One runs out of superlatives. Every clue here is pithy, elegant and utterly fair, and my slowness in completing some of the clues in the bottom half of the grid is only the result of incompetence.
Dac seldom seems to have hidden words in his clues. Yesterday, on the other hand, Virgilius had three. They both, however, like to use complete anagrams.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | HOM(A G(randee))E |
| 4 | GAS THA(t) US, a German word. No doubt there are gasthausen (actually I’m told it’s gasthauser; gasthauses anyway) in Augsburg |
| 9 | R A REST |
| 10 | I NUN DATE |
| 12 | BLUE – 2 defs |
| 13 | INF(L)ECTION |
| 15 | CASTLE HOWARD – (watches a lord)* |
| 18 | UN(CLASS)IFIED |
| 21 | EUROTUNNEL – (route)* un n el – a quite brilliant &lit. |
| 22 | ZEN O |
| 24 | AUGSBURG – Aug (grub’s)rev. |
| 25 | KUWAIT – (UK)rev. wait |
| 26 | S(URGE)ONS |
| 27 | HAVE(O)N – def. ‘wear’ |
| Down | |
| 1 | HARDBACK – ‘bard hack’ Spoonerised |
| 2 | MARQUE SS |
| 3 | GA(astronaut(S))P |
| 5 | ARNOLD WESKER – (Landseer work)* |
| 6 | TONY CURTIS – (runs to city)* |
| 7 | A TAXI C(abby) |
| 8 | STERNE – “stern” |
| 11 | IN THE LONG RUN |
| 14 | PLANET ABLE |
| 16 | LIB E RATE |
| 17 | E(D MON)TON |
| 19 | P(rovid)E CANS |
| 20 | KRUGER – “crew” Ger |
| 23 | J(o)UR A |
Yes, a brilliant puzzle. There was a pangram too (every letter of alphabet used). EUROTUNNEL was my favourite too.