pairs (couples)
28a Ultimately this logic may put health before cut (6)
SCYTHE: The ultimate letters of thiS logiC maY puT healtH beforE
Down
2d What gets hot in a kettle? Water? (7)
ELEMENT: What heats water in a kettle? Or what water is an example of
3d Was sulky, half-heartedly did the cleaning (5)
MOPED: Â Did the cleaning with a particular implement without its middle letter (half-heartedly)
4d Run over largely rebuilt arch with trepidation (9)
NERVOUSLY: An anagram (rebuilt) of most of RUN OVEr followed by arch in the sense of cunning
5d Sharks cheat girlfriend and I keep quiet (7)
DOGFISH: Â Cheat or swindle, an abbreviated girlfriend, I (from the clue) and an instruction to be quiet
6d Around middle of back, it postures they grow spines (5)
CACTI: The Latin abbreviation for around, the middle two letters of bACk and an anagram (postures really??) of IT
7d Roasted young animal like little bear (9)
LAMBASTED: A young sheep, an adverb meaning like and an affectionate diminutive name for a small child’s bear
8d Drinking establishment bouncer inside? (7)
TEAROOM: An informal name for a bouncing marsupial in(side) a side
14d Eavesdrop at the edges during energetic stripping (9)
DEPRIVING: The ‘edges’ of EavesdroP inserted into forcible or motivating
16d Many sailors' guides (9)
LOADSTARS: A large quantity and some sailors
18d Curiosity meant I questioned crowds (7)
ANTIQUE: ‘Crowds’ indicating that the solution is hidden in words two, three and four of the clue
19d Sensible, but wanting final bit of pudding, became plump (7)
ROUNDED: Sensible or rational but without the letter that is the final bit of puddinG
21d Discharge from clubs, a stain on case for research (7)
CATARRH: The abbreviation for the card suit of Clubs, A (from the clue), smear or stain with a particular substance and the outside letters (case for) of ResearcH
23d Basically extremely cold in plane, leave it quickly? (5)
EJECT: Â The first letter (basically) of Extremely and the abbreviation for Cold inserted into a type of plane
24d Quick, pluck instruction from below focus of eye (5)
ZIPPY: Radler intended that this clue should be a reversal (from below) of a musical abbreviation meaning play by plucking the strings followed by the ‘focus’ of eYe. The only trouble is that the abbreviation has two Zs!
The NINAs reading upwards are Westerly and Easterly
Radler is always tough with clever wordplay but perhaps he has mellowed slightly for this one. I enjoyed it a lot.
There is a pangram and a dual Nina (the latter might have helped if I’d spotted them before I’d finished)..
I particularly liked 11a, 15a, 24a, 7d and 8d.
The title of the puzzle was in itself a puzzle until I had filled the grid and subsequently found the dual Nina – so, as also reported by Gazza, it did not help with solving. Sadly, I failed to spot the pangram – I rarely do, despite the appearance of letters that should put me on ‘pangram alert’! Unusually for a Radler puzzle, the dictionary was not called into play except to confirm an alternative spelling in 16d. Although I have filled the grid, I’m not confident about the vowel used in 24d as I have yet to fully unravel the wordplay in the clue. I’ll continue to mull it over…
With many fine clues to choose from, my favourites were evenly balanced between the two directions: 9, 10, 15 & 27 across and 7, 16, 19 & 23 down.
Many thanks to Radler for compiling a very entertaining and elegantly constructed puzzle.
I’ve mulled it over and now believe I understand the intention in 24d and therefore the correct vowel; but I do wonder if the word/abbreviation indicated in the wordplay has a different double consonant to that required in the answer…
I may have misunderstood something, so hopefully all will be clarified in the review
Mea culpa. Many years of playing the violin as a child and teenager, my brain sees that instruction even when it’s misspelled
Thanks, Radler. That definitively clears it up!
I’m puzzled about the parsing of 24d too; maybe I’ve missed something subtle or even obvious. The way I see it is: the pluck instruction is PIZZ, which needs overturning (from below) + focus (centre) of eYe. But that gives:
Z
Z
I
P
Y
I do hope definitive clarification does appear in the review later.
CS. Thank you for the clarification re 24d. Much appreciated.