Solving time 43:08, Chambers used when grid about half full – but one probable wrong answer.
A fairly straightforward puzzle I think – took about half as long as Mephisto. In my current xwd-slowed post-operative condition this felt like a pretty good effort – and/or an easier puzzle. Wordplay query at 28, answer query at 18.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ARB = arbitrageur – hidden in ‘bear, bull’ |
| 4 | SCRUNCHIE – (chic nurse)* |
| 11 | BEER-HALL – here* in ball |
| 13 | SIDHA – hidden word |
| 14 | ME(AND)ER – as I guessed, meer is an alternative spelling for mere |
| 16 | STERN – 2 defs, ‘inflexible’ and ‘extremist gang’ – the Stern gang who wanted us out of Israel |
| 17 | NIGH,TATTIRE = tattier with last two letters swapped |
| 19 | TaRtUfE |
| 21 | GALL,US – gallus = a variant spelling of gallows = ‘tree’ |
| 22 | MAN,EGE=gee* |
| 23 | EAST = (T,sae) rev. |
| 24 | DETER MINIS = ‘encourage larger cars’,M< |
| 26 | N,IFFY |
| 30 | DAREFUL = R in (feudal)* |
| 31 | SPU=(ups) rev.,R.N. |
| 32 | FRAUTAGE = (fear, a tug)* |
| 33 | DISDAINED – ‘in’ in daddies* |
| 34 | GOY – (synagogues – s a genus)* |
| Down | |
| 1 | ABSENT-MINDED – sent=ecstatic in (Ben did MA)* |
| 2 | REIKI – (a tired skin – stand)* |
| 3 | BEDU (= bedouin) – hidden word |
| 5 | CHAN(ThAt)GE |
| 6 | R(AMP)AGE |
| 7 | ULE=crude rubber,X=wrong |
| 8 | CANTI(LE)NA |
| 9 | HIDE = heid with E moved to bottom |
| 10 | EARNEST-MONEY – (see men, notary)* |
| 12 | CEREUS – ere=’till once’ replacing the act in cactus |
| 15 | SHEET=these*,FEED=paid – note that ‘supply’ is NOT a Times-style anag-indicator here. |
| 18 | “TAX-ISSUE” is what I put, equating tax with ‘covering’ by confusion with pay = cover with tar. But TAX-ISSUE is not in C, and neither is TAR-ISSUE. Short of cheating with the CD-Rom version, I’m stumped – the checked letters TA?I?SUE look bullet-proof. |
| 20 | RA,DIAL |
| 21 | GAMELAN – another hidden word |
| 25 | SORGO = (O,GROS(s)) rev. |
| 27 | FRIS(son) – the fats part of a Csardas |
| 28 | PURI -Indian fried bread (Prawn Puri is one of my favourite Indian restaurant starters), but I can’t see wordplay |
| 29 | QUA,G |
18d I don’t have the full clue but ‘tap issue’ is in Chambers. Tap issue’ = “tap stocks’ = ‘government bonds’ if that helps.
I have now found the crossword.
The definition for 18d is ‘government bonds’ so ‘tap issue’ is correct.
28d According to Chambers, ‘juggernaut’ is ‘an incarnation of Vishnu, whose idol at Puri is traditionally drawn on a processional chariot’
Thanks – wordplay for 18D is TAPIS = Fr. for carpet = ‘covering’, SUE = ‘court of old’ = “to court (archaic)”