Gurney is this morning’s setter.
Most of this went in smoothly, but I had to check CHRISM as it’s a new word to me, and it took me an inordinate amount of time to see DELHI (my LOI). There was a kind of a theme, I think, having spotted PRAISE, SACRED, HOST, PACIFIST, OLD HARRY, (team) SPIRIT, CEREMONIAL and the aforementioned CHRISM, as well as mentions of GOD and CHURCH in clues. However, the atheist in me could argue that CHARADE, DEAD END, HISTORICAL MONOLITH and IMAGINE are also theme words!
Thanks to Gurney.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PRAISE |
Speaks to God, we hear — appropriate words? (6)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [we hear] of PRAYS (“speaks to god”) | ||
| 4 | PORTRAIT |
Picture, landscape, given turn in print? (8)
|
| In printing, landscape orientation is PORTRAIT given a turn | ||
| 10 | CHARADE |
Cleaner promotion — ultimately risible travesty (7)
|
| CHAR (“cleaner”) + AD (“promotion”) + [ultimately] (risibl)E | ||
| 11 | DEAD END |
No way out — change demanded, Mike no longer needed (4,3)
|
| *(deanded) [anag:changed] where DEANDED is DE(m)ANDED with M (Mike, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) no longer needed | ||
| 12 | FLAK |
Criticism of liquid carrier when son is missed out (4)
|
| FLA(s)K (“liquid carrier”) when S (son) is missed out | ||
| 13 | CHEAPSKATE |
Keep cash at building — and become this? (10)
|
| *(keep cash at) [anag:buiding] | ||
| 15 | SACRED |
To some extent becomes a creditor, worthy of respect (6)
|
| Hidden in [to some extent] “becomeS A CREDitor” | ||
| 16 | ARBITER |
Judge’s supporter coming back — one term unfinished (7)
|
| <-BRA (“supporter”, coming back) + I (one) + TER(m) [unfinished] | ||
| 20 | MEMENTO |
What may help to recall internet feature often regularly circulating (7)
|
| MEME (“internet feature”) + <=O(f)T(e)N [regularly, circulating] | ||
| 21 | KIMONO |
Leading couples in kilts mostly, not clothing from East! (6)
|
| [leading couples in] KI(lts) MO(stly) NO(t) | ||
| 24 | HISTORICAL |
The man’s tailor subtly introducing cut originally from the past (10)
|
| HIS (“the man’s”) + *(tailor) [anag:subtly] introducing C(ut) [initially] | ||
| 26 | HOST |
Great number in country where World Cup is held (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | IMAGINE |
Fancy that is about parent with strong drink (7)
|
| I.e. (that is) about MA (“parent”) with GIN (“strong drink”) | ||
| 29 | STERILE |
Fruitless way — European anger (7)
|
| St. (street, so “way”) + E (European) + RILE (“anger”) | ||
| 30 | MONOLITH |
March maybe about leaders of old lingering in organisation resisting change (8)
|
| MONTH (“march maybe”) about [leaders of] O(ld) L(ingering) I(n) | ||
| 31 | PROTON |
Particle — expert to explain finally (6)
|
| PRO (“expert”) + TO + (explai)N [finally] | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PACIFIST |
One won’t fight agreement seeing condition is included (8)
|
| PACT (“agreement”) with IF (“condition) + IS included | ||
| 2 | AVALANCHE |
Article on church in American valley in fall (9)
|
| AN (article) on Ch. (church) in A (American) + VALE (“valley”) | ||
| 3 | SPAN |
Country one leaves for period (4)
|
| I (one) leaves SPA(i)N (“country”) | ||
| 5 | OLD HARRY |
Lorry had broken down — dickens! (3,5)
|
| *(lorry had) [anag:broken down]
Old Harry and dickens are both terms for the Devil. |
||
| 6 | TEAM SPIRIT |
Is part-time working help towards success in field? (4,6)
|
| *(is part time) [anag:working] | ||
| 7 | ARENA |
Part of rare, natural sporting venue (5)
|
| Hidden in [part of] “rARE NAtural” | ||
| 8 | TIDIER |
Papers in bank, comparatively neat (6)
|
| ID (identity “papers”) in TIER (“bank”) | ||
| 9 | DELHI |
Capital of French — Louvre, highlight? Indeed, first of all (5)
|
| DE (“of” in “French”) + L(ouvre) + H(ighlight) + I(ndeed) | ||
| 14 | CEREMONIAL |
One particular day I will be entertained by sort of food ritual (10)
|
| Mon. (Monday, “one particular day”) + I will be entertained by CEREAL (“sort of food”) | ||
| 17 | ECONOMIST |
Specialist notices changes, receiving award (9)
|
| *(notices) [anag:changes] receiving OM (Order of Merit, so “award”) | ||
| 18 | STRIDENT |
Urgent move forward, extremely neat (8)
|
| STRIDE (“move forward”) + [extremely] N(ea)T | ||
| 19 | NORTHERN |
Like Burnham? On the contrary — source of right-wing article on navy (8)
|
| <=ON [the contrary] + [source of] R(ight-wing] + THE (“article”) on RN (Royal Navy) | ||
| 22 | CHRISM |
Oil riches not English unfortunately — millions (6)
|
| *(richs) [unfortunately] + M (millions) where RICHS is RICH(e)S, but not E (English) | ||
| 23 | LAPSE |
At core neglect part of church — drop in standards (5)
|
| [at core] (neg)L(ect) + APSE (“part of church”) | ||
| 25 | SWAIN |
One who might love Southern farm wagon (5)
|
| S (southern) + WAIN (“farm wagon”) | ||
| 27 | TEAR |
Sign of emotion? Be quick (4)
|
| Double definition |
Fairly approachable, although some of the charades were difficult to solve. There was a bunch of nice surfaces again, with PRAISE, TEAM SPIRIT, and CHEAPSKATE the stand-outs. I thought of Roz when I solved PROTON.
I needed research to solve SWAIN, not knowing it or wain, and it took a long time for me to think of LOI HOST. I had no idea what OLD HARRY is, so thanks for the note.
Thanks Gurney and loonapick
Thanks for the blog , good set of clues , PORTRAIT is very neat .
Martyn@1 , sWAIN turns up in The HayWAIN by Constable and the name WAINwright , a mender of wagons .
The PROTON named and discovered by Rutherford in 1920 . Every atom contains at least one proton and virtually all of them were created just after the Big Bang .
In 19D, what exactly is “like Burnham” referring to?