Solution to 7D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.
Any novice to identify the theme and the Nina.
ACROSS
9 Famous setter seen every now and then in retreat in La Sierra (a club, abroad) (9) ARAUCARIA {lA+sIeRrA+a+ClUb+AbRoAd}<=
12 Tree with unusual floral activity finally replaced by kiss in Hindi cinema (7) BOXWOOD {BO(-lly+x)XWOOD}
13 Made a mistake? Offer redress to some extent (5) ERRED [T]
14 Appalled, I scorn appropriating hip-hop for some junk metal (5,4) SCRAP IRON {I+SCORN}* over {RAP}
16 Sticky substance (a polymer) starts to thicken, unleashing inflammation and warmth (4-11) GOOD-NATUREDNESS {GOO}{DNA}{Th...n}{Un...g}{REDNESS}
19 Extremely crude bots redesigned to incorporate sight (9) OBSCENEST {OB{SCENE}ST*}
22 Family members least nuanced about hugging? (5) AUNTS [T<=]
26 Peacekeepers getting terribly bored took off clothes (7) UNROBED {UN}{BORED*}
27 Even unfinished and sloppy lacquer gets rid of the onset of corrosion (5) EQUAL LAcQUEr*
28 In the morning, they might offer guidance for show; after a bit of breakfast, they are surprisingly offensive! (9) AMBUSHERS {AM} and {USHERS}<=>{Br...t}
DOWN
1 Turning a long way, endlessly left — playing for draw? (6) RAFFLE {FAR<=}{LEFt*}
2 Sure about acquiring flamboyant angora jumper? (8) KANGAROO {OK<=} over {ANGORA}*
4 Bradman accumulates runs with England’s seaming openers and goes on and on (6) DRONES {D{R}ON}{En...d}{Se...g}
5 Pitcher full of bad, spoiled beer gets one mouthing off (8) JABBERER {JA{B}{BEER*}R}
6 “Nap/sex?” — partners going for tip (4) APEX {nAP+sEX}
7 Appreciate one avoiding unnecessary expenditure for auditors (6) ?A?O?R (Addendum - SAVOUR (~ saver) - See comments)
8 Anyone suffering after swallowing some dubiously “special” painkillers? (8) ANODYNES {ANO{Du...y}YNE*}{S}
15 Doctor’s regularly used app, or compiler of detailed records over time (10) PODIATRIST {aPp+Or}{DIA{T}RIST}
16 George Eliot was a girl? This further confused Leelawati so badly (8) GROGGIER {GROGGIER+LEELAWATI=GEORGE+ELIOT+WAS+A+GIRL} [CA]
17 After putting away all jackets, why must butler say archly, “What you normally order?” (3,5) THE USUAL {wHy+mUSt+bUTLEr+sAy}*
18 Dignified short hat lying around, oddly rejected already (8) ENNOBLED {BONNEt<=}{aLrEaDy}
20 Purchase pans (4,2) SNAP UP {PANS}* [RA]
21 These may go up and down during an election? (6) THUMBS [CD]
23 Secretly admires a distinctly evil person (6) SADIST [T]
25 Bless Bertie’s bloody partner! (4) ALLY bALLY
Reference List
Rook = R, Kiss = X, Husband = H, About = C, My = COR, Runs = R, Bad = B, Partners = N,s {north and South in Bridge card game), Special = S, Time = T, Bertie = B
25D The word Bless may have to be read as B Less. Bally without B
ReplyDeleteIndeed. This clue is a bit non-standard, building on the crossword's theme. Here's the anno as I wrote it in my notes: bALLY {Bertie's bloody = how Bertie Wooster
Deletemight say "bloody" = BALLY} {Bless = B-less (left-and-separate)}.
It works this way for the clue but bless is a classic head hunter! As in ritual sacrifice.
Delete7d. VALOUR..VALUER (O in place of E)
ReplyDeletePlease relook.
Delete10A- I filled in Prawn alright,but have a nagging doubt.
ReplyDeleteIn chess,minor pieces are Knight & Bishop. Pawn is not generally called a minor piece,though it may be one.
Is the pawn a minor piece?
DeleteA "minor piece" is a bishop or a knight – pawns are even more minor but don't count as minor pieces. The word "piece" is also used in phrases where it implies "bishop or knight" because if the piece in question had been a queen, rook, or pawn, this would have been specified
Technically you are correct. When you refer to as minor, piece refers only to Rooks and Knights, simply piece could refer to pawn as a piece of a set.
DeleteI'm not a chess expert. But to me, the dictionary def of pawn ("a chess piece of lowest value" -- https://chambers.co.uk/search/?query=pawn&title=21st) seems to be OK to be summarized as "minor piece".
DeleteNope. The relative value of a piece is defined in terms of pawn. So it's moree like a unit and not a value in itself.
DeleteAnd a specific always trumps a generic usage. When in the context, minor has a specific meaning, i think the generic dictionary shouldn't be used.
DeleteYeah, looks like this nuance does require some chess expertise (I can find other adamant stances on the net that agree that a pawn should not be called a minor piece). I do think that this is a "minor" issue. But I'll update my copy of the clue to say "a lowly piece". Thanks!
DeleteHave been playing Chess for so many years and all this time Pawn is not a piece and is just a pawn! until it is promoted and must be exchanged for a piece
DeleteDigress...While on the subject of 'minor' issue, here is one!
DeleteTwo cars get into a minor crash, the cars a bit dented, the drivers completely fine...
The Pope gets out of one car and a rabbi gets out of the other. They are tolerant, cultured people and so there is no fight, no cussing.
"God giveth, God taketh away", the Pope says.
"Things come and things go", the ~~rabbit~~ rabbi replies and asks, "Shall we have a drink over our misfortune?"
"Don't mind if I do", the Pope says.
The rabbi gets a bottle of cognac from his car and pours the Pope and himself a drink.
The Pope drinks his cup, but the rabbi does not drink his.
"Why aren't you drinking?" the Pope asks.
"Me?" the rabbi asks, "I'll wait for the police to show up".
So,Rabbi is one up?!
Delete7D. SAVOUR (sounds like SAVER)
ReplyDeleteAny Novice has identified the Nina and the Theme?
ReplyDeletePerhaps let anyone (i.e., not just a novice) chime in on this now?
DeleteSorry to hear that :-(. Hope my next one connects better with you.
ReplyDeleteFound the grid a tad difficult. Liked several clues.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear the second part :-). Mixed response today. Will try to dial down the difficulty level a bit for the next one. The col. will probably protest that I should not do that :-).
DeleteArre, no need for diluting anything. All the clues were fine! Had to come here for a few annotations. That's all. Must add, interesting theme as well.
Delete:-). Thanks. I think a periodic reminder to keep things simple(r) is not a bad thing.
DeleteIt is for us reach up and get the solutions of the excellent clues. Always a pleasure to attempt,I repeat,attempt your CW. We can improve with the help of the blog and the discussion here.
Delete+1
Delete+2
Delete+3
DeleteI got Wooster running dwn- 2nd column from right.
ReplyDeleteWOOSTER is indeed a thematic nina! There's one more, perhaps a bit harder to spot as it's shorter.
ReplyDeleteIs it Plum in the 3rd row from bottom?
DeleteThat's it!
DeleteHappy to have got the Plum- to those who may not know Plum is the nickname for P.G.Wodehouse. Thank you Ratnakar.
DeleteWhile on chess nomenclature,probably sepoy,an Indian term for pawn,would have fit better.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how many would know Indian names for pieces in chess-
Queen- Minister
Bishop- Camel
Rook- Elephant
Knight- Horse
Pawn- Sepoy
This game was popular with kings and was considered as a representation of a battlefield. So probably Minister fir better than a queen.
That rook is not elephant but chariot. Our chariot got translated as Rukh Persian!
DeleteElephants were very much part of the battle those days. So it goes well with Horse,camel,pawn.
ReplyDeleteThe 4 divisions were Radha (chariot),Gaja (elephant) Thuraga (horse) Padhadhi (sepoy/pawn)
Maybe camel could be substituted with chariot/rath. I learned these names from my father in during my school days. Camel was used in the desert regions,particularly middle east.
Noted!
ReplyDeleteHere are my notes for this crossword:
ReplyDeleteNotes
This crossword showcases a favourite author of mine (likely a favourite author of many solvers too): Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse.
WOOSTER (Bertram/Bertie Wooster, one of Wodehouse's best known and most loved characters) can be seen as a nina running down the 14th column). Wodehouse's nickname, PLUM, can be seen as a nina in the third row from the bottom.
In addition (with some latitude), the following clues or solutions can be construed as thematic:
1d. A RAFFLE seems like the sort of thing that would be a commonplace occurrence in Wodehouse's idyllic world. I only found one substantial reference to it though: in the short story Jeeves and the unbidden guest, Rollo the dog fancies a bite of Bertie's leg. Rollo was won by Lord Motty Pershore at a raffle.
2d. The surface is the sort of thing that Jeeves might say to Bertie.
4d. The DRONES club is the preferred hangout for Wodehouse's rich young gentlemen, such as Cyril "Barmy" Fotheringay-Phipps, Charles Edward "Biffy" Biffen, and, of course, Bertram "Bertie" Wooster.
16a. GOOD-NATUREDNESS is a key trait of most of the non-villainous characters in the Wodehouse universe. Even the villains usually turn out to have some soft spots!
16d. GROGGIER is how you might feel in the morning, after an adventurous night out with Wodehouse's characters. Of course, a pick-me-up concoction by Jeeves would fix you up!
17d. The surface paints the picture of a Jeeves-like butler.
18d. The surface refers to a perfectly good hat being discarded, perhaps an act triggered by Jeeves!
22a. AUNTS figure prominently in a lot of Plum's works, especially Bertie's aunts!
25d. The surface refers to Bertie and Jeeves.
26a. UNROBED is how one might find one of Wodehouse's hapless characters in the middle of a story.
This puzzle is a pangram.
The published version of this crossword used the phrase "a minor piece" for "pawn" in 10a. I've been told that only the bishop and the knight can technically be called "minor" pieces in chess. I've altered the clue to say "a lowly piece" now.
Personal notes: Back home from Boston, and back to work at the office now, three days a week (not really thrilled about that). Three wild finch nests got built in the backyard, and sadly, all three got blown away in a windstorm. The young cherry tree that we planted in the front yard is doing well in its first Spring.
I thought "swing music" was intentional! The theme of the television series was composed in that style. Played by my favorite Dr. House.
DeleteWow! A cherry tree!! I am sure it would grow well this summer.
ReplyDeleteAs usual- thank you for the insightful notes and about the"minor"issue of the pawn.
I came to know only recently that George Elliot is the pen name of a lady!
ReplyDeleteBeing a die hard George Elliot fan, I have a fascination for the life and times and works of Mary Ann Evans.
DeleteMill on the Floss - my fav book - Maggie is supposedly modelled on the author.
DeleteI could get 9A even without knowing the famous setter!
ReplyDeleteThat's why it used to be said that a good setter must always use easily decipherable wordplay for difficult/rare words. But most regular solvers here would know him.
ReplyDeleteA bit difficult. Could not get 3 answers. But after referring to the blog- it is clear that the cluing is excellent. Only I need to improve a lot.
ReplyDeleteWodehouse - my fav author too
Loved the detailed notes. Makes one appreciate - how logical & systematic the process is.
Thanx lot.