Common abbreviations used
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
* = anagram
I really hope we can get the FT puzzles early like the Times and Guardian at 0001hours GMT.
You will always be severely but pleasantly challenged whenever the good Rev John Graham, OBE sets a puzzle and this one is no exception.
There are some misleading definitions which caused many a chuckle whenever I unravelled the trickery
Across
1 VASSAL Cha of V (see) A SSAL (rev lass)
4 ODYSSEUS (b)ODY – S (backing of headlesS) SEUS (rev of sues, goes to law) with headless doing double duty. A beautiful clue with a mysterious definition of “journeyman”
10 COCK-A-HOOP Simple cha
12,29 TEST THE WATER *(setter that we)
13,11,23 WHO’S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF I was able to see the childish challenge fairly early and know it is probably the anagram of certain words which I am too rushed to find
15 OLIVIER Ins of IV (four) in (h) OLIER (more virtuous)
16 TEA BAG Simple cha (in every sense of the word 🙂
19 INTERN dd
21 CHELSEA Ins of ELSE in CHA (tea)
25,3 TEARAWAY Tea (drink) RA (artist) WAY (style)
27 ERODE The Queen and ODE
28 ANALOGOUS Ins of A Log (a diary) in A NOUS (common sense)
30 REASON RE (royal Engineers, army unit) AS (when) ON
Down
1 VOCATION I suppose it is vacation with one change of a to o
but why vacation?
2 SECESSION A clue that Cyclops would have been proud of. When I figured it was the ins of Church of England in session, I could not help laughing at the choice of the definition
5 DEPOSIT Ins of SI in DEPOT
6 SNOWFLAKES I love this clue and chuckled at the masterly use of a misleading definition. Ins of OWFL *(fowl) in snakes
7 EXTRA ha
8,17 STEADY AS SHE GOES *(day set) ASS (fool) ins of EGO (personality) in HE’s (men)
9,24 MOTHER GOOSE Cha of MOTH (fly by night, very clever) ERGO (therefore) OSE (of some energy initially)
14 CINE CAMERA C (century) IN (fashionable) ins of CAME (entered) in ARA (period)
18 GARRISON *(roarings)
20 NEWGATE punny clue
21,26 COLLAR BONE Ins of O (circle) LL (lines) in CARBON (denoted by C) + E (point)
22 OBJECT dd
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