Cryptic 5x5 #27 by tuber

Comments

• tuber constructor · 2024-05-28T11:47:10.795Z

  Greetings, solvers, and thanks for trying your hand against this little mini. Carry On Behind (1975) is one of the LAST and least of the Carry-On films that apparently plagued British cinemagoers throughout the 60s and 70s (and our TV schedules for decades beyond.) Nothing too dreadful here that I feel the need to pre-emptively excuse myself for, so I hope you had fun - do drop me a like and a comment if you feel so moved, and I'll get on with the washing-up as follows:

  ACROSS. 1A 4D. "Students" = LL + "low" = MOO, all in "entertainment" = FUN. 4A. "Lieutenant" = LT, preceded by "tuber" = ME. 6A. "Hot" = H surrounded by "porridge" = OATS. 7A. Last letter of "outright" + "nonsense" = ROT. 8A. "New" = N + "Listener" = EAR.

  DOWN. 1D. Homophone for "imperial units" = FEET. 2D. Hidden in "difficULTRAdical. 3D. Double def. "Carry on", endure; "Behind", lagging at the back as in a race, etc. 5D. "Outskirts of Towcester" = TR , holding reversal of "OH", given.

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• JWords 🤓3:30 · 2024-05-28T18:28:21.614Z

  Wonderful surfaces and fun, fair clues. Excellent stuff, thanks!

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  • tuber constructor · 2024-05-29T09:45:28.342Z

    Thanks! Glad you liked it.

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• kieranjboyd 🤓1:50 · 2024-05-28T22:53:34.039Z

  Nice! I liked the clean surface for 1A - any reason for not using the standard "(With 4D)" preface for a multi-light entry? Love to see parses in the comments too

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  • tuber constructor · 2024-05-29T08:39:54.253Z

    Thanks! I don't think I've ever seen that style of heading for multi-light clues here in the UK. Usually I think the entries would just be listed bare: "1 4d. Clue comes here."

    I'm not sure how well that formats on this site, so for my purposes I just tried to be clear in intent and minimal in appearance.

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• Aaron Riccio 🤓3:42 · 2024-05-29T12:30:51.195Z

  I read 1A/4D initially as a play on "students low in entertainment" (as in, lowbrow entertainment of mooning someone); I like the way you did it more! 7A's a new word for me (but cryptically clear), and I loved 6A, 8A, and especially 5D.

  I quibble a bit with 3D, in that "behind" isn't really 1:1 with "last," but if the whole surface is meant to evoke a film, so be it! I think I'd also have gone with "in" instead of "of" as a connector for 1D. All that said, while I like the self-reference in 4A, I think this one's your weakest clue; the cryptic part's clear, but I can't make heads or tails of the surface sense. [Soften tuber carried by lieutenant]? I dunno.

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