Another wonderful thematic puzzle from Virgilius. All the across entries are synonyms, as explained in the last down clue (26 down).
Solving time: 24 mins
* = anagram
ACROSS
7 GAMMON Double definition, with an excellent surface.
9 E YEW ASH
22 FLAPDOODLE (paddle fool)*
25NO N(o)SE (twice = repeatedly)
28 BUNK UM
DOWN
1 EAGLE OWL
3 KEEP Double definition with excellent surface.
5 PARIETAL (a pirate)* l “Like” telling us it’s an adjective.
6 CHEERS Double definition.
8 M(OP)ES(s)
13 (I)ago From Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the Moor (“on stage”)
14 L U CIA I liked “people of intelligence” for CIA.
17 APPEALED Double definition.
18 BID “One diamond, say” is an example of a bid from bridge, I think. I’ve never played it.
21 RHOMBI (Rob him)* Diamond shapes.
22 FIR(THe)S
25 N ER O Because of the context, here, I think we’re getting King Edward VII (d.1910) as ER rather than the Queen.
26 NO BS (bullshit)
A gem. This donkey got all the way to 26D before realising what was going on.
How does he do it? A question I ask myself every week. Probably the only compiler around that could fill a grid with a load of cobblers and still attract praise.
Excellent puzzle though FLAPDOODLE got me despite knowing it was an anagram. I’d not come across the BS meaning of GAMMON either.
This was the dog’s (substitute appropriate synonym for all across clues).