Fifteensquared

Phi on a Tuesday: what’s going on? Must be something special. All I can see is that he has been incredibly clever and managed to get T’s into all the unches around the outside, all four squares round the middle of the grid, and all six ‘elbows’. As can only be expected one or two words are a bit rare, which may explain why I took a little longer than usual for a Phi, despite getting some help from the Nina. But no complaints - the usual high standard of clueing.

Araucaria as the setter for my first blog was a bit intimidating, but once the long clues around the edge were solved the middle opened up. Getting 1A in particular fairly quickly was a morale booster.

Key:
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
* = anagram
< = reverse

From FT Monday 14 July 2008 Prize Puzzle Common abbreviations used
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
ha = hidden answer
*(fodder) = anagram

One of the most entertaining puzzles that I get to blog here. Some of Mudd’s devices got me rolling on the floor. If you have not attempted this, read no further; go to FT, download and solve … you will not regret it.

Aross
1 SAWN-OFF SHOTGUN What a cheeky way of clueing it as Ar? or cutting off a bit of one’s weapon.
10 THONG What a thuperb dd clue! To the uninitiated, the lisper is saying “Something sung” for a song and a strip is a thong, whether worn round the ankle or the loin. Mudd, here is a big bow from a very appreciative blogger. My clue of the week.
11 WORLD VIEW *(devil worship minus ship) W (western)
12 MAESTRI *(are mist)
13 BRAILLE Ins of ILL (bad) BRAE (hill slope in Scotland)
14 CHEER Guevara + Elizabeth Regina
16 GLAMORISE *(a girl some)
19 RATEPAYER Ins of AT (a ton) in *(per year)
20 TRAMP Ins of M in trap
22 COMPETE Ins of PET (precious) in COME. Mudd was extremely naughty to join the invocation “in come” to form one word. Some indeed left (8) is of the same genre
25 NEW TOWN Cha of newt + own
27 TENDEREST Like 22 above, ins of END in terest
28 REALM real (natural) M (motorway)
29 LIMITED EDITION Like 1Across, this is just as mischievous, cutting off the last letter of ISSUE

Down
2 ATONEMENT at one + men + t
3 NIGHT nigh (near or approaching) T (end of sunset) &lit?
4 FAWNINGLY Ins of awning in fly
5 SCRUB dd
6 ODD MAN OUT Obvious play on opposites
7 GRILL dd
8 NOWHERE now + here
9 ATOMIC Ins of OM (order of merit) in A TIC (k)
15 REPRESENT RE (Royal Engineers) present (attending)
17 AYR UNITED A + *(rude tiny)
18 INAMORATO IN + AMORA TO (rev OT - Old Testament + aroma - character)
19 RECITAL Ins of I in RECTAL
21 PANAMA I was momentarily stunned by this clue. The definition was so obvious but  “dragged on” ? It wasn’t until later when a very knowledgeable friend in Canada pointed me to (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Red) that I understood Panama was also a reference to a marijuana joint that must be dragged on to be enjoyed. BTW, do you know that the Malaysian Government banned Peter, Paul and Mary’s hit “Puff the magic dragon” due to its drug connotation?
23 MINIM Obvious palindrome
24 EMEND (y) emen D (Deutschland or Germany)
26 WORST I wonder what you would call such a clue? dd?
That’s the fun with Mudd … some of his clues are even unclassifiable!

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed

Some excellent clues from Tees on a grid that concentrated on shorter words rather than having the usual couple of 14 or 15 letter entries. No obvious nina that I could see, although the line at the top of the grid seemed to start promisingly with “ego if..”.

A straightforward and enjoyable offering from Rufus to start the week. Some nice clues, and fewer cryptic definitions than usual, I think.

Key:
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
* = anagram
< = reverse