Gurney is this morning’s setter.
I solved this in the wake of Scotland’s disastrous match against Brazil, so was glad that it wasn’t too difficult, although it took me a while to parse CORNER. There were a couple of &lits. that just about work, but the are on the verge of having words doing double duty. Still, a fun enough solve.
Thanks Gurney.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CORNER |
Spot boy not entirely ready initially (6)
|
| COR (“boy”, as in “oh, boy!”) + N(ot) E(ntirely) R(eady) [initially] | ||
| 4 | CABARETS |
Shows worry about airline tickets after vacation (8)
|
| CARE (“worry”) about BA (British Airways, so “airline”) + T(icket)S [after vacation] | ||
| 10 | MISTRAL |
Recalling some classical arts, impressive feature of southwest Europe (7)
|
| Hidden backwards in [recalling some] “classicaL ARTS IMpressive” | ||
| 11 | COTTAGE |
Small house, somewhere to sleep time and time again? (7)
|
| COT (“somewhere to sleep”) + T (time) + AGE (“time”) | ||
| 12 | BELL |
Call good-looker, we hear (4)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [we hear] of BELLE (“good-looker”) | ||
| 13 | CHARIOTEER |
More cautious about remote, half-forgotten, driver from past (10)
|
| CHARIER (“more cautious”) about (rem)OTE [half-forgotten] | ||
| 16 | CONVEY |
Communicate argument against valuing every year from the outset (6)
|
| CON (“argument against”) + V(aluing) E(very) Y(ear) [from the outset] | ||
| 17 | SCHOLAR |
One studying Church participating in type of panel (7)
|
| Ch. (church) participating in SOLAR (“type of panel”) | ||
| 20 | REFEREE |
Official notes about iron, European (7)
|
| RE + RE (musical “notes”) about Fe (chemical symbol for “iron”) + E (European) | ||
| 21 | RECIPE |
Instructions about famous work brought over (6)
|
| RE (“about”) + <=EPIC (“famous work”, brought over) | ||
| 24 | ATTAINABLE |
Dining, say, having assumed home, first-class, is within reach? (10)
|
| AT TABLE (“dining, say”) having assumed IN (“home”) + A (“first-class”) | ||
| 25 | MAST |
Mother’s introduction to totem pole (4)
|
| MA’S (“mother’s”) + [introduction to] T(otem) | ||
| 27 | TACTILE |
Given to touching diplomacy, yielded at regular intervals (7)
|
| TACT (“diplomacy”) + (y)I(e)L(d)E(d) [at regular intervals] | ||
| 29 | ALL-TIME |
A doubly large term in prison — unsurpassed (3-4)
|
| A + LL (doubly large) + TIME (“term in prison”) | ||
| 30 | NOBILITY |
Dignity — charm, easily seen in New York (8)
|
| OBI (“charn”) + LIT (“easily seen”) in NY (New York) | ||
| 31 | PEANUT |
Some hype a nutritious item? (6)
|
| Hidden in [some] “hyPE A NUTritious” and semi &lit. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | COMEBACK |
Leading couples in court meet and support return to former position (8)
|
| [leading couples in] CO(urt) ME(et) and BACK (“support”) | ||
| 2 | RESPLENDENT |
Dazzling new present with advance inside? (11)
|
| *(present) [anag:new] with LEND (“advance”) inside | ||
| 3 | EURO |
Your race on water, they say, for money? (4)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [they say] of YOUR ROW (“your race on water”) | ||
| 5 | ACCURACY |
Correctness of account supported by religious office (8)
|
| Ac. (account) supported by CURACY (“religious office”) | ||
| 6 | ASTRONOMER |
Expert on star — more flexible (10)
|
| *(on star more) [anag:flexible] and semi &lit. | ||
| 7 | ERA |
Period in Copper Age (3)
|
| Hidden in “coppER Age” | ||
| 8 | SHERRY |
Coy about slip in drink? (6)
|
| SHY (“coy”) about ERR (“slip”) | ||
| 9 | ALPHA |
Code word for a dominant person (5)
|
| Double definition, the first probably referring to the NATO phonetic alphabet where alpha is “code” for A | ||
| 14 | EGALITARIAN |
Retail again stirring — just (11)
|
| *(retail again) [anag:stirring] | ||
| 15 | BENEFICIAL |
Good for you, nice ale? Fib, unfortunately! (10)
|
| *(nice ale fib) [anag:unfortunately] | ||
| 18 | DECADENT |
Self-indulgent in 1960s maybe, nihilist — extremely (8)
|
| DECADE (“1960s maybe”) + N(ihilis)T [extremely] | ||
| 19 | VESTMENT |
Money put aside (not popular) for specialist clothing (8)
|
| (in)VESTMENT (“money put aside”, not IN (“popular”) | ||
| 22 | CANTON |
Basic rule about temperature in Swiss region (6)
|
| CANON (“basic rule”) about T (temperature) | ||
| 23 | ELGAR |
Lager arranged for scorer (5)
|
| *(lager) [anag:arranged] where “scorer” refers to one who creates a musical score, so a composer. | ||
| 26 | GLEE |
Sound of surprise about learner’s delight (4)
|
| GEE (“sound of suprise”) about L (learner) | ||
| 28 | CUB |
Diving equipment with edges trimmed for newcomer (3)
|
| (s)CUB(a) (“diving equipment”, with edges trimmed) |