Qaos is this morning’s setter.
I found this at the tougher end of the Qaos spectrum. The puzzle had his trademark numbers in it, as usual, but even when you’re expecting them, they can still throw you off guard. It took me ages to see the parsing of CITY and EIGHTH, but in the end, with the help of a little sporting knowledge for RUSHMORE and OVERTHROWS, I got there. If there is a theme to the puzzle, I can’t see it, but that’s not unusual for me as I’m normally too busy parsing clues to notice the emergence of a theme.
Thanks, Qaos
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | JUBILANT |
Jack built new houses: a number on top of the world (8)
|
| J (jack, in a pack of cards) + *(built) [anag:new] houses A + N (number) | ||
| 9 | CLEAR |
Obvious Charlie’s King (5)
|
| C (Charlie, in the NATO phonetic akpabet) + (King) LEAR | ||
| 10 | MANY |
Removing a corner from wood stacks (4)
|
| [removing] A + HOG (“corner” as in “corner the market”) from M(a hog)ANY | ||
| 11 | DARJEELING |
Japanese fish served in wild leaves (10)
|
| J (Japanese) + EEL (“fish”) served in DARING (“wild”) | ||
| 12 | MEMOIR |
In 2000, Spain rejecting port’s account (6)
|
| In MM (2000, in Roman numerals), E (internal vehicle registration code for “Spain”) + [rejecting] <=RIO (“port”) | ||
| 14 | NOVEMBER |
Time period at the heart of Romeo and Juliet? (8)
|
| N (NOVEMBER, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) lies halfway between [at the heart of] R (Romeo) and J (Juliet) | ||
| 16 | ATHEIST |
I don’t believe helium is found in a nucleus of matter (7)
|
| He (chemical symbol for “helium”) + IS found in a A + [nucleus of] (ma)TT(er) | ||
| 18 | INSTEAD |
At home with special hot date? Rather! (7)
|
| IN (“at home”) with S (special) + *(date) [anag:hot] | ||
| 21 | WHITENER |
Frenchman retired after shake with artificial milk (8)
|
| <=RENE (“Frenchman”, returned) after *(with) [anag:shake] | ||
| 23 | ENDING |
Finish mailing out 17 (6)
|
| (s)ENDING (“mailing”) with S (son, the answer to “17” down) out | ||
| 24 | STIR-FRYING |
Cooking mash first then the ultimate in jelly-filled doughnut (4-6)
|
| *(first) [anag:mash] then [the ultimate of] (jell)Y filling RING (“doughnut”) | ||
| 26 | MIST |
Film society hosted by Cambridge University (4)
|
| S (society) hosted by MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology (a “university” in “Cambridge”, USA) | ||
| 27 | LEWES |
50 close to farms keep sheep in Sussex town (5)
|
| L (50 in Roman numerals) + [close to] (farm)S keep EWE (“sheep”) | ||
| 28 | ASTEROID |
Radio set played rock (8)
|
| *(rado set) [anag:played] | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BUDAPEST |
American friend’s a nuisance in European 2 (8)
|
| BUD (“American friend”) + A + PEST (“nuisance”)
The 2 in the clue refers to 2dn (CITY) |
||
| 2 | CITY |
100,120 went off football team? (4)
|
| C (100 in Roman numerals) + I (one) + T(went)Y with WENT off | ||
| 3 | WANDER |
Wife more majestic once King George departs to ramble (6)
|
| W (wife) + (gr)ANDER (“more majestic” once GR (George Rex, so King George) departs) | ||
| 4 | STARING |
Looking for our sun, perhaps, in edge of galaxy (7)
|
| STAR (“our sun, perhaps”) + IN + [edge of] G(alalxy) | ||
| 5 | ACRE |
Measure the holy soul (4)
|
| Soul (centre) of (a)ACRE(d) (“holy”) | ||
| 6 | SEX-LIMITED |
To secure vote, Reform lied with items like male pattern baldness? (3-7)
|
| *(lied items) [anag:reform] to secure X (vote) | ||
| 7 | GRANDE |
Singer in terrible danger (6)
|
| *(danger) [anag:terrible]
Refers to American singer Ariana Grande. |
||
| 13 | OVERTHROWS |
Public arguments involving husband’s ‘extras’ (10)
|
| OVERT (“public”) + ROWS (“arguments”) involving H (husband)
In cricket, if the ball is returned to the wicket area, but is missed by the fielder at the stumps, a batter may be able to make an extra run or two, and these could be considered as extra runs, although not extras in the purest sense (byes, wides, leg byes, no balls), hence the quotation marks around extras in the clue. |
||
| 15 | VAN |
Hooligan ignores young bloke reversing vehicle (3)
|
| VAN(dal) (“hooligan”) ignores <=LAD (“young bloke”, reversing) | ||
| 17 | SON |
Uplifting new Big Issue (3)
|
| [uplifting] <=(N (new) + OS (outsized, so “big”)) | ||
| 19 | AGNOSTIC |
Sceptic’s odd actions over the origin of God (8)
|
| *(actions) [anag:odd] over [the origin of] G(od) | ||
| 20 | ARTISAN |
As seen, Bogart is a naturally skilled worker (7)
|
| Hidden in [as seen] “bogART IS A Naturally” | ||
| 22 | HOTELS |
H-h-housing? (6)
|
| H is HOTEL in the NATO phonetic alphabet, so HH would be HOTELS (“housing”) | ||
| 23 | EIGHTH |
What describes authority to abolish leader’s position? (6)
|
| EH (“what” did you say) describes (r)IGHT (“authority”) with its leader abolished | ||
| 25, 26 | RUSH MORE |
Former Liverpool striker regularly worried about header from Mason Mount (8)
|
| (Ian) RUSH (“former Liverpool striker”) + [regularly] (w)O(r)R(i)E(d) about [header from] M(ason) | ||
| 26 |
See 25
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