*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Insert: R in “in set”. |
| 4 | Umbrella: U + MB + [c]aller<. |
| 9 | Sword-swallowers: CD. |
| 11 | Lethargic: (Charge lit)*. |
| 12 | Ensue: U in [T]ense. |
| 13 | Race: [G]race, referring of course to WG Grace. |
| 14 | Snootiness: (in Eton’s so) after [holiday]s. |
| 17 | Turkey Trot: Turkey + Trot(skyte). The Turkey Trot was a popular dance in the early part of the twientieth century. |
| 18 | Scab: S + CAB. CAB here is Citizen’s Advice Bureau rather than a taxicab (where you might also be offered advice). |
| 21 | Islet: Hidden in Carlisle toured. Key as in the Florida Keys. |
| 23 | Loathsome: (hotel moa[n]s)*. If you interpret moans as bemoans, then the surface makes sense but it doesn’t read particularly well. |
| 24 | Thin on the ground: (Horde noting hunt)*. |
| 25 | Roderick: (i red)< in rock. |
| 26 | Career: I assume this a hom of Korea, although I don’t find it completely convincing. |
| Down | |
| 1 | Insular: [Pen]insular – the Peninsular War. |
| 2 | Sports car: S + port + scar. |
| 3 | Red rag: Re-drag. |
| 5 | Milk chocolate: ilk + ch + loco< in mate. |
| 6 | Rhodesia: (H odes) in air<. It’s a reference to Ian Smith, who was the last Prime Minister of Rhodesia before it became Zimbabwe under Mr Mugabe’s splendid management. |
| 7 | Leeds: Hom of leads. |
| 8 | Abscess: C in a BSE + ss. |
| 10 | Wigan Athletic: (twice halting)* around a. |
| 15 | Enclosure: DD (something enclosed in a letter and the enclosures on a race course). |
| 16 | Next Door: Ext + do in Nor. |
| 17 | Twitter: Twister with the middle letter changed. Twitter is the latest Internet fad, the idea being to keep sending out mini-blogs of your activities (presumably crucial bits of information like “I’m having my breakfast”, “I’m doing the crossword” …) |
| 19 | Breeder: B + hom of reader. |
| 20 | Sherpa: &lit. (a pers[on])* around H[imalayas]. |
| 22 | Laird: Ld around A1 + R. |
Pleasing puzzle, which I found on the easy side. Liked SNOOTINESS a lot. Thought a bit too about CAREER – I think ‘Korea’ is right and clued as ‘former land’ perhaps as North Korea and South Korea are there now.
Yes, a good puzzle, nicely put together, though not as scintillating as some Indy puzzles can be. I would say the Indy is my first port of crosswording call whenever possibly, which is pretty much always, and this was a more traditional look at things I felt. Funny that it should be easier, or more straight forward than the Rufus.
Will it be like that for the coming Bank Holiday I wonder.
TWISTER/TWITTER (17dn: Dishonest figure with slight change of heart microblogging here)
I put in TWISTER and now I see that TWITTER is the right answer, but it would be a close-run thing if it weren’t for the ‘here’, and that seems to make it all a bit artificial: what else is the ‘here’ doing but indicating which of the two alternatives is the correct one?