As August arrives a puzzle from Quince before the shooting begins.
“They dined on Mince and slices of Quince” if my Lear is recalled correctly. And some tasty slices (clues) there are.A little risque towards the end of the downs 22 and 23. An elegant construction in 6dn was my favourite for novelty value alone. Many other quick complex parsings – took a while to see 10 ac, 16 ac prime examples. Took a while to get SNL as a sketch show, but it is a recent addition to these shores. Not convinced I’ve parsed 15dn correctly but you never know. 4dn eludes me.
All good fun at the harder end of teh spectrum I would say – Thanks Quince
Key * anagram; DD double definition; Rev. reverse; underlien definition
Across
8 Unpleasant smell leaves area of city (5)
bo (smell) removed from borough (area of city) = ROUGH
10 “I hate this dessert,”said one coming back (9)
boo (I hate this) + homophone of meringue (dessert) = BOOMERANG
11 Criminal could undo a lock without key in ideal world (5-6-4)
(could undo a lock)* around c (key) = CLOUD-CUCKOO-LAND
12 Sparks when Romeo meets Juliet set back by sides in Verona (9)
act I (when Romeo meets Juliet) + va (sides in Verona) + Rev. set = ACTIVATES
14 I’ve finished speaking special spell (5)
over (I’ve finished speaking) + s (special) = OVERS
16 Where you might find husband off the beaten track (6,2,7)
Cryptic definition h(husband) is in the middle of nowHere = MIDDLE OF NOWHERE
19 Show regret overtaking Tesla, say (5)
rue (regret) around ev (Tesla say) = REVUE
21 Post from sketch show entertaining great man in audience (5,4)
snl (sketch show) around ai (great) + homophone of male (man) = SNAIL MAIL
23 Set for success from section of record following where Trump lies (2,3,5,5)
On the right (where trump lies) + track (section of record) = ON THE RIGHT TRACK
25 Fighter happy a riot erupted (9)
glad(happy) + (a riot)* = GLADIATOR
26 Team appearing in French and Saunders finally retires (5)
xi (team) in et (French and) + s (Saunders finally) = EXITS
Down
1 Herald for one hundred and one entering the sea in France (10)
pro (for) + c (one hundred) + la mer (the sea in France) around I (one) = PROCLAIMER
2 Perhaps repent? Not this woman (3-5)
shed evil (perhaps repent) = SHE DEVIL
3 Captures one abandoning bid during sales (10)
bid – I (one) in auctions (sales) = ABDUCTIONS
4 Hit button on the counter (4)
BONK
5 Study heart in love with love once more (2,4)
den (study) + ov (heart in love) + o (love) = DE NOVO
6 Perhaps Jesus and Hazard sent new losing sides (8)
aNd hAZARd sENt nEw = NAZARENE
7 Upcoming artist mostly past his prime (4)
Rev. Degas (artist) – s = AGED
9 One attacks occasionally dumb loyalty (1-4)
dUmB lOyAlTy = U BOAT
13 He’s as burnt at sea as others in his position (10)
(hesasburnt)* = SUNBATHERS
15 How to make waxing glide and move smoothly (5,1,4)
waxing – a – x (kiss) giving wing (glide) = STEAL A KISS
17 United go over stopping time to attack it s not going to work (5,3)
u (united) + vet (go over) in DDay (time to attack) = DUVET DAY
18 Time to stick spring chicken in that case (4,4)
t(time) in well (spring) + hen (chicken) = WELL THEN
20 Attention-seeking academic’s plea to retire it makes you sick (6)
Rev. cite me (Attention seeking academic) = EMETIC
22 I taxi over after heading to Ann Summers (5)
a (heading to Ann) + Rev. I cab (taxi) = ABACI
23 Some sexy group needing erection (4)
Rev. Hidden sexY GROup = ORGY
24 Dirtbag occasionally pens love letter (4)
dIrtbAg around o (love) = IOTA
BONK
Is it KNOB (button) reversed?
STEAL A KISS
It looks all right.
I had bonk as knob (button) reversed, have no idea out 15d but I liked the puzzle, fast becoming partial to a Quince. Thanks.
Agree with both the preceding posters ref knob< = BONK and also with the blogger ref STEAL A KISS. And also like our blogger, I was relieved when SNL came to mind to parse SNAIL MAIL. Fun puzzle. Yes, quite tricky. I think the whole clue for ORGY needs underlining as an &lit?
Thanks both
Very tricky, in parts, but I liked most of this puzzle.
I didn’t warm to 14(ac), because “special” = S, is one of those desperate plays, and OVERS = SPELL is a bummer in my book.
15(d), STEAL A KISS, simply does not work, for me, on any level. The wordplay, the definition, the solution?
Hey-ho, it’s a shame to be the naysayer, because apart from 3 or 4 clues, this would be a total cracker of a crossword. The odd wince spoils the Quince.
Thanks to quince+twence
STEAL A KISS
WP How to make ‘waxing’ ‘glide’—How to make ‘waxing’ ‘wing’
(Glide and wing as verbs are close enough in our sport, I feel).
The answer could be ‘By Stealing a kiss’ or ‘STEAL A KISS’ (remove A, X).
Def: as underlined (I think ‘smoothly’ indicates a degree of stealthiness!).
I liked the clue.
Thanks for a full explanation, KVa #5: I wasn’t getting it at all.
Enjoyed this challenge and very pleased to have got it out (except for that one parsing) Thanks to Quince and twencelas