The surface readings of clues in the Eye crossword have become famous for conjuring up delightfully rude and disrespectful images, and of course funny as a result. This crossword did not disappoint. It was a much more enjoyable puzzle than that in the last issue, although it was a fair bit easier.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 8 | UNTAPPED (UP PEDANT)* |
| 9 | BAGPIPES BAG(PIPE)S Is a churchwarden ever used for other than “pipe” in crosswords? |
| 10 | PENURY (Y[o]UR PEN[is])* Dare I repeat this clue? Of course! Favourite clue award for this: Tossing your penis, love is lacking, a poor state indeed (6) |
| 11 | UGANDA PE reference to “Ugandan relations” |
| 13 | BONHOMIE B[ack] ON (for) HO[use] [P]M IE (that is) |
| 14/7 | KISS AND TELL STORY ‘X’ = KISS ; plus = AND ; William TELL (who shot his bolt) S[cotland] TORY (politician) |
| 18 | LIMPIDLY This was the last I wrote in. I’m not sure of the construction – Is it a DD or a CD or &lit? Probably to do with LIMP and IDLY. Full clue: Clearly not up for it, in a shiftless way (8) |
| 19 | NARKED NARK (grass) ED Ref Ed Balls now Sec. of State for schools. I always felt a bit sorry for teachers etc. with unfortunate names – strangely not this bloke. |
| 20 | THE LOT HEL[l] (75% torment) inside TOT |
| 21 | BAWLS OUT Bawls homophone balls |
| 23 | PASSOVER When you “croak” you die thus “pass over” |
| Down | |
| 1/22 | SOAP STAR SOAPS TAR Another one of those surface images (just the sort of thing a B Windsor character might do in a Carry On remake) Full clue: Perhaps Windsor assists sailor in the bath (4,4) |
| 2 | MYOPIA MY OP 1A It helped that the grid did not have a 1 Across to see that IA was intended |
| 3/13 | BUGS BUNNY “Shorts” = short films; “Hostess” = Bunny girl |
| 4 | STEP ON IT (NEPOTIST)* My fingers wrote in “step to it” when I wasn’t looking, which gave me pause for thought on 13A though the silliness was resolved quickly enough |
| 5 | SPIN BOWLER Can’t you bowl a fast ball with spin then? Full clue: Not a fast deliverer of Alastair Campbell’s business hat (4,6) |
| 6 | BEARDIER (BEER AD I[ndependent])* Fungus-grower – Face fungus that is (guilty as charged y’honour) |
| 7 | SHAGGY SHAG G[u]Y Rugged as in the rug you walk on I presume |
| 12 | NAIL POLISH Skewer tongue |
| 15 | SEDATIVE SE[x] then I and V inside DATE |
| 16 | BIGHEAD BIG HEAD I was going to say something brilliant about this clue – but you lot might have got the wrong idea about me: Cocky sort who gives great oral sex (7) |
| 17 | SEQUIN Q[uestion] inside (IN USE)* |
| 19 | NAWABS A[merican] W[ife] inside NABS (bags) |
| 21/24 | BIRD-BRAIN Hen + bash = Dumbo |
Typo on 6d “Beardie” I think.
this is how you get limpidly: not up for it = limp. In a listless way = idly. the definition is “clearly”.
there you go.
is it just me or have cyclops’ grids been getting harder lately?