Independent on Sunday 1001 by Quixote (19 Apr 2009)

The standard excellent Quixote puzzle as it heads into the second thousand.   Solving time, 25 mins.     SW corner by far the hardest for me.

* = anagram  < = reversed

ACROSS

1 MI  STRESS   MI = 1001 in Roman numerals and the number of this puzzle  “Number of Sunday crosswords done”

6 BAD LOT   Lot, Old Testament character – my first thought was ‘bad Job’ but I think the other phrase fits the definition, esp with the reference to ‘wife’, with Lot’s wife turned to a pillar of salt for disobedience.    Think that’s it, anyway.

9 SPUR     Hidden

10 SUNG LASSES

11 I (NVETE) RATE   (event)*

12 I VAN   The Terrible, Tsar of Russia

13 HE LP MEET

15 Open SE(SAM)E

16 ST(R)ING    This refers to a Hilaire Belloc poem  for children re Henry King

18 ESCALAT thE    (a castle)*

20 E (RI) C   Ir<

21 COAT HANGER   Cryptic definition    Ulster is a type of coat

23 PARTICULAR    Excellent double definition    “Fussy point”

24 VAST   cf  vats       Clue splits at Huge/vessels

25 FE(NN)EL

26 RANK LING

DOWN

2 I MP IN GE   e.g.<

3 T (the minimal i.e. abbrev of the) ERSE    &lit

4 EASTER EGG    (Segregate)*     puzzle appeared the week after Easter so “last week’s sweet item”

5 SINBAD THE SAILOR   (Island’s boat hire)*    This really helped me with this puzzle – I guessed it from the enumeration and definition first time thro the clues.

6 BIL(G)E

7 DIS (MISS)AL    (lad is)*

8 OVER ‘ARM   i.e.  harm

14 PRINCETO(w)N

15 SACCHARIN   (a can’s rich)*

17 T(h)E  R  RACE    Tricky

19 T REASON

21 C ECIL   (lice c)<     c = beginning to crawl (first letter)

22 NAVE L