Welcome to our new setter Spritzer. Brickbats and bouquets welcome.
Three answers per commenter (Annotations compulsory) till 6PM.
As far as possible please provide your three answers in one comment.
ACROSS
6 Tongue held back by engineer for ambience (7)
7 Gather a crowd (5)
9 Stop Oriental's ruin (4)
10 Routine course of study (10)
11 Compassionate? Not me (8)
13 Many spectacles led son astray (6)
15 Mistake going topless at church recess (4)
17 Building Gates' dais (5)
18 Old selection of mag editions (4)
19 Physical binder, switching sides, at the end. (6)
20 Every year, men ran up in confusion (3,5)
23 A favourite you consumed to sustain (10)
26 Alone on 17 nearly (4)
27 Presenter mixed up at the start and forgot to finish food? (5)
28 Empires conquered by argument? (7)
DOWN
1 Peripheral result? (4,6)
2 Touch heart of Friend (6)
3 Dirty place to eat? (4)
4 Top shooter and I alone (8)
5 Post, he heard (4)
6 Hamper traitor in church (5)
8 Screen I turned in earnest (7)
12 Small group for rascal (5)
14 Almost perish, faithless and distinctive (10)
16 Necessity for youngster, I hear? (7)
17 Mixture's formula (8)
21 Check with Englishman inside for cigar (6)
22 American's lifetime employment (5)
24 Nibble or bite (4)
25 Trash spam for current units (4)
Enjoy
25 Trash spam for current units (4) AMPS
ReplyDeleteAMPS*
Delete22 American's lifetime employment (5) US AGE
ReplyDelete8 Screen I turned in earnest (7) SINCERE*
ReplyDelete6A: C(LIMAT<)E
ReplyDelete17A:STAGE=(GATES)*
18A:AGED=T
7 A Mass
ReplyDelete17 Stage*
18 Aged (T)
5D Mail (~male)
Delete12D S Camp
ACROSS
ReplyDelete20: PER ANNUM*
23: PER PET U ATE
30: PREMISE*
I am not entering any answers though I solved many of these pithy clues straight off the bat.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, a good exercise for any experienced solver will be how many of these clues can be cold-solved.
They may be mostly easy clues but they are all well-written, without any doubt.
I like the pseudonym that the setter has chosen for themselves.
Is the setter an international, I wonder.
14D (DI(-e))(AGNOSTIC)
ReplyDelete7A (A)(MASS)
ReplyDeleteACROSS
ReplyDelete11 Compassionate? Not me (8) SELFLESS (CD)
15 Mistake going topless at church recess (4) [-L]APSE
DOWN
1 Peripheral result? (4,6) SIDE-EFFECT (CD)
13A Many spectacles led son astray (6) OODLES {OO}{LED + S}*
ReplyDelete19A Physical binder, switching sides, at the end. (6) MORTAL {MORTAR (binder) -R +L}
4D Top shooter and I alone (8) CAMISOLE {CAM}{I}{SOLE} def = top, shooter = CAM (camera)
Smashing Debut! Simple & elegant clues. Liked 1 D & 11 A.
ReplyDelete11 Compassionate? Not me (8) SELFLESS (CD)
ReplyDeleteDo the parts of speech match? They do, for both 'compassionate' and 'selfless' are adjectives.
Yet if I began writing this Comment, it is because of the words 'Not me' - which suggest that we want is a noun. We can only talk of 'selfless persons or actions' - 'selfless' cannot to me, him, her or them.
I trust I have managed to convey what I have in mind..
Without me - might have fitted here.
DeleteOr not I?
Delete6d: C(RAT)E
ReplyDeleteMany spectacles led son astray
ReplyDelete---
Any guesses as to what these spectacles could be?
Fathers or sons may respond with their suggestions.
A show by Sunny Leone
...
6d: C(RAT)E
ReplyDelete17D SOLUTION (DD)
ReplyDelete10a Routine course of study (10) DISCIPLINE [2]
ReplyDelete16d Necessity // for PRO youngster, I hear? TEIN (~teen) PROTEIN
17d Mixture's formula (8) SOLUTION [2]
16d &lit
DeleteRepl for 17d
ReplyDelete21d Check with Englishman inside for cigar (6) RE(E)FER
9A Stop Oriental's ruin (4) {BAN}{E}
ReplyDelete26A Alone on 17 nearly (4) STAG(-e)
27A Presenter mixed up at the start and forgot to finish food? (5) NACHO [ANCHOR --- A<->N CHO (-r)
3D- Mess- DD
ReplyDeleteEasy but interesting clues- indicated by the speed of answers.
ReplyDeleteOnly 2D left- I am not sure of anno.
28 Empires conquered by argument? (7) Premise empires*
ReplyDeleteOnly yesterday I wrote a clue for a word (in a future puzzle of mine) which is a solution here.
ReplyDeleteI like S's clue very much
The one I came up with was
Joint on free movement (6)
Does this pass muster?
***
For 27d above attempt writing a clue in not more than five words
North American politician gets snack (5)
DeleteChip can return a call (5)
DeleteSnack with Cognac & hot sandwich (5)
DeleteCan a chocolate contain chip?
DeleteSandwich or chocolate i am going to have beef samosas . Thanks to Spritzer. Col got me the other day too :-)
DeleteIn a choice snack?
DeleteNo cha was ordered with snack. (5)
DeleteDefrosted cream was initially not available for making Mexican snack. (5) {NA}{CHO(-ice)}
Delete2D is a bit tricky and alludes to a pop culture reference. An extremely famous reference, though
ReplyDeleteNone of them are my friends though :-)
DeleteYou can give the solution since it is not yet given. I am now getting curious.
ReplyDeleteThese guys are talking about a TV serial character. But why is the capital used in the clue as it's not in plural.
DeleteI think it's a better indication with capitalised F. This is particularly referencing one of the characters in a TV show. Without the capital, it would be a tad misleading.
DeleteJust a small point E is English/ European and not "Englishman" as given in 21d REEFER
ReplyDeleteWrapping up
ReplyDelete2D - (-c)HANDLE(-r) from the TV Series Friehds
I have not watched it but shouldn't it be Friends in the clue ?
DeleteThe show is Friends, but the setter intended it as one of the 6 "Friends" = Friend
DeleteMany good clues. Crisp and simple.
DeleteDoesn't 2D feel a little indirect? Heart of friend leads to IE or RIEN. Now we've to replace friend with CHANDLER and then take out the central letters. However, nice that the setter has capitalised the F in friend.
A sparkler from SPRITZER ! No need for an Alka Seltzer! deserves a Pullitzer prize for a puzzler like this !
DeleteTakes talent to compile such a concise yet cryptic puzzle. Keep 'em coming SPRITZER !
DIAGNOSTIC & CAMISOLE prescribed as the TOPS !!
A comment on a clue here is posted in next day's blog.
ReplyDelete