Fifteensquared

Now that another Guardian crossword week is over (ending with a Puck-to-treasure, surely more about that in a week’s time) I thought: there’s still that last Monday’s gap waiting to be filled. In order to keep a 100% archive, I decided to write a belated blog – a simple one too.  Moreover, I am in a Rufus/Dante mood anyway after just finishing the blog of that same day’s Dante puzzle.

Across

7   FRONT LINE   FRONT (top) + LINE (rank) – Def: the most advanced units

8   CABIN   Cryptic definition (apart from a sailor’s song, a shanty is also a simple dwelling)

9   UNREFINED   Double definition (“crude”/”rude”)

10   ACTOR   Cryptic definition

12   REVELS   V (a number, five) inside REELS (lively dances) – Def: festivities

13   INSTANCE   (AN INSECT)* – Def: example

14   ADORING   ADO (the commotion) + RING (the band) – Def: loving

17   COBBLED   Double definition (“old streets may be”/”repaired at last”)

20   PATIENCE   PATE (head) around (NICE)* – Def: waiting without complaint

22   MAHOUT   Cryptic definition (the Jumbo here being an elephant)

24   AGLOW   AG (silver) + LOW (down) – Def: at melting point?

25   NURSEMAID   (US A MINDER)* – Def:  a small charge (ie one who cares for the little ones)

26   STILE   Cryptic definition (as a keen walker I have seen many of them)

27   NUMERATOR   Perhaps a cryptic definition (a dividend can be a number that is to be divided which, in a fraction, will be the numerator)

Down

1   FRINGE   RING (hoop)  inside FE (iron) – Def: edge

2   INNER EAR   Cryptic definition

3   ALLIES   A + L (student) + LIES (tells tales) – Def: friends

4   ANGELIC   (LACE + GIN)* - Def: divine

5   MARCIA   MAR (reversal of RAM (gate-crasher)) + CIA (US secret service) – Def: she

6   DIVORCEE   Cryptic definition

11   OSLO   OS (O plus O, ducks) + LO (see) – Def: European capital

15   DRAUGHTS   Double definition (“they make people cold”/”drinks”)

16   NANA   Cryptic/Double definition (NANA is the nurse dog employed by the Darlings to take care of Wendy (in Peter Pan) – NANA is also a pet name for a grandmother)

18   BOHEMIAN   Double definition (“unconventional”/”description of old Prague” (it was once situated in Bohemia))

19   TENUOUS   (SUN OUT)* around E (the East) – Def: weak

21   IF ONLY   I would really like to see this as a double definition with “an expression of regret” as the first and “perhaps” as the seond, but I am not sure about the latter

22   MISLED   (SMILED)* – Def: given the wrong direction

23   UNISON   UN (international group) + IS + ON (performing) – Def: in concert