A lot of comedic sailors in the puzzle answers this time, what with PRATFALL crossing with SLAPSTICK and a raft of TARS, SALTS, SAILORS, RATINGS and SEAMEN. Strangely, I hadn’t noticed this mini-theme until writing this blog. Also strange in the circumstances – no sign of Ted Heath.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | STOOLS Double Def |
| 9 | PRATFALL P-RAT-FALL P(arking) + Arse + Sink |
| 10 | ADVISE (SAVED I)* |
| 11 | NARCISSISM Reference to the beautiful hero of the archaic myth who falls in love with his own reflection |
| 12/15 | ABLE SE(A)MEN |
| 13 | EDIFYING (EFFING DIY)* minus one F (F-off!) |
| 16 | SHMUCK SH-MUCK |
| 18 | ROAD HUMP (b)ROAD |
| 20 | SNOT (ma)N inside SOT |
| 21 | ESTATE DUTY (A TESTE[s])* This was the only place I had any trouble with this crossword – due to a touch of silliness on the first pass I wrote in Excise Duty |
| 23 | AFRESH AFR(ican) (SHE)* |
| 24 | NAVY BLUE Sailors + Dirty = Shade |
| 25 | OLD SALTS Getting on + Purgative = Sailors |
| 26 | REGINA I inside (ANGER) reversed Brenda is ER in PE |
| Down | |
| 2/5 | TARS AND FEATHERS I think this is a bit more serious than implied by the definition “smears”, the subsiduary part of the clue “Sailors with things that tickle” make it surprisingly easy |
| 3 | OPTIC O then T (Thatcher’s head) inside PIC |
| 4 | SLAPSTICK Socks + Second = Broad humour |
| 5/18 | FALLING RATINGS Almost my favourite clue: Sailors acting pissed not welcomed by TV bosses (7,7) |
| 6 | ALARM LA (foreign article) inside ARM (member) |
| 7 | HAVE A BASH Shag + Ace + Hit = Attempt |
| 8 | RESOLVE (LOVER’S)* then E. What I find myself doing to write this blog a week after doing the puzzle the first time |
| 14 | FAULTLESS This is my favourite clue: Perfect, unlike a large slice of California? (9) |
| 15 | START OVER S-TART |
| 17 | HANDFUL Hidden in hammersmitH AND FULham |
| 19 | METHUEN (THE MENU)* Publisher well known by me for publishing Monty Python books |
| 21 | ETHEL T(ense) and H(ot) inside EEL. This answer reminds me of, and prompts me to recommend, the book “Ethel and Ernest” by Raymond Briggs http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethel_and_ernest |
| 22 | DEBUG E(lectronic) B (a musical key) inside DUG |
9 across: I took “arse” to be the whole PRAT — as in “Parking PRAT on FALL..” RAT on its own seems to be a poor synonym for arse.
21 annoyed me – why the convoluted “…testes after getting end away…”? Why not just “…teste…”, itself a word? Especially when the rest of the clue is so rambling, it could have been edited back here. Harrumph.
I liked 17 though. I lived in H&F for 5 years and never noticed that hidden in there!