Too many cryptic definitions (albeit one or two are rather good) and anagrams. Which means this was a fairly typical Rufus of a Monday morning.
Across
| 9 | MO,HAWK – nice clue. Brit docs are Medical Officers. |
| 10 | SKID – ref. SKID row, notorious area for drunks (I think the origin is in fact Seattle). |
| 11 | LEAD ASTRAY – an unusual clue for Rufus: wordplay in the answer: since deal=LEAD* |
| 12 | SUBLET=subtle* – nice def as “release” but honestly the diff between sublet and subtle isn’t very subtle. |
| 14 | PERVERSE=preserve* – more v. similar anagram fodder |
| 17 | ADMIRER – I admire this cryptic def: since there are two nounal (tennis, law) senses of court that serve to mislead as it were. |
| 20 | BOA,TRACE – the def is a bit cryptic (“crafty contest”) thus a question-mark is in order I believe. |
| 22 | HAG(GI)S – I’m told that in Scotland people actually do eat entrails or whatever HAGGIS is made from… |
| 23 | TEAR-JERKER – another CD. This time only slightly misleading. |
| 26 | N(A,USE)OUS – NOUS is a common cryptic term for common sense. |
Down
| 1 | COCK,SURE |
| 2 | S(PU=rev(up))D – Murphy is a type of potato. |
| 4 | DECA(M)PS – M in spaced*: good clue since hard to shift from the noun desert to the verb. |
| 7 | SWEATS – two meanings – I’m guessing that SWEAT is slang for “old soldier” though I haven’t found a reference. |
| 13 | LIGHTER,MAN – not a bad clue – a LIGHTERMAN works on a barge which has a flat bottom. |
| 16 | TR(A,VEST)Y – our undergarment is a VEST this time not a bra. |
| 18 | EPILOGUE – a fairly weak cryptic definition. |
| 21 | HARD UP=(purdah)* – not a bad simple clue in terms of surface. |
| 24 | STET – and we end on another cryptic definition: this time quite a bit better since there’re several misleading wordplay possibilities in the surface. |
Re: Admirer
One who goes to court? (7)
The blogger doesn’t mention the probable intended meaning: One who is trying to woo someone.
Why is the answer to 24a SHOT? The clue is “Go round (4).”
24a: two meanings… “take a SHOT” is “have a go” and also as in a round of ammunition.
I stand to be corrected but I’m pretty sure that that “Go round” clue was nicked off of Araucaria.
You stand corrected Chris – I did not nick this clue from my friend Araucaria. My Thesaurus gives “go” and “round” for SHOT. Recently you suggested I pinched another clue which happened to be a similar, but differently phrased, clue from one I first used in the Guardian in 1985. Is there any reason for these innuendos?
I found this harder than a usual Rufus, or maybe my brain’s slowing down. Never come across STET before, which didn’t help! SPUD made me smile though, and I liked LEAD ASTRAY.
That’s the trouble with words that have great double definition possibilities – clues they produce tend to sound familiar even when they’re brand spanking new. Drat and bother, but that’s life.
Good DD clues do get half-inched as well, of course …
My genuine and profound apologies, Rufus, and I’d honestly forgotten about any similar recent allegations I may have made.
I have definitely heard that “Go round” clue before, though – I have a feeling it might feature in “Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose” but I’d have to check – but I am quite prepared to accept I was wrong about its provenance, and that it originated with yourself.
Having checked back, I see that you are referring to my comment about the Swiss Rolls clue from a couple of weeks ago. I genuinely wasn’t suggesting there that you had stolen it, simply that I’d seen the clue before (and I have no reason at all to suppose you weren’t the originator of it). It features in Brian Greer’s How to do the Times Crossword book from a few years back.
I’ve deleted the last three comments in this post in case the discussion goes down a road marked “Unpleasant”. I’m also closing comments after this one.