A PDF of last week’s puzzle can be found here: https://content-api.slowdownwiseup.co.uk/api/mobile/v1/puzzle-data/1f7c315e-6b87-40ad-90cc-ddd7ea87556a/file/puzzle.pdf
This struck me as a relatively straightforward Everyman puzzle, although I do have a few minor quibbles, as pointed out below. Everyman trademark clues highlighted in the grid, though there was no geographical reference this week, and no single-word anagram. A couple of very nice touches, though, including the (two-word) anagram for PERFIDIOUS and the nicely self-deprecating clue for NODE. Thanks to Everyman.
Moh’s endlessly arguable cruciverbal hardness-scale rating: Gypsum
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | IN A BAD MOOD |
Did boar, having lost tail, moan sadly – being this? (2,1,3,4)
|
| Anagram (sadly) of DID BOA[r] (having lost tail) MOAN. The idea behind the definition being, I suppose, that, having lost his tail, a boar might well be in a bad mood | ||
| 6 | APED |
Copied sample from tape deck (4)
|
| Hidden in (sample from) tAPE Deck | ||
| 9 | SNAPPINESS |
Quality in which you’re quick – to anger? (10)
|
| Double/cryptic def, playing on two meanings of ‘snappy’ as speedy and quarrelsome | ||
| 10 | CRAM |
Flipping Frenchman to get stuffed (4)
|
| Reversal (flipping) of MARC. Makes a welcome change from René as the pattern crossword Frenchman | ||
| 11 | DOUBLE-DATING |
Activity for four using Gregorian and Julian calendars? (6-6)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | T-SHIRTS |
Clobber boisterous marsh tits, not keeping mum (1- 6)
|
| Anagram (boisterous) of [ma]RSH TITS (not keeping ma/mum). If anyone clobbers the marsh tits in my garden I shall be very tempted to clobber them back | ||
| 16 | ETCHING |
Runs off, about to throw up artwork (7)
|
| [r]ETCHING (about to throw up without the R/runs off) | ||
| 17 | GET BACK |
Arrive home and recover (3,4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | LEISURE |
The French certain – this writer’s assumed – to be working? Not so (7)
|
| LE (the French) + SURE (certain) around I (this writer’s assumed). I’m not happy that the definition as given is grammatically appropriate – it would seem to point to ‘at leisure’ rather than simply ‘leisure’. But it’s a minor quibble as the wordplay is clear and it hardly impedes the solve | ||
| 20 | ABBREVIATING |
Striking bargain – six slices of butter – alternately shortening (12)
|
| Anagram (striking) of BARGAIN VI (six) BTE (slices of BuTtEr alternately) | ||
| 23 | I SAY |
Och! Hebridean island’s loch has vanished! (1,3)
|
| IS[l]AY (Islay – a Hebridean island – without L for loch). Islay, of course, is home to some of the finest single malt whiskies to be found anywhere | ||
| 24 | CHAUCERIAN |
Geoffrey’s repaired cane chair, you said? (10)
|
| Anagram (repaired) of CANE CHAIR U (you said). Def: of or relating to Geoffrey Chaucer | ||
| 25 | NODE |
Gesture of agreement: Everyman’s beginning to be a knob (4)
|
| NOD (gesture of agreement) + E (Everyman’s beginning) | ||
| 26 | OSTENSIBLE |
See in blots – splotchy – what’s apparent (10)
|
| Anagram (splotchy) of SEE IN BLOTS | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | IF SO |
In that case, reject outsiders for life with offspring, briefly (2,2)
|
| [l]IF[e] (reject outsiders for life) + SO[n] (offspring briefly) | ||
| 2 | ALAS |
Oh dear, a maiden scratching bottom (4)
|
| A LAS[s] (a maiden scratching bottom). Which to someone of my age cannot help but bring to mind the 1970s tennis girl poster | ||
| 3 | APPROPRIATE |
Right to steal (11)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 4 | MINIBUS |
1,002 buns going off in little roadster (7)
|
| Anagram (going off) of MII (1002 in Roman numerals) BUNS | ||
| 5 | OBSCENE |
Primarily outrageous – beyond saucy – causing extremely nauseous emotions? (7)
|
| First letters of the last seven words, with the usual extended definition | ||
| 7 | PERFIDIOUS |
Tormented, so purified faithless (10)
|
| Anagram (tormented) of SO PURIFIED | ||
| 8 | DEMAGOGUES |
Senators regularly mugged off firebrands (10)
|
| Anagram (off) of sEnAtOrS (senators regularly) MUGGED | ||
| 12 | AUCTIONEERS |
Hands up – then they may give you the lot (11)
|
| Cryptic definition. Though to be strict about it, auctioneers tend to sell lots rather than give them away | ||
| 13 | STAGNATION |
Lack of liveliness – but stable, Spooner says (10)
|
| Spoonerism of ‘nag station’ – which could, at a push, be another term for a stable | ||
| 14 | WHITEBOARD |
Corporate staple: member of global minority on committee (10)
|
| WHITE (white people being a minority globally) + BOARD (committee) | ||
| 18 | KNIGHTS |
Chess pieces: more than one black, you say? (7)
|
| Soundalike (you say) of ‘nights’ (more than one black) ‘Night’ for ‘black’ seems a bit off to me, but maybe there’s a better parsing? | ||
| 19 | LETTUCE |
Characters implicated in doleful ‘Et tu’ – centurion leaves (7)
|
| Hidden in (characters implicated in) dolefuL ET TU CEnturion. Refreshing to have a clue for this particular salad staple that doesn’t invoke the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister | ||
| 21 | LIMB |
Arm or leg displaying scale (not the first) (4)
|
| [c]LIMB (scale without the first letter) | ||
| 22 | KNEE |
King once called: Attack! (4)
|
| K (king) + NÉE (once called). ‘Knee’ for ‘attack’ is just about sanctioned by Chambers, which has ‘to press, strike or nudge with the knee’, but this strikes (or perhaps knees) me as a pretty stretchy definition, especially – as here – in the imperative |