Common abbreviations used
dd = double definition
cd = cryptic definition
rev = reversed or reversal
ins = insertion
cha = charade
*(fodder) = anagram
Any Cinephile puzzle is always worth tackling and this one with a smokey theme is no exception. The Master was as devious as ever and I still do not understand certain wordplay below. But thanks to Geoff, I have since become wiser and have incorporated his contributions below …..
ACROSS
1 SKIPJACK Simple cha – jackfish is a fish and so is jack (any of various tropical and subtropical carangid fishes)
5 SPAVIN Ins of H in SPAIN. Spavin is a disease of the hock joint of horses, resulting from inflammation
9 LESBIANS Not a very cd
10 CLERIC *(circle)
12 FORETOOTH Ins of E Too (English also) in FORTH13 SNOUT dd Prison slang for tobacco/cigarette. Nose is snout and Tom Snout is a tinker character from A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream
14 QUID dd Chewing tobacco
16 GLISTEN G (good) LISTEN (audience do)
19 TWO-STEP The wordplay escapes me but Geoff said ” From a game played with young children “round and round the garden like a teddy bear, one step, two steps, tickle you under there”.
21 WEED Cha of WEE (little) D (duchess) The good Reverend is getting naughty and may be invited by Cyclops to compile a PE puzzle. Weed is of course slang for tobacco product
24 CIGAR Ins of I G (one end of pluG) in CAR for another smokey thing
25 PROSTRATE aIns of ROSTRA (platforms) in PTE *(pet)
27 POISON PO (petty officer or NCO) IS ON (performing)
28 ACTIVATE ACT (a parliamentary bill that has been passed) + ins of VAT (tax) in IE (that is)
29 TO DATE TOD (fox) ATE (had meal)
30 STATUARY dd
DOWN
1 SPLIFF SP (Spanish) L (learner/student) IF (providing) F (note)
A spliff is a West Indian slang for a joint of marijuana
2 INSURE *(I nurse)
3 JOINT dd for another marijuana smoke
4 CONCORD Ins of NCO in CORD
6 PALESTINE Ins of LEST (in case) in PAINE (libertarian)
7 VERMOUTH (ri) vermouth It is abbreviation for Italian vermouth and estuary is rivermouth
8 NICOTINE Ins of I COT (single bed) in NINE
11 SHAG dd for a kind of tobacco cut into shreds
15 UTTERMOST A punny way of saying utter the most
17 STOCKPOT Stock (have ) POT (starred item is anything that is smoked and in this case, pot or cannabis)
18 SONGBIRD Song *(little expense as in He acquired the painting for a song) + jail BIRD
20 PIPE dd for another smokey thing
21 WOODCUT This is a picture and court is woo; so how does the rest of the clue work? Thanks to Geoff, we now know this is a cha of woo + dc + ut
dc is an abbreviation for ‘da capo’ a musical term meaning ‘return to the beginning’
ut is an old name for the first note of the musical scale (now replaced with doh)
22 HAVANA HAV (e) AN A (article) for another smokey thing from Cuba
23 MERELY Me + rely (trust)
26 TWIST dd for a roll of tobacco
13a Sorry, can’t help with this one. I assumed Tinker was the name of a pig (or similar) in a novel.
19a From a game played with young children “round and round the garden like a teddy bear, one step, two steps, tickle you under there”. I may not have the words exactly right as it’s been 35 years since my children were of a suitable age.
7d I had an explanation for the wordplay when I completed the crossword but have forgotten it now. Will post again when I remember.
22d woo + dc + ut
dc is an abbreviation for ‘da capo’ a musical term meaning ‘return to the beginning’
ut is an old name for the first note of the musical scale (now replaced with doh)
6d It didn’t take me long to remember! Estuary is not ‘mouth’ but ‘rivermouth’ so:
(ri)VERMOUTH
The wordplay ‘take opening from’ is, I think, ‘r’ for ‘recipe’ (take) with ‘opening’ referring to the initial letter of ‘It’. Alternatively it could be a plain instruction though this would usually indicate removal of the initial letter only.
13a Please ignore my previous comment. Tom Snout is a tinker in A Midsummer Night’s Dream so the clue is dd.