As we approach the long-awaited publication of the latest instalment of the boy wizard’s adventures, it may be time for a moratorium on Potter-themed crosswords. I’d done quite a few clues before I turned to 5,25, but the minute I saw the number of letters and the word ‘boy’ in the clue, the theme leapt out. Not one of Araucaria’s best, lacking a bit of the the usual spark. Explanations welcomed for 3 and 7 down.
ACROSS:
8. WEASLEY. Ref Ron, Harry’s friend, hom. ‘weasily’ – which I initially had as the answer, since the homonym could arguably go either way.
11. AUTHOR I(TY)FIGURE. Ref Ty(rone) Power.
12. A XI S. XI = side, as in cricket or football eleven.
13. RIB<MING HAM.
18. A GRA(in).
20. MA(R)XI(S)M NINE L< IS M. A pretty convoluted surface. 950 needs to be as NINE L, rather than all in Roman numerals (LM?)
23. TO TALLY. Confused? This one refers to the old (and rather weak) joke: “How do you tell a weasel from a stoat? One is weasily identifiable, the other is stoatally different”.
26. ERR AND. Nice, simple clue.
DOWN:
2. HE ALT(HI)ER.
3. TALLOW? But I can’t see why.
4. PHYSICIAN. ANY CHIPS I*. No anagram indicator, and I is needed for the anagram fodder and definition.
5. HARRY. Cross-country runners are often called harriers, think the question mark’s because it’s not normally used as a verb.
7. HAIKU. Another one I can’t explain. Q (elevated) R read aloud, with an I thrown in for good measure??
14. MUST E LINE.
15. HAGRID DEN.
19. SILVER. Ref 18 ac. Not RA, but AG.
3dn is ALL in TOW (lot being drawn), 7dn is a homophone, “high queue”.
Thanks. But isn’t it pronounced ‘high coo’?
Yes, but it’s Araucaria. Nuff said!