A typically nice themed puzzle from Virgilius, with the 6 outermost across and down answers linking to the 2 centre answers WATER and WATCH. I found most of this quite easy, but there were one or two definitions which threw me and a couple which may need further explanation below.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | PORT – Double definition | |
| 9 | WRIST – S (session’s opening) in WRIT | |
| 10 | STOP – Double definition. I guess the ‘knockout’ definition refers to boxing here | |
| 11 | DEFENESTRATION – (END ON A STREET IF)* – A nice anagram | |
| 12 | FRETSAW – FRET,SAW | |
| 14 | IMPISH – [-w]IMPISH – W appears to be a fairly common abbreviation for Dubya now. I have no problem with this! | |
| 16 | IOWA – I.O.W (i.e. Isle Of Wight, initially!),A – Not an easy clue to solve if you ask me | |
| 18 | WATCH – Our first theme word, which can follow PORT, WRIST and STOP and precede DOGS, STRAP and FIRE. I have no idea what PORT WATCH means though. Sounds naval! | |
| 19 | CREW – Had to use Reveal to check this was rght, but not sure on the wordplay. Clue is ‘Front of propeller removed for plane operators’ | |
| 21 | REJECTS – J in (SECRET)* | |
| 24 | STRUT ONES STUFF – (SORT TUNES)*,STUFF | |
| 28 | DOGS – Double definition | |
| 29 | STRAP – PARTS rev. | |
| 30 | FIRE – F,IRE | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | GOLD – Another one I needed to check. I get the archery target reference, but not sure how ‘or it could be’ fits in | |
| 2 | STIFLE – Hidden in columniST IF LEft-winger | |
| 3 | SWINGS – S,WINGS – ‘Manages to secure’ was a tricksy definition here and had me thinking it must be an insertion in the word RUNS until I had all the checking letters | |
| 4 | MISS – MISS[-ouri] | |
| 5 | STARFISH – (HAS FIRST)* | |
| 6 | ISOTOPIC – IS,O,TOPIC – Lovely clue | |
| 7 | POLO – Ref. Marco Polo | |
| 12 | FLOOD – L in FOOD | |
| 13 | WATER – Our second theme word, which can follow GOLD, FLOOD and TROD and precede POLO, SHEDS and FORD | |
| 15 | SHEDS – Double definition | |
| 17 | ALTRUISM – A,L,TRUISM | |
| 18 | WARHORSE – R in (WAS HERO)* | |
| 22 | JOSEPH – EP in JOSH | |
| 23 | CHUFFS – C,HUFFS | |
| 25 | TROD – T (start of term),ROD | |
| 26 | EARL – EARL[-y] | |
| 27 | FORD – FOR,D – Ref. ex-pres Gerald | |
19a: (s)CREW, I think. One of the meanings for ‘screw’ in Chambers is “a screw propeller or ship driven by one”.
1d: ‘or’ in heraldry is the tincture gold. That is why “gold” in crossword clues often yields OR.
8 across. Port isn’t necessarily red, so I hesitated before entering it.
A very clever puzzle as always from the master. I particularly enjoyed defenestration.
I liked FLOOD, with the definition ‘that banks can’t control’.
Watch fire???
Port watch is I suspect a naval term, one of the watches on board ship.
Watch fire: According to Collins, a fire kept burning at night as a signal or for warmth and light by a person keeping watch.
Another good puzzle, though I got some of the answers without fully understanding the clues. I must have been thick, though, not to get ‘Iowa’ – all I could think of from the checking letters was ‘Iona’ for ‘island’ which made the rest of the clue totally baffling.
You were not alone in that re IOWA, Allan_C. Quite a tricky clue.