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.
QuickLinks:
Print today's WEB puzzle
Jump directly to today’s solution.
Jump directly to the explanations of today’s clues.
Across
1 USS Endorser in 1968 (4,2,3,1.1.1.1.)
10 Little Kenneth, at the start of the day, sat with the sun (7)
11 Left one with company at the entrance under cover (7)
12 The Nautilus, Red October and Das Boot perhaps? (6)
15 This ought to be purchased (6)
16 Don't pay what's due on the flat (7)
17 Without my French monarch I bow anyway (4)
18 One in a hundred? This one time it's quite the opposite! (4)
19 I hear the medic got sober, to fix that vessel (7)
20 I'd back me to make us change (4)
22 He's a grand ... a grand man for leading the prayers (4)
24 Upset? Anyone would be upset by Dee (7)
26 Say hello to Elvis while taking a walk (6)
27 That narwhal's head has ears that got closer together (6)
30 The U.N.'s team is here, so take a turn and loosen up (7)
31 That's a huge steak, Batman! (4,3)
32 Perhaps spruce up a window in Oregon in 1965? (9,4)
Down
2 The sharp play crib with one ace (7)
3 In Mayo, Ed fell over after this (6)
4 The number 500 is ... is agreeable (4)
5 Get these from Rose's ship (4)
6 We’d hear, “to … or? (6)
7 Mite fly from pole to pole (7)
8 Stands in without disruption in 1964 (5,3,5)
9 Don T. didn't come through in 1969 (3'1,3,2,4)
13 Rushing headlong into something made of granite (7)
14 Turns over to see RTE signing this (5,2)
15 Need N after B to make a dirty word (7)
21 Gets by and creates a new hairstyle? (5,2)
23 The country setting of a white, Spanish house (7)
24 I hear Anne tied him up (6)
25 Take the nails from Tom - it's December, Denis! (6)
28 Lesley Hornby looked like one of these? (4)
29 How a mixer is stopped? (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 USS Endorser in 1968 (4,2,3,1.1.1.1.)
BACK IN THE U.S.S.R.
Rewriting the clue as “USS (Endorse)R” reveals the answer … Endorse (BACK) IN THE (USSR), a hit for the Beatles in 1968.
10 Little Kenneth, at the start of the day, sat with the sun (7)
WEE-KEN-D
Little (WEE) Kenneth (KEN) at the start of the d-ay (D) = WEEKEND: Saturday (sat) with Sunday (sun).
11 Left one with company at the entrance under cover (7)
PORT-I-CO
Left (PORT) one (I) with company (CO) = PORTICO: at the entrance under cover.
12 The Nautilus, Red October and Das Boot perhaps? (6)
SUB-SET
A set of famous, and fictional, submarines = SUBSET
15 This ought to be purchased (6)
B-OUGHT
To be (B) ought (OUGHT) = BOUGHT: this is purchased.
16 Don't pay what's due on the flat (7)
DEFAULT
An anagram of “due” on the "flat” = DEFAULT: don’t pay.
17 Without my French monarch I bow anyway (4)
ARCH
MON-ARCH without my French (MON) = ARCH: I bow anyway.
18 One in a hundred? This one time it's quite the opposite! (4)
ON(C)E
One in a hundred, quite the opposite, is ‘a hundred in one'. In one (ON-E) a hundred (C) = ONCE: this one time.
19 I hear the medic got sober to fix that vessel (7)
DRY-DOCK
I hear the medic got sober, he/she is a ‘dry doc’, sounds like DRYDOCK: to fix that vessel.
20 I'd back me to make us change (4)
D’I-ME
I’d back (D’I) me (ME) = DIME: to make U.S. change.
22 He's a grand ... a grand man for leading the prayers (4)
I-M-A-M
A grand (I M) a grand (A M) = IMAM: a man for leading the prayers, in the Muslim faith.
24 Upset? Anyone would be upset by Dee (7)
ANNOYE-D
“Anyone” would be upset, an anagram (ANNOYE) by Dee (D) = ANNOYED: upset.
26 Say hello to Elvis while taking a walk (6)
HI-KING
Say hello (HI) to Elvis (KING) = HIKING: while taking a walk.
27 That narwhal's head has ears that got closer together (6)
N-EARED
That n-arwhal’s head (N) has ears (EARED) = NEARED: that got closer together.
30 The U.N.'s team is here, so take a turn and loosen up (7)
U.N.’S-CREW
The U.N.’s (U.N.’S) team is here (CREW) = UNSCREW: so take a turn and loosen up.
31 That's a huge steak, Batman! (4,3)
HOLY COW
Robin might say to Batman, on seeing a huge steak, “HOLY COW!”
32 Perhaps spruce up a window in Oregon in 1965? (9,4)
NORWEGIAN WOOD
An anagram of “a window” in “Oregon” = NORWEGIAN WOOD: perhaps spruce? A hit for the Beatles in 1965.
Down
2 The sharp play crib with one ace (7)
ACERBIC
Play, an anagram, “crib” with one “ace” = ACERBIC: the sharp.
3 In Mayo, Ed fell over after this (6)
KEEL-ED
In Mayo (KEEL) Ed (ED) = KEELED: and ‘KEELED over’ is “fell”.
4 The number 500 is ... is agreeable (4)
NO-D’S
The number (NO) 500 is (D’S) = NODS: is agreeable.
5 Get these from Rose's ship (4)
HIPS
An anagram of “ship” = HIPS: get these from roses.
6 We’d hear, “to … or? (6)
UP(RO-OT)
“To … or”, UP, is ROOT = UPROOT: weed (sounds like “we’d”).
7 Mite fly from pole to pole (7)
S(MIDGE)N
From pole (S) fly (MIDGE) to pole (N) = SMIDGEN: mite.
8 Stands in without disruption in 1964 (5,3,5)
TWI(ST AND S)HOUT
“Without” disruption, an anagram (TWI-HOUT) stands in (STANDS) = TWIST AND SHOUT, a hit for the Beatles in 1964.
9 Don T. didn't come through in 1969 (3'1,3,2,4)
DON’T LET ME DOWN
Don. T (DON’T) didn’t come through (LET ME DOWN) = DON’T LET ME DOWN, a hit for the Beatles in 1969.
13 Rushing headlong into something made of granite (7)
TEARING
Something made of, an anagram of, “granite” = TEARING: rushing headlong.
14 Turns over to see RTE signing this (5,2)
HANDS ON
See RTE signing on HANDS ON, the television programme for the deaf community. And HANDS ON is “turns over”.
15 Need N after B to make a dirty word (7)
B(LACK)EN
After 'b' (B) need (LACK) 'n' (EN) = BLACKEN: to make a “dirty” word.
21 Gets by and creates a new hairstyle? (5,2)
MAKES DO
Creates (MAKES) a new hairstyle (DO) = MAKES DO: gets by.
23 The country setting of a white, Spanish house (7)
MOROCCO
A white house in Spanish is “Casablanca”, the city set in the country of MOROCCO.
24 I hear Anne tied him up (6)
AN-DREW
I hear Anne tied up, Anne drew, sounds like ANDREW: him.
25 Take the nails from Tom - it's December, Denis! (6)
DEC-LAW
It’s December (DEC) Denis (LAW) = DECLAW: take the nails from tom (the cat).
28 Lesley Hornby looked like one of these? (4)
TWIG
Lesley Hornby became famous as TWIG-GY.
29 How a mixer is stopped? (4)
WHOA
“How a” mixer, an anagram = WHOA: one way to try to stopping a mixer!
5 comments:
Hi Bill
You did tell us that we'd be hearing plenty of the Beatles in the Arias...but it took me a while to TWIG their presence in the actual puzzle today...I think I got nervous when I saw the clue to 1a.... my track record for anything military and all that....and then all the dates....and then the submarines...
Anyway once I gathered my composure, I started to fill in the 'easy' ones(WEEKEND got me started)and then when I looked at 1a again...
....had the 'K' from KEELED in at that stage....I saw the 'endorse/back' connection...and I was on a roll! The other 3 fell into place (NORWEGIAN WOOD came last).
I struggled hard to get the last four...them being SMIDGEN, BLACKEN, HANDS ON....and finally....DRYDOCK...the last taking quite a while, me thinking DRYDOCK was two words or at least hyphenated...well, that's my excuse anyway!
Also, having the 'R' from TEARING filled very early on in my efforts, I was full sure that the word started with DR....which it did!...but I thought that was the DOCTOR part sorted....and that the SOBER bit followed...it was only when I got the C from BLACKEN that I saw the DOC(k) possibility at the end...an excellent clue Bill....one of those clues that eludes forever...and seems so obvious when eventually solved!
Really liked the short ones WHOA, IMAM, NODS...also UPROOT, UNSCREW, HIKING and HANDS ON...when it finally registered....got it from the 'signing' ref eventually but the 'turns over' was a mystery (for ages I thought it was an anagram indicator)...only 'got' it when I read your explanation!
Lesley Hornby...only got that when I had the W and G from across clues...knew I'd heard the name but...the ol' memory....
Wild showers of (not so soft) Irish rain today....(water butts filling nicely!)lovely sunshine between mad heavy showers so having a lazy 'at home' day...(oh to be in Casablanca, Spanish or Moroccan!)....have Tommy's down to one unsolved...26d...I'd say I'm just going to have to pack it in at that...but I'll just hang on a wee while in the hope of divine intervention!
Thanks for a great puzzle Bill...and for all your work on the blog...and nearly forgot....a very good print-out today! And sorry this turned into a 'tome' of a comment....
Liz
Liz,
Thanks for taking the time to give such a comprehensive critique :o) I greatly appreciate it.
I'm glad you mentioned starting into the "easy" clues. I have learned that it's important to have a varying degree of difficulty in a puzzle, with some "gimmes" to get going. Nothing worse than looking at a blank grid for 20 minutes.
When I tried this puzzle myself, I finished up in the middle of the grid too. I actually "softened" a couple of clues there in order to make them more guessable. It's very helpful hearing where you started and where you finished, as it is syncs up my own prediction ahead of time. I thought the HANDS ON clue was a little tough, but I was compelled to leave the Irish reference in.
I thought DRYDOCK was two words as well, and found online that it is used that way a lot. But, the dictionary gave DRYDOCK as being more correct, so I stuck with it.
Thanks for being such a stalwart and checking out the puzzle once again, Liz. Glad to hear the printout worked. Tommy helped me with that, but he was reporting some strange bold vs normal type face issues.
In Tommy's puzzle I had one blank left as well, but also one wrong answer. Good puzzle, though. Going to get him next week!
Sunny here today, of course. After two days of barbecues, planning on staying here in the back garden all day. Want to put up some hanging baskets of tomatoes and basil, and just do nothing else!
Enjoy that lovely rain, Liz, you lucky thing!
Bill
My print-out was perfectly clear i.e. no normal vs. bold type face problems...but the font size is considerably smaller than Tommy's....the ageing eyes...and they were never great first day!....
Liz
Liz,
Thanks for the feedback on the .pdf. Once I get access to my desktop (darn visitors!) I have more options in terms of page design. Had to use the "crossword application" defaults this weekend.
Muchos thankos!
Hi Bill,
Printed out fine this week..only problem (minor) was that the numbers of the clues were a little too close to the words.
I forgot that you mentioned the Beatles earlier in the week but got IA straightaway due to the 60s ref and the '4,2,3,1,1,1,1' formation ..seriously what else could it be?..which led me to the other Beatles' numbers. My favourite was 'drydock' and my last was 'hands on' as I don't watch much telly and I got it from the 'turns over' rather than the signing but thought it referred to the little person in the corner of the screen doing the 'signing'...forgot about the programme title! Fairly doable puzzle all round and figured Lesley Hornby was Twiggy as XWd fiend warned you not to use fictitious names now didn't he? I think Liz has comprehensively covered everything else..I presume Keel is the little beach on the Atlantic coast of Achill? Beautiful spot!
Oiche Mhaith...Moley
Post a Comment