Good fare from Phi with some excellent clues but with a couple of gaps in the word play and one clue not solved until I check in TEA just before submitting this!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 5 | ALWAYS — W(in) in A+LAYS — “on every occasion” stood out as a definition of ALWAYS here before I even read the clue fully. There are some words that aren’t that easy to define without making it obvious. |
| 11 | ATLANTIS — ATLA(s) + (ISNT)* — atlas = maps plural. The surface reading augments the definition here very well. |
| 18 | IN STITCHES — cryptic def. — a good cryptic definition, think operating theatres. |
| 22 | OMERTA — A TREMO(r) < — omerta is, I believe, the mafia’s code of silence. |
| 23 | IRANGATE — (REAGAN+IT)* — this is a superb anagram (as good as yesterday’s LIFE ON MARS). Irangate was a weapons scandal during Reagan’s presidency involving Oliver North. |
| 25 | SENTENCE — double def. — life = prison sentence. |
| 26 | TANKER — N in TAKER |
| Down | |
| 1 | PROZAC — PR+OZ+AC — however, I’m not certain how team fits into the word play. |
| 2 | SEEMLY — (gir)L in SEE+MY — nice reading providing an augmented definition. |
| 6 | LA MANCHA — LA+MAN+CH+A — the man from… |
| 7 | ABU DHABI — A+BUD+HABI(t) — I didn’t see the word play here until I was typing this, then China = mate = bud dawned on me. |
| 13 | WAGE FREEZE — cryptic def. — I had to look this up in TEA. I had no idea WAGE = screw and was consequently flummoxed. This is, of course, the one big problem with cryptic definitions, just one route to the answer. |
| 16 | ISLESMAN — S(cottish)M in IS+LEAN — Hebrides (inner and outer) are Scottish islands. |
| 19 | ONE-TWO — double def. — a boxing move and the opening line from a nursery rhyme, “One, two, buckle my shoe,…” |
| 20 | DAINTY — I+NT in DAY — DAY=24 hours, and think nursery rhymes again, “…a dainty dish to put before a king.” |
An excellent puzzle, as I’ve learned to expect from Phi. Re PROZAC, I think PR can mean the people involved in publicity (Collins seems to confirm) hence team and I got it OK, no probs.
I struggled with WAGE FREEZE too (something only older readers may remember) but Concise OED says screw is dated slang for wages or salary (other meanings may have occurred…) 4 of the 5 unches being vowels made it tough too. If it was W.G. F.E.Z. there’d have been no 2nd thoughts or probs, I guess.
A picky point: 20D: IN,T (in time) rather than I+NT I think.
Thanks for the correction Peter. It was, I think, a typo.
I didn’t check PR in the dictionary at the time but having checked in Chambers it certainly doesn’t justify PR = publicity team, for me.
PR: definition (3) for “public relations” in my Collins says “the professional staff employed to create, promote, or maintain a favourable relationship between an organisation and the public. Abbreviation: PR”
You’ve mentioned it before I think for cross-referencing etc…what is TEA?
= The Electronic Alvery. A nifty piece of software that can do quite complex word look-ups.
I finished the rest of the puzzle in less than half an hour, then it took me another half hour to work out WAGE FREEZE!
Screw “Dated slang”- certainly is…