I enjoyed this week’s offering from Everyman. Perfect accompaniment to a Sunday morning coffee (or two).
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 A day to get around the Continent
AFRICA
A charade of A, FRI AND CA for circa or ‘around’.
5 Slovenly type‘s got some neck!
SCRUFF
A dd.
8 Everyman has potential to improve, solver: honestly
I PROMISE YOU
A charade of I, PROMISE and YOU.
11 Eyre hears a line that needs cutting in preparation for performance
REHEARSAL
Hidden in EyRE HEARS A Line.
12 Small athletic club in purple
LILAC
A charade of LIL and AC. LIL is a colloquial form of ‘little’ and is often seen in musicians’ names.
13 Company constructed silos: they’re enormous
COLOSSI
A charade of CO and (SILOS)* The anagrind is ‘constructed’.
14 Conman‘s retiring, wanting rest badly
SHYSTER
A charade of SHY and (REST)* The anagrind is ‘badly’.
15 A little garland is dainty, getting scorn
DISDAIN
Hidden in garlanD IS DAINty.
17 Bin meat that’s rotten all around
AMBIENT
(BIN MEAT)* with ‘rotten’ as the anagrind.
20 Send back – drive back, perhaps, potato?
TUBER
A reversal (‘send back’) of REBUT.
21 Lofty structure from which it’s announced: ‘It’s time for girdles’
BELL TOWER
A soundalike clue (‘it’s announced’) for BELT HOUR.
22 Re-do the pork: awkward bloomer
RED-HOT POKER
(RE DO THE PORK)* with ‘awkward’ as the anagrind.
23 One authoritarian at back of boat
ASTERN
A charade of A and STERN.
24 One primarily dominant, yet nepotistically appointed, securing throne?
DYNAST
The initial letters of the last six words of the clue and a cad.
Down
2 Multiple sentences with no escaping e.g. penguins?
FLIGHTLESS BIRDS
I think this is just a rather convoluted cd: BIRD is slang for a prison ‘sentence’ – ‘he’s doing bird’ – and if there was no possible escape/flight from more than one of them then they would be FLIGHTLESS. Unless someone has a better idea.
3 Some progress when visiting Greek island, reportedly
INROADS
A charade of IN for ‘visiting’ and a soundalike (‘reportedly’) of RHODES.
4 Concession for entrance
ADMISSION
A dd.
5 Rope material is brought into stable regularly
SISAL
An insertion of IS in SAL, the odd letters of SiSaL. The insertion indicator is ‘brought into’.
6 Songwriter’s payment: Taylor collected Japanese currency
ROYALTY
A charade of (TAYLOR)* and Y for Yen. The anagrind is ‘collected’.
7 ‘Term’; ‘oath’; ‘news’; ‘chat’?
FOUR-LETTER WORDS
A cd.
9 Caught by fabled avian, one with dozens of teeth
CROC
A charade of C and ROC.
10 Cake decorator‘s instructions returned with two cuts
ICER
A reversal of RECI[PE].
14 Wavy at the edges, building collapsed
SCALLOPED
(COLLAPSED)* with ‘building’ as the anagrind.
15 Ascertain age of potential partner
DATE
A dd.
16 A card game? Cut
ABRIDGE
A charade of A and BRIDGE.
18 Give evidence of risk: Barbie’s boyfriend accepting love
BETOKEN
An insertion of O in BET and KEN. The insertion indicator is ‘accepting’.
19 Right-winger offering two extremes in tyranny?
TORY
The choice of outside letters in ‘tyranny’ is T OR Y.
21 Author Dan is toast
BROWN
A dd. Dan Brown is an American author, perhaps best known for The Da Vinci Code.
Many thanks as always to Everyman for this week’s puzzle.