This wasn’t too tricky but there were a few answers that I don’t fully understand – explanations/corrections welcome.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | RAIN in B(offin)S |
| 4 | (SOME BEDS)* – deceptive surface reading. |
| 9 | OPT in ADS – OK, minor rant coming up. The wordplay for the clue is “Make a choice without the commercials”, which, to my mind at least, would give us ADS in OPT. Obviously, we are supposed to read it as [Make a choice] and without it put [the commercials]. I just think this is lazy clueing; surely something like “Make a choice during the commercials” would give a similar sense to the surface reading and would be cryptically more sound? It probably goes without saying that I think I’ve only seen this construction allowed in the Guardian. Rant over. |
| 10 | HISTORIC – the answer to 22D is ITCH, which is the anagram fodder, along with OR IS. |
| 11 | IT BEATS THE BAND? – is this right? It’s not a phrase I’ve heard of before and it does contain two words that are also in the definition (“it tops the lot!”) so I’m not sure. |
| 13 | SURE in (ARREST)* |
| 21 | BEAT GENERATION – I filled this in without completely getting the wordplay but it turns out that “whale” is US slang meaning to beat or thrash someone. The BEAT GENERATION was this lot . |
| 23 | IS in NUANCE |
| 25 | (RAGS)*, AS,SO |
| Down | |
| 1 | A in BEN – very simple wordplay. |
| 2 | APOSTLE – I think this is right but I don’t understand the “made on a spoon” stuff. |
| 3 | NO, (STA(r)LET) |
| 7 | SURF,ACE – I really liked this one. The surface reading (ho ho) is good and “the finish” is deceptive as a definition. |
| 12 | TURTLENECKS – I know a TURTLENECK is a jumper but I don’t get the soup reference. Any offers? |
| 17 | V in (CLAIRE)* – “to see” doesn’t seem to be doing much in the wordplay…? |
| 19 | UTOPIAN – “More” is Sir Thomas, author of “Utopia”. |
I guess 2 down is a reference to apostle spoons – ‘spoons with figures of apostles on handles’ in my COD.
Turtle soup is quite well known – presumably turtle necks would be in it?
12dn: Mock turtle soup is an imitation of turtle soup, using a calf’s head instead of turtle. Where does the neck come in (apart from being in the jumper)?
11ac: ‘beat the band’ is in Chambers