We have an Umpire puzzle to blog today.
A few tricky moments but otherwise it all went in quite smoothly.
When we had completed the puzzle, we realised that it was a pangram.
We will not be able to sort out any problems or errors until later in the day as we will be out and about with no access to the internet.
Thanks Umpire.
MO (second) + ARC (line not going straight) inside (‘through’) NHS (medical services)
CU (copper) SHoT (fired) missing (‘fleeing’) ‘o’ (round) + Y (yard)
T (final letter or ‘back’ of that) in A T (first letters or ‘starts’ of ‘all the’) + IRE (rage)
Q (question) inside (‘bunging’) AU (gold) bARIUM (metal) missing (‘away from’) ‘b’ (bass)
BENt (determined) missing (‘destroying’) ‘t’ (tenor) + PR (pair) in CHESS (musical)
W (Western) RAP (hit)
An anagram (‘remixed’) of ALBUM FEAt missing (‘put out’) ‘t’ (first or ‘initial’ letter of TLC)
ROO (kangaroo – ‘jumper’) IE (that is) around (‘inspiring’) K (first letter or ‘top’ of kids)
An anagram (‘developed’) of SNACK I
ElECTING (choosing) replacing ‘l’ (50) with J (Japan)
S (small) COW (whale)
EX (former lover) + a reversal (‘returned’) of IRE (passion) inside (‘charging’) PENCE (a little money)
An anagram (‘tight’) of COILED inside (‘held by’) MA (mother)
L (student) APED (copied) ‘surrounding’ S (last letter – ‘in the end’ – of troublemakers)
A homophone (‘reportedly’) of GROIN (‘lower sensitive region’)
DIG (probe) I (one) and an anagram (‘designed’) of SETI
cOAx missing first and last letters (‘having wings clipped’) TEAL (bird) around (‘eating’) M (last letter or ‘end’ of worm)
An anagram (refurbished’) of MOSAIC SET
A (adult) inside (‘tucked into’) CHE (Guevara – ‘red’) PIE (pastry)
N (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of Bearman) inside (‘lapped by’) SAKE (good) – we did look this up this synonym in Chambers. A type of snake we had never come across before.
An anagram (‘fresh’) of CURRIES – a weight category in boxing
TRAin missing (‘cancelling’) ‘in’ (home) inside (‘accommodated by’) SW (South Western)
STUN (shock) with first letter or ‘head’ moved to second or ‘lowered’ + AMI (French for friend)
US (American) E (English)
An anagram (‘editing’) of SENT PHOTO
UCL (London University) inside (‘collected by’) NEAR (almost)
C (first or ‘initial’ letter in code) + REVIsE (change) turning ‘s’ (spades) into C (clubs)
EAR (‘seedy place’ – the part of a cereal plant containing the seeds) + a reversal (‘up’) of GULP (quickly drink)
22. Change cut of Caerphilly, say, to have rind removed (7)
NICK (cut) wELSh (‘of Caerphilly, say’) missing first and last letters (‘to have rind removed’)
WhiskeY missing the middle letters (’empty’) around (‘bottling’) a reversal (‘raised’) of ZOO (mob)
‘Hidden’ and reversed (‘from below’) in primorDIAL Pouch
Del Boy might use 6Ac to describe this pangram puzzle. I liked the neat surface of ON THE SPOT. I guessed SNAKE without really understanding it. Thanks, Umpire, B & J.
Never got into OFAH, so cushty was a nho, bench press was a lazy bung, only vaguely remembered racer qua snake, and had nho the cruiser class in boxing. So, bit of a vague job, but ok, thx to Umpire and B&J.
Quite a few nice clues today. I very much enjoyed the setting of ATTIRE and EARPKUG. Thanks to Umpire and for bertandjoyce’s blog commentary
Thanks to bertandjoyce for the blog and for the kind words from the commenters above. It’s been a pleasure to set for you.
gif@2: Planet Earth II — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3OjfK0t1XM
Great clip, thanks navidier @5.