I know with Bannsider that it will be tough and it was. Got there in the end – one or two that I cannot fully see the wordplay. Some very good clues as always.
Solving time: 54 mins
< = reverse * = anagram
ACROSS
1 GI JOE jig< O(n)E Got the answer long before the wordplay!
4 ST RUMMER’S Axe = guitar
9 MUNCH “Artist finding work through Apple?” Sheer brilliance.
10 O VERV (ALU) E Alu = aloo Indian potato
12 CA R ca = about = in the region of
13 KISS CURL “Dog wrapped in silk’s lost some hair” Excellent misdirection – cur in (silks)*
16 Jack LON(e) DON See 1 across. Don = reader
21 CORRECTS rr for ll in collects
24 RUG last letters rhyming slang wig = syrup (of figs)
25 STEAM ROLLER As, I think, a paddle boat would be powered by steam and ‘on a roll’ is a spell of success.
28 BILL Gates A BO (N) G
30 PA (U) L S I MON(day) I think that may be it – the U may come from a TV reference
DOWN
1 (GIM)M(IC)K (all <) Very elaborate wordplay. CI (Channel Islands)= Jersey and more. km = short (ie abbrev) distance. Mig = Miguel Indurain (cyclist).
2 JONESES Definition is, I think, Neighbours competed with (keeping up with the Joneses) but I do not understand the wordplay “Neighbours
competed with Emmerdale initially, getting in girls”
3 E(S)THER
5 RIETI Alternate letters
6 MOV(I)E GOER
8 S (WEAR) IN Defn is ‘admit using oath’
14 ICE Am slang ice = total = kill
15 CROSS BARS
17 O PT “Plump, lacking exercise?” !
19 HARD B OP
20 Maya ANGELOU e = people’s base in (Lugano)*
22 loCAL LINGo ladies = loo
23 STRIKER
26 ENORM cf e-Norm(an) Wisdom
27 OUT DO
Clashes galore in the completed grid.
Happily, did not need to know about those to solve the puzzle…
Another fine puzzle. I found some of the wordplay extremely hard, and ended up with four or five answers I couldn’t explain entirely (where does that U come from?), but the definitions and checking left little doubt.
I’m ashamed to say didn’t spot the Clash theme, despite the giveaway of ‘Strummer’. Now I’ve left the paper at work. From the answers above, I see Mick Jones, most of Paul Sim(en)on and London Calling, but are there any more?
Sorry, I went a bit mad with the wordplay in this puzzle.
I must confess that I did think the U (from an alphabetical series of TUV) might stump a few, but hopefully not sufficiently to stop folk getting the answer.
It really is PAUL SIMONON, by the way. You may have missed TOPPER HEADON, and there’s also and TOMMY-GUN. My favourite Clash track, Guns of Brixton, wouldn’t fit,sadly!
2down joneses
can anyone explain?
E(mmerdale) in JO NESS
Is it legitimate for the numbering of one across to be (2,3) when the two letters of GI aren’t pronounced as a single word? (I’m not trying to cavil; I’m hoping it is legitimate.)
I think it is correct – ‘twould be different if it was written G I Joe. While not applying in this case, I think it’s sometimes right to allow a little leeway in enumeration shown so as not to give too much away.
Never heard of a girl’s name NESS and struggled to find any reference to it on Google, has anyone else? Is it short for Vanessa (Nessa seems to be more popular as a short version)?
Paul Simon + ongar gets the right spelling