Solving time 22:05
I found this very tough, and was grateful for spotting the Nina – palindromes in the unchecked letters on each edge of the grid – DEIFIED, REPAPER, ROTATOR and REVIVER.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 9 | R(OOTG = (G(irl),too)<=)INGER |
| 10 | E,QUIN(c)E |
| 11 | TOR,TO(IS)E – legend = leg-end = toe, hence “legend?” in the clue |
| 12 | VI(D)S – vis = force (Lat.) |
| 13 | EDITORS=steroid*,HIP |
| 17 | 10(N)S |
| 18 | ATSEA – SE from “final parts of ParadiSE”, in AlTmAn |
| 19 | KA,T.A. – martial arts without the fighting it seems. I guess the K(ola Peninsul)a is abandoned = empty |
| 20 | VELVET PILE – (live TV Peel)* |
| 22 | N,EEP=pee<= |
| 23 | ENCLO=(once,L)*,THE |
| 27 | C(R)AD(L)E – a cade is a lamb or other young animal left by its animal mother and reared by humans as a pet |
| 29 | OMAR = Ram(b)o<= – Omar Sharif starred in Dr Zhivago, for those who not seen it. The main musical theme can be heard on this rather magnificent page (wait about 22 secs for the big tune) |
| Down | |
| 1 | DONQUIX=”donkey”,(v)OTE(s) |
| 2 | E(LLIP=pill<=)S,IS – defined by “…” of course |
| 3 | I,RRE=err<=,LEVANT = east |
| 4 | F,OOT=too<= – the too in “you’re too kind” means “very”, says Collins. |
| 6 | E,N,(JOY)S |
| 7 | DEUS = sued<= |
| 14 | I,M,SH,I – Arabic for “go away”. If they do, you can follow up with “shukran” (thank you), the single word I remember from a trip to Tunisia (where your schoolboy French is often more useful than the Arabic phrase book) |
| 15 | O,PALE,SCENT – time to get your brackets right – this is { (light under old), bouquet } not { light under (old, bouquet) } |
| 16 | IN THE CLEAR = (Catherine, (whee)L)* |
| 19 | KANGAROO = (anorak go)* |
| 21 | VELCRO – hidden in shoVEL,CROwbar |
| 24 | NE’ER – iNnEr EaR |
| 26 | (th)E LI(on),A – Elia was the pen-name of Charles Lamb, just in case you don’t know yet. |