Today's cryptic was heavy on the anagrams. There were many cheats and only a couple I simply had no idea. Where I had gaps I went to Fifteen squared and got their solutions. Let's dig in, here's the pic:
9A - One with sixteen wheels carrying international concerns (9) "Concerns," is our definition and here, for a change, "one" = A as the first letter of the alphabet, "sixteen wheels " is fodder and anagrind although I've seen "wheels" used as a reversal signpost before. We are one letter short so "carrying I nternational" = I to be chucked into the mix to give us ANXIETIES. 10A - Asian touring Zaire? (5) "Asian," is our definition and "touring Zaire ," is anagrind and fodder that gives us AZERI. That was a bit of tedious work with the anagram solver to see which variations of either "Asian" or "Zaire" made the most sense. I'd never heard of of someone being referred to as an Azeri person before, but it makes sense. 11A - Wide? Stumped! End of innings (5) "Wide," is our definition and I'm sensing something cricket related which makes me uncomfortable. Is "stumped" a one word instruction to stump or shorten itself to ST and, well if I think baseball (screw cricket) innings end after six OUTs giving us STOUT. I'm sure that's not exactly right but it worked for me. 12A - Demonstrate freely, not as bothered (9) "Bothered," is our definition and "Demonstrate freely " is fodder and anagrind but we have too many letters, "not AS," = -AS leaving DEMONTRTE to remix into TORMENTED. 13A - Aardvark or elephant? Be a risky selection (7) "Aardvark" is our definition and skip to the end for the suspicious word "selection", no ignore the word "risky" and it's possible anagrind temptations when "selection" could be a hidden word. Sure toy with the clue looking for fodder - you'll find it. You won't even realise the answer was right under your nose the whole time, sneaky-snugged in "eleph ANT BE A R isky ," 14A - European shake up enabling Norway to leave (7) "European," is our definition and "shake up enabling, " is anagrind and fodder but it has too many letters so "N orway to leave ," = -N so remix EABLING to get BELGIAN. 17A - Former PM Blair abandoning the centre, now criminal (5) "Former PM," is our definition and "B lai R abandoning the centre ," means remove the centre letters of "blair" to get BR, then "now criminal " is fodder and anagrind to give us BR(OWN) for Gordon Brown. 19A - Early or later? (3) Double definition: OLD where "early man" means man from a long time ago and "later" could be "later in life" types are old? Maybe just "late" would've been better. 20A - Sound, sound material (5) Very straightforward double definition with a convenient comma leading us to CHORD. 21A - Field swirls with blues and other colours (7) I got this with definition and cross letters and I figured "blues" = LOWS but I'm not sure about the word for "fields" that we are to "swirl" which could be a reversal signpost. Answer is YELLOWS. Fifteen squared offers "Reversal (“swirls”) of LEY=lea=”Field”, plus LOWS=”blues”. 22A - At first, Pompeii's lava flowed about, circling commotion (7) "Commotion," is our definition and "at first P ompeii," = P and "lava flowed ," is fodder and anagrind then "about, circling " = RE reversed to ER to make P(ALAV)(ER) 24A - It clambers off road to begin with? (9) "It clambers" is our definition but don't think those words are done we still need "clambers off" as it is fodder and anagrind but one letter short so "Road to begin" = R to be tossed around (or just stick to the end of) to make SCRAMBLER. Fifteen Squared says just "it" is our definition but that's far too vague for a definition. My way has "clambers" doing double duty so how can we win? 26A - Half of Amsterdam's compounds go with speed (5) "Speed" is our definition and "half of AMSTErdam's, compounds " means use half of the word Amsterdam to get AMSTE and "compound" is an anagrind so mix those letters to get STEAM. I figured it was to mean "under your own steam" or like steam train. When we slow down we run "out of steam." 28A - Sorry to cover earth with grass (5) "Grass" is our definition and I got this with cross letters and definition. I know "earth" = E which leaves "sorry to cover" to mean we need a synonym of "sorry" to go around the E. Answer is WHEAT which means "sorry" = WHAT. I can only imagine my deaf parents shouting "What?! Why are you mumbling?" I used to stand behind my father and say "Miracle ear." and he'd not hear me but the man refused to get a hearing aid. 29A - As reported in Dublin, 300 signs of growth (4,5) I had to cheat and then I cringed. Thanks to Fifteen squared for explaining this "signs of growth”. TREE sounds like ‘three’ in an Irish accent, plus RINGS=”00″ As reported , in Dublin" where "reported" is a homophone signpost and we need the homophone to be in an Irish accent. "Three" = TREE and 00 = RINGS meaning "signs of growth" = TREE RINGS. 1D - How long it took God to create, say (4) I got this from definition and cross letters and it seemed to me more like a straight clue and not cryptic as all. I was thinking of the creation story and how it was done in DAYS. Fifteen squared offers the cryptic definition "” How long it took God to create”. D[eus]=”God” plus (say)* 2D - No more Post Office? Right time to deliver abroad (6) "To deliver abroad" is our definition and "no more" = EX, "P ost O ffice" = PO, "right" = R and "time" = T all to give us EXPORT. All very standard clueing devices which is right in my comfort zone. 3D - Get comfortable with ET? Listen to alien (6,4) "Get comfortable," is our definition and "ET listen to , alien " is fodder and anagrind to give us SETTLE INTO. 4D - Trite composition follows B sharp (6) "Sharp," is our definition and "trite composition, " is fodder and anagrind but one letter short so "follows B," = B so we mix-up trite+B to get BITTER. 5D - Put down a small plot, after felony was twice curtailed (8) "Put down," is our definition and "A Small" = A S, "plot" = BED like a flower bed, to be placed "after " a word for "felony" = CRIME that is "twice curtailed ," or had its last two letters removed for CRI to make: A(S)(CRI)(BED) 6D - Light from television system needs energy (4)"Light," is our definition and why did so many of the small word clues stump me? "Television system," = PAL and that has to do with number of lines on screen and frame rates used as standard in different countries. Our DVDs bought from the USA wouldn't work in UK machines because the USA uses NTSC, the UK used PAL. It would've been kinder (but obvious) to clue "digital" or "movie" or something. "Energy" = E as it usually does to give us PALE.
7D - It's minute ’n' massless (or thereabouts) (8) I figured we were needing to go subatomic for this one and just needed to narrow down which particle the clue wanted. The parentheses threw me for a bit. "It's minute n massless " says remove the M (Mass = M, less to subtract) from: -M(INUTE N) then "OR thereabouts " means add the OR and then mix up those to get NEUTRINO. 8D - Time to mock up original design (4) I was completely stumped by this clue and after cheating to get BIRD, I was none the wiser. Fifteen squared says "”Time”, slang for a prison sentence. Reversal (“up”) of RIB=”mock” plus D[esign] riginal D esign" is telling us to use the D. That's a new signpost for me, I'll add that to my list. 13D - Top Cat pinches Dibble's seat in church (5) I loved the surface of this clue so much - cartoons from my childhood! I was very disappointed to not get the answer. I think I was trying too hard. "Top Cat" = TABBY -T for ABBY as we've removed the "top" of a word for "cat," then "pinched dibbl E 's seat " = E going "in " to ABBY to make a word for "church" = ABB(E)Y. A great clue. (It did cause a bit of a bunfight in the puzzle's comments section though) 15D - Bad luck splitting rent rates below student flat (10) I knew there was an anagram in here but there were so many action words that it was hard to know what to do and where."Flat," is our definition and "bad luck ," is anagrind and partial fodder, then "splitting, rent rates" is telling us to split the word RATES and then mix it up around the mixed-up "LUCK" but we are still a letter short! "Student" = L for "learner" and we put it together like: L(A(CKLU)STER) 16D - Bottom of storm drain (5) With cross letters I could see "storm drain" was anagrind and fodder and just needed to work out which variation made a word for our definition "bottom." NADIR , a new word for me. 18D - Locations of birds or eels, 50% with snakes (8) "Locations of birds," is our definition and "or eels , %50 WI th , snakes ," means that "or eels" is partial fodder, "half WIth" = WI and "snakes " is our anagrind so we mix OREELSWI to get OWLERIES. Don't ask me to say that word because my accent just won't let me and I will not let you laugh at me. 19D - Fish in batter to be past its sell-by date (8) "Past its sell-by date," is our definition and "fish" = SOLE to go "in " "batter to be ," is anagrind and fodder to give us OB(SOLE)TE. 22D - He carries Philip or Terry inside (6) Here I go again, seeing the words, knowing something is going on but not seeing what's right before me. "Inside" is a hidden word signpost and "philiP OR TER erry " becomes the one who carries. 23D - European city where 6 queen was raised (6) I had cross letters which made this a lot easier. "European city" is our definition and "6" = VI as the Roman numerals, "queen, was raised " is all we have left so our usual ER for "queen" won't work. We need another queen and then her name is reversed. We want ANNE , to give us VI(ENNA). 24D - Plants and animals? (4) Double definition: SOWS. 25D - Maybe algebra, trigonometry, histograms, primes for Americans? (4) I did not understand the definition here but could solve the clue. "Primes" is an initialism signpost for the first of something so looking at the first letters " M aybe A lgebra, T rigonometry, H istograms," = MATH. "For Americans," threw me because what is this saying about Americans and math? We can do math. Fifteen squared answered " the American spelling of maths " Oh, okay. Brits do like using superfluous letters. All those random Us in words, like "odour," are why I tell people I speak English in three languages. Almost four, I'm getting better at Australian. 27D - Fashion icon's very upset to wear two dress sizes (4) I think I'm decided now: I hate little clues, they are the worst. I knew I was looking for a "Fashion icon," but, not for the first time, "very" = SO tripped me up. I really dislike that clue device mostly because I can never remember it. It's not natural for me to use "so" in that way. I don't use "so" to mean "very" as it sounds too Valley Girl to me and I made an effort to shun that verbal tic. All sounds like sour grapes I'm sure because I had to cheat and then look up on Fifteen Squared on how this was solved... and I have shame; " Fashion icon”, Kate Moss. Reversal (“upset”) of SO=”very”, inside M[edium] and S[mall], two dress sizes " I can only try harder to remember "very" = SO. this is maybe the 5th or 6th time I've missed that.
I'm done. We're done! Doesn't that feel nice? This one wasn't as hard as yesterday and I think the large amount of anagrams is the reason. Still plenty of new tricks to try and get my head around and I do need to learn a bit more about the UK. Seems my 15 years there wasn't enough. That said, even the few American cryptics I find I'm lost in as I've been away for 19 years and things have changed. I'm in a continental cryptic limbo.
On reading the comments for this puzzle on the Guardian website a few people mentioned a theme - there was a theme? I missed that! How did I miss a theme? It seems there's a beer theme: Pale, Brown, Export, Stout, Wheat, Porter, Abbey, Bitter...well look at that, a beer theme. I don't drink beer (I like cider) so it never occurred to me until someone mentioned it. It would've made some of those clues easier to get! Did I miss any?
Don't know whose puzzle is set for today, I have to wait until 11am to find out (damned daylight savings) but I'm looking forward to it. Hoping for a Nutmeg or Boatman. Enjoy your day!
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