Great fun from Monk this morning.
This was a very enjoyable and fairly challenging puzzle. Monk usually leaves something extra to find in the grid, including here. Happy to learn a few new terms from Monk as well.
Many thanks to the setter!
HACK (journalist) + SAW (understood)
BITS (small pieces); SEC (dry) on the inside
LIVES (is) + (C (cold) in STOK[e] (after shearing))
M (Mike, Nato alphabet); (A + DAN (prolific martial artist)) engages
(FIERCE + R (Republican) + BLOW)* (*shatters)
[water]MAR[ks] (30% of)
BOHR< (quantum physicist, <revolutionary) embeds M (minute)
B (bishop) + (HELPS A)* (*false) + MY (god)
‘My’ and ‘god’ as interjections
WHOEVER* (*concocted) + L[iberalis]M (vacuous)
Cryptic definition
In ‘HIGH CHURCH’ the most commonly used letter (character) is H
[s]ASS[y] (impertinent, in birthday suit)
‘In birthday suit’ is unclothed, so taking off the outer ‘layers’ of the word
SERIES (succession of things) on ROTIS (Indian flatbreads)
(E (east) then N (north)) around GOA (Indian state) – On the contrary
‘On the contrary’ tells us that instead of x around y as described, we need to use y around x
(EIGHT (8) about IN (wearing)); WO (Warrant Officer) trousers
([ob]SCENE (disgusting) + RY (lines, railway)); OB (old boy) avoiding
[o]N[l]Y (regularly used) + N (north) OR S (south) + K[orea] (‘s first)
“WHOLLY” (completely, “announced”) + RAW< (naive, <cocked up)
(C (caught) on L (lake)); VIA (through, cycling) lines
SIS[kin] (small bird, left by KIN (family))
WOO (court) + (RE (concerned with) supporting D (Democrat) + FIB (lie))
BA[c]KER (benefactor, misses C (constant)
A baker’s output (bread, cakes etc.) will have risen, typically
SE (Swedish domain) eating HAKES (fish) and PEAR (fruit)
‘Domain’ as in websites
MEMBER (board constituent) being eaten by CAT (guy)
Around [Ma]Y (end of), GRE[e]NS< (environmentalists, half-hearted, <going over) + Y (year)
ELBOW (Britpop band) on “GREECE” (country, “broadcast”)
ONCE (on one occasion) broken by BASIE* (*angry)
MISSION (embassy); A.D. (nowadays) introduces
O (Oscar, Nato alphabet) + RANGES (classifies)
Cryptic definition
ASS (from 21 across), in HOCK (owing debt)
The phrase ‘in hock’ means to be owing debt
[Brookl]YN WAT[erworks]< (<turning up, in)
INN (hostelry) linked to ER (former monarch)
N (nitrogen) below H[eavisid]E (limits of)
Thanks for the blog , so many clever clues with a lot of nice touches . I will have to pick RHOMB but also AITCH is very original .
Very minor glitch for LIVESTOCK , Stoke needs shearing on both sides to give TOK .
After a slow start, things picked up, and I found this most enjoyable.
My lexicon expanders — siskin, genoa, Nynorsk, and I’d never heard of the Britpop band.
I enjoyed this and learned a new language.
Thanks Monk and Oriel
Very smart setting, throughout; and a pretty tough challenge to complete, for me.
CAVIL, 2(d), ended up being a process of elimination, I’ve heard the word, but not in any context that I could recall.
After completing, quite a few of the parsings kept me quiet for a while, but very impressed by them.
Spotted the “extra” bit, but I don’t really see any relevance. I wondered if “the cross” layout had a hidden meaning?
Excellent stuff all round, big thanks to Monk & Oriel.