Oh dear, two whole weeks late! Circumstances (like having to go abroad for an emergency business meeting, being ill when I got back, etc.) conspired, but that’s not a good enough excuse. Just a brief blog, then, in case anyone is still puzzled about the wordplay. I promise to do better with 450.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | LAST DITCH | Endure dyke right to the very end LAST = endure; DITCH = dyke |
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| 8/23 | FILM NOIR | Scum politician finally getting city backing conjures up a dark picture FILM = scum; N = politician finally; RIO, reversed |
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| 10 | SHOREDITCH | Ex-Labour minister, Peter, to get rid of London area Peter SHORE; DITCH = get rid of |
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| 12 | RECOUP | Runs with Coe — excited, having an erection — get back! *(R Coe up) |
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| 13/7 | SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE | Salmond’s political ambition is “perverted, in-depth conceitedness” *(in-depth conceitedness) |
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| 14 | ICELAND | ANC lied about source of aviation hazard *(ANC lied) |
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| 16 | GAGGING | The purpose of a super-injunction is sick-making Double definition |
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| 19 | FRAGMENT | Female leader of Tories welcoming Steptoe and Son a bit? F = female; T = leader of Tories; RAGMEN = Steptoe and Son; definition = a bit |
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| 21 | ONLINE | Internet-connected person preceding this is cause of Tube delay? ‘Person on line’ may be a reason why Tube trains are delayed. |
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| 24 | CAPABILITY | Nickname of Brown? Yes — and certainly no! Presumably saying that the nickname given to Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown would not also be appropriate to Gordon, ex-Prime Minister |
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| 25/11 | BOOKWORM | Reading fan has work-out in the middle of bang *(work); in BOOM |
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| 26 | EASY MONEY | Sexually available given cash (income that’s not earned) EASY = sexually available;MONEY = cash |
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| Down | |||
| 1 | DAPHNE | Sandi Toksvig all over local woman DANE = Sandi Toksvig (who is Danish); PH = public house, or local |
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| 2 | ECSTASY | After CSE fiasco, gutless Tory secures like, Transport *(CSE); T[or]Y; AS = like |
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| 3 | DIMWIT | Miliband’s conclusion: “I’m comedian!” — plonker! D = Miliband’s conclusion; I’M WIT |
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| 4 | IMPRISON | No knight, Cameron, one rejected — give the villain time! NO SIR PM I, reversed |
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| 6 | TURMOIL | Rum shenanigans within Labour — utter chaos *(rum); in TOIL |
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| 9 | THROW A WOBBLY | Chuck admits at first: “Like fleshy boobs to explode” THROW = chuck; A = admits at first; WOBBLY = like fleshy boobs |
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| 15 | CAR BOMBS | Terrorist devices: Clegg’s initial answer, right, is a dead loss C = Clegg’s initial; A = answer; R = right; BOMBS = is a dead loss |
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| 17 | GALILEO | One embroiled in legal fiasco — love the old heretic I = one; in *(legal); O = love |
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| 18 | UTOPIAN | Idealistic union to bump off my employer! U = union; TOP = bump off; IAN Hislop = Private Eye editor, therefore Cyclops’s employer |
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| 20 | GORDON | The Almighty working to guard rear of pisspoor Brown? GOD = the Almighty; ON = working; R = rear of pisspoor |
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| 22 | NUTTER | One who gives head aggressively Pretty straightforward definition |
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Did I not like 1d? When I saw Sandi Toksvig , this being Private Eye meant I played around with part of the clue to 5. So from now on whenever someone is mentioned, that means their nationality is part of the answer?