Lang may yer lums reek…
… a Scottish expression translating to “long may your chimneys emit smoke” (a wish for long life and prosperity). For a Scotsman who works at a university on the outskirts of Edinburgh (aka Auld Reekie – the yellow letters), this puzzle was quite straightforward. As a football fan, Leith and Gorgie were write ins (home to Hibernian and Hearts respectively). Apart from the very vague TINTWISTLE, everything was fine, and I learnt four new meanings of the word NUN in the process.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | TONGA |
Weight gain shed in horse-drawn carriage (5)
|
| TON (“weight”) with GA(in) shedding IN | ||
| 4 | BOXER DOGS |
Fighter in the ring plagues German hounds (5,4)
|
| BOXER (“fighter in the ring”) + DOGS (“plagues”) | ||
| 10 | DOMAIN NAME |
‘Kill mother’ that’s title of text address (6,4)
|
| DO MA IN (“kill mother”) + NAME (“title”) | ||
| 11 | NEURAL |
Unreal doctor dealing with nerves (6)
|
| *(unreal) [anag:doctor] | ||
| 12 | AEFAULD |
A feudal change that’s sincere over the border (7)
|
| *(a feudal) [anag:change]
Awful is a Scottish word, so not “over the border” to your blogger. |
||
| 14 | SEBUM |
Endlessly view bottom that’s fat (5)
|
| [endlessly] SE(e) (“view”) + BUM (“bottom”) | ||
| 15 | PRIME |
Coach to the height of perfection (5)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | WAXIER |
Softer and smoother increase. That is right (6)
|
| WAX (“increase”) + i.e. (id est, so “that is”) + R (right) | ||
| 22 | ROTATORY |
Cycle with party member moving round a fixed point (8)
|
| ROTA (“cycle”) with TORY (“party member”) | ||
| 23 | SEA LION |
Circus performer is alone, sadly (3,4)
|
| *(is alone) [anag:sadly] | ||
| 24 | ACER |
One starts roosting in maple tree (4)
|
| ACE (“one”) + [starts] R(oosting) | ||
| 25 | NUNS |
Three birds and a moth (4)
|
| Quadruple definition, nun being another name for a pigeon, a stew and a blue tit, as well as the tussock moth. | ||
| 27 | TRIANON |
‘Grand’ French palace excursion not finishing soon (7)
|
| TRI(p) (“excursion”, not finishing) + ANON (“soon”)
Grand Trianon is a chateaux on the estate of the Palais de Versailles, where the 1920 World War I peace treaty was signed. |
||
| 29 | LEGGIERO |
Musical direction could make Glière go (8)
|
| *(gliere go) [anag:could make] | ||
| 32 | MAGNET |
It’s attractive as a boy’s story magazine (6)
|
| Double definition, the second referring to a weekly magazine that ran from 1908 to 1940 and introduced Billy Bunter to the world. | ||
| 34 | LEITH |
Theme word (5)
|
| By coincidence, I watched the juke box movie Sunshine on Leith a couple of days ago, | ||
| 35 | TWEAK |
Adjust whiskey encased in wood (5)
|
| W (whiskey, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) encased in TEAK (“wood”) | ||
| 36 | ON A ROLL |
Working well, where the breakfast butter may be spread (2,1,4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 37 | DWELLS |
Resides at spa in outskirts of Dumfries (6)
|
| WELL (“spa”) in [outskirts of] D(umfrie)S | ||
| 38 | FIREPLACES |
On reflection, supposing that substitutes sitting room features (10)
|
| [on reflection] <=IF (“supposing”) + REPLACES (“substitutes”) | ||
| 39 | HERMISTON |
Theme word (9)
|
| Hermiston is a suburb of Edinburgh | ||
| 40 | EDITS |
Polishes text of Kidnapped it seems (5)
|
| Hidden in [text of] “kidnappED IT Seems” | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | TINTWISTLE |
Wine list teetotaller reviews in village in Longdendale Valley (10)
|
| *(wine list tt) [anag:reviews] where TT is teetotaller | ||
| 2 | OPERA |
Composition from Penelope Radcliffe (5)
|
| Hidden in [from] “penelOPE RAdcliffe” | ||
| 3 | GORGIE |
Theme word (6)
|
| Gorgie is part of Edinburgh | ||
| 4 | BALERNO |
Theme word (7)
|
| Balerno is a suburb of Edinburgh | ||
| 5 | OIL BURNERS |
Robin rules out fitments for 38 (3,7)
|
| *(robin rules) [anag:out] | ||
| 6 | ENEMATA |
Vaccinations injured manatee (7)
|
| *(manatee) [anag:injured] | ||
| 7 | D-MARK |
Maiden in state of ignorance providing money no more (1-4)
|
| M (maiden, in cricket) in DARK (“state of ignorance”) | ||
| 8 | GILMERTON |
Theme word (9)
|
| A suburb of Edinburgh | ||
| 9 | SIDE |
Theme word (4)
|
| 13 | OXGANGS |
Theme word (7)
|
| Oxgangs is a suburb of Edinburgh | ||
| 15 | PLACID |
Even-tempered, but cold in tartan (6)
|
| C (cold) in PLAID (“tartan”) | ||
| 17 | PORTOBELLO |
Theme word (10)
|
| An area of Edinburgh | ||
| 18 | MORNING |
Theme word (7)
|
| Morningside is a suburb of Edinburgh | ||
| 19 | HYPNOTISES |
Entrances on ships yet to be reconstructed (10)
|
| *(on ships yet) [anag:to be reconstructed] | ||
| 20 | DEFERENCE |
Soldiers in rearguard action getting respect (9)
|
| RE (Royal Engineers, so “soldiers”) in DEFENCE (“rearguard action”) | ||
| 21 | FINISH |
Polish language, reportedly (6)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [reportedly] of FINNISH (“language”) | ||
| 26 | SETTLES |
Gets comfy on benches (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 28 | RAMADAN |
Managed eating nuts before a time of fasting (7)
|
| RAN (“managed”) eating MAD (“nuts”) before A | ||
| 30 | AGREED |
We’re unanimous that it’s a vice (6)
|
| A + GREED (“vice”) | ||
| 31 | STRIM |
Cut grass in long narrow area, almost miles (5)
|
| [almost] STRI(p) (“long narrow area”) + M (miles) | ||
| 33 | ECLAT |
A Celt organised brilliant display (5)
|
| *(a celt) [anag:organised] | ||
| 34 | LOCH |
Lake of Caledonian highlands, primarily (4)
|
| [primarily] L(ake) O(f) C(aledonian) H(ighlands) and &lit. |
Good fun I thought. All Scots references new to me. NUNS was an interesting clue. I think you mean “smew” rather than stew in the blog. We need some of Pierre’s bird links!
Thanks to Doc and loonapick.
A sigh of relief from us. Our only problem was ‘nuns’ as we could find no definitions linking it to birds. Apart from that a very enjoyable solve.
I suspect Doc was looking at the order of definitions in Chambers…
nun1 /nun/
noun
2. A kind of pigeon with feathers on its head like a nun’s hood
3. A blue tit
4. A male smew
5. A tussock moth (Lymantria monacha), a pest in pine forests