Posted by John on 12th March 2008
As usual, many lovely clues. Am I safe in saying that there’s no Nina? Or is the fact that there were four double clues, all symmetrically placed, somehow significant?
| Across |
| 1 |
ACCLAIMED - l in (academic)* |
| 6 |
TE(A)CH |
| 9 |
CO(MP)LE X. Perhaps it’s being excessively picky, but in situations like this the “’s” seems to have no place in the wordplay: it isn’t short for “is” or “has” or “has (next to it)” and - as the wordplay would require - it isn’t short for “which has (next to it)”. |
| 10/11 |
SNAKE IN THE GRASS - (he’s taken in)* (grass [= nark]) |
| 12 |
GENT O O |
| 14 |
COVE(NANTE(s))R I think, although I’m a bit vague about the Presbyterian reference. |
| 15 |
LIFT I think, presumably referring to the two slightly different meanings - elevator and leg-up. Not very sure about this. Are the two meanings different enough from each other? |
| 18 |
sCrOuNgEd |
| 19 |
ALLOWANCES - (sea wall on C(lacton))*. Simple and magnificent. |
| 22 |
R(EG)IO N |
| 24/26 |
DESIGNER CLOTHES - (decent shoes girl)* |
| 27 |
ASININE - sin in E, A at the beginning |
| 28 |
SM EAR. I’m not sure about “comes to” - surely, it should be [wordplay] comes to [definition], not the other way round? |
| 29 |
UNDERSEA L |
| |
| Down |
| 1 |
A SCE(p)TIC |
| 2 |
C(A M PERV)AN - Not sure why “camper van” = “having no fixed abode” - not quite the right parts of speech? |
| 3 |
AILERONS - 1 in (Orleans)* |
| 4 |
MA(XI SING)LE - I think my remarks by 9A about the “’s” don’t apply here, since either “men’s” (arguably) = “male”, or the “’s” is an elliptical form of “which is” |
| 5 |
VivalDI’S Concertos |
| 6/7 |
T(RAVE LAG)ENT - nice clue, although in my most pedantic mode I can’t really justify “wanting” |
| 8 |
HAND OUT |
| 13 |
B(eatles) E FOREHAND |
| 16 |
IN CENT I’VE |
| 17 |
FA(MIL(it)IA)R |
| 18 |
CAR ACAS |
| 20 |
SURREAL - (rules ar(e))* |
| 21/23 |
MOTHER GOOSE - (tom rev.) h(ogre rev.)ose |
| 25 |
thE SAUna. “Esau was an hairy man” [sorry, it's "is" not "was". I don't dare fiddle with all the editing now] |
Posted in Independent | 6 Comments »
Posted by diagacht on 12th March 2008
| Across |
| 1 |
HEATER: (t)HEATER |
| 4 |
SCOWLING: COW in SLING |
| 9 |
GOYAS: GOY (gentile) + AS |
| 10 |
CASANOVAS:A NOVA in CASS. Giovanni Jacopo is Casanova but not sure if I have the decode right |
| 11 |
JOHN DONNE:HND (higher national diploma) in JOON (sounds like JUNE) and NE (new English) |
| 13 |
MONOCHROMIST: anagram of M CHOIR ON TOMS |
| 17,22,2 |
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SAY ANYTHING: As in police caution and mum’s the word. |
| 21 |
CHESTNUTS: anagram of STENCH and STU (shortened stud) |
| 23 |
RED DEVILS: anagram of ELVIS DED (dead with the article ‘a’1) and R (right). Refers to the display unit that is Manchester United. |
| 24 |
SCALD: anagram of AL S (Stewart’s first) CD |
| 26 |
ONE BY ONE: as in 11 (eleven) is one alongside one. Spent some time wondering how this clue related to John Donne! |
| 26 |
WYVERN: WY (heartless way) + VERN (does this relate to Jules Verne and if so how do we lose the final e?) |
|
| Down |
| 3 |
EASED: EASE(l) with L (50) multiplied by 10 to make D (500) |
| 5 |
COSTERMONGERS: anagram of SORT ME in CONGERS |
| 6 |
WONDERS AT: anagram of TOWERS AND |
| 8 |
GUSHER: G (good) + USHER |
| 10 |
CONTRADICTION: DI in CONTRACTION |
| 14 |
CROTCHETY: CROTCHET (note) + Y (end of day) |
| 15 |
SATURATE: TUR (half turtle) in anagram of AT SEA |
| 18 |
HAIRDO: H (hospital) + anagram of RADIO |
| 19 |
STODGE: S (seconds) + TODGE (todger without the r) |
Posted in Uncategorized | 13 Comments »
Posted by Colin Blackburn on 12th March 2008
Hurredly done Paul. Fairly straightforward for Paul with a just couple of words I had to check and some devilish word play in places
|
| Across |
| 9,8,6,22d |
IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM JOIN THEM |
cd |
typical single large answer. You either guess it from the enumeration or the clue early, in which case the rest of the puzzle is easier. Or, like me you fail to have an inkling for far too long. Ref. Panel beating.
|
| 10 |
HEAVE |
HEAVE(n) |
|
| 11 |
DUDGEON |
DUD+G+EON |
|
| 12 |
LAMBENT |
(quee)N in LAMBET(h) |
Lambeth Palace is home to the Archbishop of Canterbury. I didn’t know this word.
|
| 13 |
BROWN |
BROW+(cardiga)N |
|
| 14 |
LAMPOONER |
O in (PLAN MORE)* |
|
| 16 |
EVENING STANDARD |
EVEN+IN + STAND in DRAG< |
clever wordplay…
|
| 19,2 |
TOURETTES SYNDROME |
SETTER< in (STUDY ON)* + ROME |
…and again.
|
| 21 |
CAPON |
CAP ON |
|
| 22 |
TICKLER |
L(over) in TICKER |
|
| 23 |
STAUNCH |
dd |
|
| 24 |
EVANS |
E+VANS |
|
| 25 |
GRUMBLING APPENDIX |
cd? |
|
|
| Down |
| 1 |
WILDEBEEST |
(trough)S in WILDE+BEET |
|
| 4 |
DAMN |
dd |
|
| 5 |
STALEMATES |
STALE MATES |
|
| 7 |
TAVERN |
REV< in TAN |
ref Rev Green in Cluedo. Green Man is a classic pub name.
|
| 14 |
LIGHTERAGE |
(GARETH+G(et))< in LIE |
|
| 15 |
RIDING HIGH |
“hiding rye” Spoonerised |
|
| 17 |
IDEALIST |
IDEA LIST |
|
| 20 |
UNCLAD |
UNCL(e)+(d)AD |
tricky one.
|
| 21 |
CRABBY |
R in CABBY |
|
| 23,3 |
SOUP TUREEN |
(UP NOSE TRUE)* |
|
Posted in Guardian | 9 Comments »