This was definitely trickier than the last few Beelzebub puzzles but still very enjoyable. Not sure about the wordplay for 11A though.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 5 | N in UP,LACE – LACE can be a verb meaning to beat or thrash. |
| 11 | HEARTWORN – this looks right and it’s about the only thing that fits but I can’t see the wordplay. The full clue is: “Man with eccentricity going around platforms turned very sad”. [Edit: correction – it’s not the only thing that fits, as fgbp points out in the comments. Correct answer is HEARTSORE.] |
| 12 | (CAT)*,I,VAT in DEE |
| 14 | S,TAT |
| 15 | INC,UN,[-f]ABULIST – tough word, easy clue. Very good surface reading too. “Incunabula” are extant copies of books produced before 1501. |
| 17 | TAD in SIAL |
| 23 | (HAD TO END)* in AGON – AGATHODAIMON. The anagram element of the clue was fairly easy to spot but it took me a while to get to AGON for “conflict”. |
| 28 | OUSE in HM,AID – actually quite an easy clue and certainly not a difficult word but for some reason this clue took a while to parse. I find that’s the case with a lot of Columba’s clues. |
| 29 | E,TR in MIST |
| 30 | [r]ECCE |
| Down | |
| 1 | CHAR,IS,MA – had a “do’h” moment when I got this as I’d convinced myself that “academic” would be DON. |
| 2 | RED,(TINGE)*,RATE – REDINTEGRATE means to “make whole again” but the clue has the definition as “restored”, which isn’t quite the same thing (or is it…?). |
| 8 | AT IT in APE – for some reason I was expecting “on the job” to be smutty and was delighted to find that it was. |
| 16 | RAN in DUST<,E – TRANSUDE means to “ooze through pores or interstices”. Nice surface reading to the clue. |
| 18 | hidden in “sAGA INSTructive”. |
| 19 | (TOOK)* in AUS |
| 21 | HOL[-y] in TOI[-l] – THOLOI. |
Re HEARTWORN
Looks like this should be HEARTSORE, at a guess: HE + E about ROSTRA rev
Yes – I think you’re right. Have updated accordingly. Cheers.
2D – REDINTEGRATE in Chambers also has an adjectival function meaning restored/renewed. An unusual form for an adjective.