Independent 6566 / Nimrod – Clever Stuff

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Solving Time: 20 minutes

The usual clever puzzle from Nimrod that was ejoyable to solve with some good laugh-out-loud clues.

ACROSS  (* = ANAG  /   (cd) =  Cryptic definition  /  (R) = Reversal)

1/28   IT’S AS BROAD AS IT’S LONG     Nice anagram!
8 EYES     E + YES
10   FLEX  Homophone of “flecks”
12 DOMINIC  DOC (Dwarf) with MINI inside
15 WHAT’S YOUR POISON NOTORIOUS SPA WHY*
17 CHARLES AND DIANA Loved the definition!  AND HE’S CARDINALS*
20 VALIANT  NAIL (R) inside VAT
21 ESSAYED  ASS (R) inside EYED – Not sure I feel comfortable about using retarded to indicate backwards  in a clue.
23/18 RING-LEAD Not listed in Chambers as a verb but is in OED as a “rarity” (Thanks DQ!)    INGLE inside RAD

DOWN

1/27 ICH DIEN (CD) Charles’ motto; “I serve” in German, hence the Boris Becker remark, although ( a pedant observes) surely he’d say “I’ll serve”
2 SALEM  Bit too clunky as a clue for my liking.  Hidden answer.
3 STAINES  EAT-IN* replacing ANDWICHE in SANDWICHES
4 ROO  ROO(M)
5 AGENT ORANGE One from history – A + NOTE* inside GRANGE
7 YELLOW SEA SO WELL* inside YEA
8/9/24 SIX OF ONE AND HALF A DOZEN OF THE OTHER
11 LEGO  Hidden answer
12 DOWN-COVERED OWN C inside DOVER + ED
13 CROSS STAFFS (CD)
16 AT A GLANCE A TAG + LANCE
19 DESPOTS  S in STO(P)PED (R)
22 YAHOO  YAH BOO (SUCKS!) less B
25/14 HIT THE ROOF I + TT + HERO inside HOF (Capitalised in Chambers – hence Yard capitalised here)
26 RAG  D/D

 Great fun and thanks to Nimrod!