2 down: Sport broadcast causing rift (4)
Here, the clue is meant to work: sport broadcast = golf broadcast = gulf = rift. The problem: gulf is not homophonous enough with golf.
It’s a situation we’ve encountered before with DA, one that we’ve complained about before, and I just don’t reckon it’s good enough. Haiku’s suggestion that South Australians pronounce them homophonously has some weight, but even then it’s a very marginal bunch of people who would call those two words homophonous.
I also conducted a little experiment: I asked SSG, my sister’s partner who’s from South Australia, to say there’s a gulf in our golf game and the two words were clearly distinguishable. Granted, one flawed experiment on a South Australian that’s lived in Melbourne for a long time proves little, but I’m still claiming that it’s a shitty homophone that not even many South Australians would say identically.
22 down: Picked up dull 26-across (TRIO) in Düsseldorf (4)
The clue works as follows: picked up dull = picked up dry = drei = trio in Düsseldorf. The contentious point: Is picked up a decent-enough homophone signifier?
AL mentions that it’s probably a reference to radio station broadcasts that you pick up, and that seems to have some support as a decent way to interpret it as a homophone indicator, but for me, it’s not good enough. You pick up radio stations, not words, so for mine pick up doesn’t cut it as a homophone indicator.
Update: RB’s my seconder on this one:
15 across: Stage VIPs curse about prompt ushering (9)
Here it’s curse about prompt ushering = ucers prod ushering (put into position) = producers = stage VIPs. I quite like the use of ushering, but that definition is highly dodgy
A South Australian who’s lived in Melbourne for a long time? Ask him to say “my inaccessible Melbourne album”. If the answer is “my enexesseble melben elbem”, then his vowels have been Melbournised and all hope is lost! :-)
I agree that it’s a nasty clue where obscurely accented homophones are referenced. But not quite persuaded on bullshit – excuse me while I finish my Woodies with Fritz and Paaaaarsta.
Are you confusing South Australians with Kiwis? When I read that expression, I travelled phonologically east, not west.
I suppose your home is your caaastle.
And by the way, I just remembered: did anyone else think STAGE VIPs a very poor definition for PRODUCERS?
I forgot to mention it, but I thought that was bullshit. Anyone else willing to back me up or else throttle me around the head with a decent explanation?
Don’t know about SA vowels, but I reckon Kiwis would say unexissuble!
Yes, I too thought Stage VIPs a poor definition.
And so it’s been recorded.