As a reminder, the Sunday slot is open for anyone who wants to post his or her own, original crossword. Just contact me and I will help you with the mechanics of compiling and posting.
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Across
1 Criticise, and I see you go to pieces (5)
4 "Yob!", a film (5,1,3)
9 A street in Pennsylvania liked by Italians (5)
10 Diverts Diana's tractors, or not (9)
11 Feel sorry for the topless troupe (3)
13 Things that are in loud commercials (4)
14 It's wildly careless of them meeting the customers (5,5)
15 It's cheap and vulgar in the middle of the state (3)
16 It wasn't raining when Don drove his Chevy there (5)
17 Turn it into a copy after he was so frantic (6)
20 Just one, but Gustav had seven! (6)
21 Write back about Wesley Tailor (5)
24 A mouse does this with 33 across (3)
26 These are 51 hundredths (10)
27 That hit was around before you (4)
28 No one else hides this fish so long (3)
30 Behind the post office, the rioters made their move (9)
31 You are in Northern Ireland? Gee, just sail off! (5)
32 They joined in - let's see the last three dance (9)
33 No gem, but a saint in gym class (5)
Down
1 Smoke these no more (8)
2 Drop it quickly, before I have your boy back, Ed (8)
3 This woman cleans up with no end of charm (4)
5 He won't drop the shellfish, so he has the bill (13)
6 Played it first, with the most careful (10)
7 So, Da, I parked the car in the B&B (6)
8 Rout the enemy's pawns (3-3)
10 VDEENAITCHE (5,2,6)
12 It sounds like you try to yank it (1.1.1.)
15 I am this long (3,7)
18 I am this long (3, 5)
19 Award her and upset Peter and his ego (8)
22 Patrick's upended the French potato (6)
23 Craft the 45 around the SE (6)
25 Exploit every second in Ulster (3)
29 After fifty, the ref just sits there (4)
Here is each clue alongside its answer, with an explanation of the link between clue and answer. I hope it all makes sense! As always, I welcome feedback via comment and/or email. I’m particularly interested in hearing about clues that were too obvious or easy, and clues that were annoying or perhaps caused frustration. But, I’ll listen to all suggestions on how to make my puzzles more challenging and more fun!
Across
1 Criticise, and I see you go to pieces (5)
PAN-I-C
Criticise (PAN) and I see (I C) = PANIC: you go to pieces.
4 "Yob!", a film (5,1,3)
ABOUT A BOY
“Yob a” is ‘a boy’ turned about = ABOUT A BOY, an excellent 2002 film starring Hugh Grant.
9 A street in Pennsylvania liked by Italians (5)
P(A-ST)A
A street (A ST) in Pennsylvania (PA) = PASTA: liked by Italians.
10 Diverts Diana's tractors, or not (9)
DI’S-TRACTS
Diana’s (DI’S) tract-OR-s, or not, drop the OR (TRACTS) = DISTRACTS: diverts.
11 Feel sorry for the topless troupe (3)
RUE
The topless T-r-O-u-P-e, less the TOP = RUE: feel sorry for.
13 Things that are in loud commercials (4)
F-ADS
Loud (F) commercials (ADS) = FADS: things that are in.
14 It's wildly careless of them meeting the customers (5,5)
SALES FORCE
It’s wildly careless of, an anagram of “careless of” = SALES FORCE: them meeting the customers.
15 It's cheap and vulgar in the middle of the state (3)
TAT
In the middle of the s-tat-e = TAT: it’s cheap and vulgar.
16 It wasn't raining when Don drove his Chevy there (5)
LEVEE
In American Pie, Don McLean “drove his Chevy to the LEVEE but the LEVEE was dry.”
17 Turn it into a copy after he was so frantic (6)
HE-C(TI)C
After he (HE) turn it (TI) into a copy (C-C) = HECTIC: was so frantic.
20 Just one, but Gustav had seven! (6)
PLANET
Gustav Holtz wrote the PLANETS, and there were seven of them, but just one for this answer.
21 Write back about Wesley Tailor (5)
SEWER
About (RE) Wesley (WES) = REWES, write back = SEWER: a tailor.
24 A mouse does this with 33 across (3)
CUT
You CUT and PASTE with your mouse on your computer.
26 These are 51 hundredths (10)
TWENTIETHS
5 one-hundredths are TWENTIETHS. This was your Sunday maths test …
27 That hit was around before you (4)
SWA-T
Was around, an anagram (SWA) before you, "u", before u in the alphabet, (T) = SWAT: that hit.
28 No one else hides this fish so long (3)
EEL
No on-E El-se hides EEL: the fish so long.
30 Behind the post office, the rioters made their move (9)
POSTERIOR
The post office (PO) the rioters made their move, an anagram (STERIOR) = POSTERIOR: behind.
31 You are in Northern Ireland? Gee, just sail off! (5)
U-N(R)I-G
You (U) are, R, in Northern Ireland (N-R-I) gee (G) = UNRIG: take the sail off.
32 They joined in - let's see the last three dance (9)
ENLISTEES
In – let’s see, the last three dance, the last three words are an anagram, “in let’s see” = ENLISTEES: they joined.
33 No gem, but a saint in gym class (5)
PASTE
A saint (A ST) in gym class (P-E) = PASTE: no gem, a fake.
Down
1 Smoke these no more (8)
PIPEFULS
The maximum amount ("no more") of tobacco you can get into a pipe to smoke.
2 Drop it quickly, before I have your boy back, Ed (8)
NOS-ED-I’VE
Your boy, son, back, (NOS) Ed (ED) before I have (I’VE) = NOSEDIVE: a quick drop.
3 This woman cleans up with no end of charm (4)
CHAR
“Char-m” with “no end” is CHAR, and a CHAR-woman cleans up.
5 He won't drop the shellfish, so he has the bill (13)
OYSTERCATCHER
The shellfish (OYSTER) he won’t drop it (CATCHER) = OYSTERCATCHER: a bird, with a bill, that feeds on shellfish.
6 Played it first, with the most careful (10)
THRIFTIEST
Played, an anagram of, “it first” with “the” = THRIFTIEST: most careful.
7 So, Da, I parked the car in the B&B (6)
I (I) parked the car (CAR) in the B&B (B-B) = BICARB: short for bicarbonate of “so-da”.
8 Rout the enemy's pawns (3-3)
Rout the enemy’s, an anagram of “enemy’s” = YES-MEN: pawns.
10 VDEENAITCHE (5,2,6)
DEATH IN VENICE
Intermingle the word DEATH in the word VENICE to get v-D-e-E-n-A-i-T-c-H-e. DEATH IN VENICE is a famous novella by Thomas Mann, and a 1971 film starring Dirk Bogarde.
12 It sounds like you try to yank it (1.1.1.)
U.S.A.
You try, ‘you essay’, sounds like U.S.A., where you might find a “yank” … no offence!
15 I am this long (3,7)
TEN LETTERS
I, the answer, am TEN LETTERS long.
18 I am this long (3, 5)
TWO WORDS
And I, the answer, am TWO WORDS long.
19 Award her and upset Peter and his ego (8)
PROTEGEE
Upset, an anagram, of “Peter” and his “ego” = PROTEGEE: a-ward.
22 Patrick's upended the French potato (6)
STAP-LE
Patrick’s, Pat’s, upended (S’TAP) the French (LE) = STAPLE; like the potato.
23 Craft the 45 around the SE (6)
V(ESS-E)L
The 45 (V-L) around the SE (ESS-E) = VESSEL: craft.
25 Exploit every second in Ulster (3)
USE
Every second (letter) in “U-l-S-t-E-r” = USE: exploit.
29 After fifty, the ref just sits there (4)
L-UMP
After fifty (L) the ref (UMP) = LUMP: just sits there … the lazy lump!
This is an image of the puzzle, for printing:
3 comments:
Hi Bill
Great puzzle....and yes! TANTARA! And no Bill, it wasn't too easy, I was just good today!
Mind you, had a few guesses....PLANET (didn't get the 'Gustav' ref. though I’m listening to Jupiter on YouTube as I write…..started listening to Mars but it was a bit dark! You're expanding my knowledge of classical music !)
25d USE filled itself in for me from the across clues but it was a clever one...don't recall seeing 'every second' before?
You had some really nice flourishes today Bill....loved 32a's use of 'the last three dance' to indicate the anagram and also copped your use of 'before you'....though you had warned us you'd make use of that cue!
Liked 17a HECTIC, hadn't seen 'cc' used before...ABOUT A BOY brought a smile (watched Notting Hill again during the week, movies with Hugh Grant always bring a smile!). PROTEGEE was tight.
TEN LETTERS and TWO WORDS made life a little easier...thank you! And can't finish without mentioning POSTERIOR...such a genteel word, utterly replaced by a consortium of words beginning with 'a' these days!
Sunshiney day again here so I'm off to try and rescue some seedlings and plants that should have been given more TLC....
Really enjoyed today's crossword...lot's of smiles in it.
Hope you're having a great trip.
Liz
Hi Liz,
Thx for checking out the puzzle. I think you're getting to know my litle tricks, so I have to come up with a few more if I am going to avoid a fanfare of tantaras :o)
Jupiter is my favorite of the Planets, and the main theme has to be the most "English" sounding music that has ever been written. Good stuff!
Glad you appreciated the the "last three dance" signal. I find it really difficult to come up with anagram signals that aren't "in your face", but I feel that they need to be included to be fair to the solver. I might be too obsessive about that though, so I might reconsider.
I had the TEN LETTERS and TWO WORDS doublet in a puzzle that I canned because it was too easy. I dragged them out for this one in an effort to give a little light relief.
Been in the garden all week myself planting stuff (way late again this year). Looking forward to getting back to it tomorrow. Lots of stuff still out there for the compost bin!
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