Apologies everyone. I did this crossword yesterday but failed to see that I was on blogging duty.
A good but straightforward Rufus!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 9 | ODD NUMBER: &Lit |
| 10 | AMEND:MEN in AD |
| 11 | GALLANT: GALL + ANT |
| 12 | INGRATE: anagram of TANGIER |
| 13 | UNTIE: aUNTIE without first letter |
| 14 | SOPORIFIC: anagram of PROOF IS + IC |
| 16 | PERSONAL PRONOUN: of which He is an example |
| 19 | REDESIGNS: GIS reversed in RE DENS |
| 22 | CULPRIT: as in the one responsible |
| 23 | PUSHING: SHIN in PUG |
| 24 | BLEAK: B (first of but) + LEAK |
| 25 | RURAL DEAN: anagram of RULER AND A |
| Down | |
| 1 | LONG JUMPER: double definition |
| 2 | IDOLATER: anagram of TAILORED |
| 3 | CURATE: TA reversed in CURE |
| 5 | DRAINPIPES: anagram of IANS RIPPED |
| 6 | KANGAROO: a jumper that first lived in a pouch |
| 7 | BEHALF: BE + HALF |
| 8 | EDGE: double definition |
| 14 | SLAUGHTERS: LAUGHTER in SS |
| 15 | CONTINGENT: G (last of fighting) in CONTINENT |
| 17 | ON STRIKE: referring to lighting a match and getting out in cricket |
| 18 | OLD WIVES: &Lit |
| 20 | DELVES: D + ELVES |
| 21 | RESULT: anagram of RULES + T (team leader) |
| 23 | PART: reverse of TRAP |
17dn – surely a reference to the “industrial action” meaning of ON STRIKE, as in “everybody out!”.
17dn – I read this as a triple reference: to lighting a match, to being in (batsman facing the bowler) in cricket, and to getting out of the workplace and onto the picket line.
I parsed it as:
bring the match alive = STRIKE
playing = ON , which comes “before”
out = ON STRIKE
And there’s also the cricket-related surface reading, which nearly works as an &lit, apart from indicating the wrong part of speech.