Like the Romans, Vikings, Scots, Saxons and, latterly, 15×15 Bloggers and Setters, what goes to York stays in York, so aside from this crossword blog much of what goes on behind the doors of the Fifteen Squared Annual General Assembly should remain secret. We should by now know whether there has been pillage and York has once again received a right sacking.
On to Cruciverbal matters, I have the pleasure of blogging the contribution from Cheeseman. A nicely accessible level of difficulty, with some lovely and well crafted clues.
Definitions are underlined in the text
Across
1 An individual or a couple (4)
ITEM
Double definition
3 Anyway this vicar is one that keeps records (9)
ARCHIVIST
Anagram of (“anyway”) THIS VICAR
9 Emotional piece evoked by development of hydro spa (8)
RHAPSODY
Anagram (“development of”) HYDRO SPA
10 Approach involving court card (6)
NECTAR
Approach [NEAR] involving [containing] court [CT]
11 Maybe scuba clubs in army and no jogging (7)
ACRONYM
Clubs [C] in Army and no [ARMY + NO] jogging [= anagram “running around”]
Scuba is an acronym = Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
13 Sweetheart Kay inspiring priest to give motivating chat (3,4)
PEP TALK
Sweetheart [PETAL] Kay [K] inspiring [containing] priest [P]
15 Courier collecting second person’s impolite response (2,5)
UP YOURS
Courier [UPS] collecting [around] second person’s [YOUR]
16 Old vessel on the counter for fruit, strictly speaking (4)
OKRA
Old [O] vessel [ARK] on the counter [backwards]
19 In conversation physicist is a bad mannered person (4)
BOOR
Sounds like (“in conversation”) BOHR
Niels BOHR was a Danish Physicist
20 Aiming chiefly to get a tablet (7)
ASPIRIN
Without the final letter (chiefly) ASPIRING
23 Issue going around and French at university suddenly attack (3,4)
SET UPON
Issue [SON] going around [containing] and French [ET] at university [UP]
24, 14d Symbol of kinky male escort on ship (7,5)
MALTESE CROSS
Anagram [“kinky”] MALE ESCORT on ship [SS]
26 Journalist meeting wealthy Surrey cricketer once (6)
EDRICH
Journalist [ED] meeting [plus] wealthy [RICH]
A well-known onlkine encyclopedia tells me this is cricketer John Edrich
27, 28d Doctor or fiancee or executive’s transport (3,5,3)
AIR FORCE ONE
Anagram [“doctor”] OR FIANCEE OR
29 Spooner’s animal feed milled for dog (9)
GREYHOUND
Spoonerism of HAY (animal feed) GROUND (milled)
30 Venerable person’s resting place on earth (4)
BEDE
Resting place [BED] on earth [E]
DOWN
1 Greek island with a Catholic enclave (6)
ITHACA
Hidden word [“enclave”] wITH A CAtholic
2 Extraordinary ability championed but not overused (3)
ESP
Championed [ESPOUSED] but not [REMOVE] over [O] used [USED]
4 Chelsea Flower Show hosts captivating unknown Welshman (4)
RHYS
Chelsea Flower Show hosts [RHS] captivating [containing] unknown [Y]
5 Scorer’s name announced (6)
HANDEL
Sounds like [“announced”] HANDLE (scorer = composer)
6 Virginia meets religious fundamentalist about missing American holidaymaker (11)
VACATIONIST
Virginia [VA] meets religious fundamentalist [CREATIONIST] missing RE [CREATIONIST]
7 Two lost at first in both gloomy and louvred room in church tower, unimportant people … (5,3)
SMALL FRY
Two lost at first [first two letters deleted] in both gloomy [DISMAL[ and louvred [room in church tower [BELFRY]
8 … said the one who put the kettle on dead square? (7)
POLYGON
Sounds like [“said”] the one who put the kettle on [POLLY] dead [GONE]
12 Opening work left by Mitford sister (11)
OPPORTUNITY
Work [OP] left [PORT] by Mitford sister [UNITY]
17 Fight senior tribesman for tree (3,5)
BOX ELDER
Fight [BOX] senior tribesman [ELDER]
18 Frank piece of news in a transcript (7)
SINATRA
Hidden word [“piece of”] newS IN A TRAnscript
21 Joyful cry from gangster getting end away after court (6)
WOOHOO
Gangster [HOOD] getting end away [HOOD] after court [WOO]
22 South Korean singer with revolutionary mind (6)
PSYCHE
South Korean singer [PSY] Guevara [CHE]
25 Conceited French, go home! (4)
VAIN
French, go [VA] home [IN]
Cheeseman’s preamble says “Some of these would have been useful tips here a couple of months ago”. Any idea what that’s about?
Tony @ 1
The grid displays names of many horses who were all placed 1st, 2nd or 3rd in races at the August meeting at York racecourse:
ITEM (1st 15:35 19th)
ARCHIVIST (1st 13:50 22nd)
RHAPSODY (2nd 16:10 20th)
MALTESE CROSS (1st 15:00 19th)
AIR FORCE ONE (1st 13:50 19th)
OPPORTUNITY (3rd 15:35 22nd)
WOOHOO (2nd 17:20 20th)
SMALL FRY (1st 16:10 19th)