FT 12,877, Set by FLIMSY, 19 September, 2008

Generally straightforward and quite enjoyable today.  One new word for me , 27a, and a couple of
slightly suspect explanations, 25a and22a.  I await illumination, from Geoff or Eileen perhaps??

 ACROSS

1.     TUNELESS – (*sends lute without ‘d’)
5      SOVIET – ( *is vote – Boris Yeltsin, first popularly elected President of Russia)
10.   ELECTRA – (hidden in FEel-ec-traDE – Electra complex, sexual attraction felt for father by daughter,
                                named after  daughter of Agamemnon)
11.   INTENSE – (in-tense)
12.   SOLVE  -( *loves – we were actually told this was an anagram!

13.   ESTATE CAR – ( state within * race)
14.   COMPLAINANTS – ( those bringing suit in court, as well as grousers.  Remember Mr Grouser
                                              in ‘Larry the Lamb?’)
18.   HORSEMANSHIP – ( cryptic definition)
21.   SOAP OPERA  – ( *opposea-ra – The Archers, long running radio soap)
23.   HOIST – ( Ho-i-s-t – hot for sexually aroused)
24.   MANSION – ( an <is within mon, French for my (masculine).  Chateau in France is often a stately home,
                                rather than a castle)
25.   IRON MAN – ( not sure about this one.  There was a comic hero called Iron Man, and
                                   a strongest man contest called The Iron Man, but can’t quite explain ‘dollar’)
26.   NERVES – ( *never-s)
27.   ANTRORSE -( ant-r -*sore -new word to me, meaning bent or directed forward or upward)

DOWN

1.   TSETSE – (*set x2 – fly for buzzer)
2.   NEEDLE – ( need-le last letters of FOUl and WASTe)
3.   LITHESOME – ( lit-he-some -slender and graceful)
4.   SHAKESPEAREANS- ( admirers of Will S.)
6.   OCTET – (-piece written for eight players)
7.   INNOCENT – (in-no-cent. Open, meaning without guile, honest.)
8.   THEORISE – (theo-rise)
9.    MISTRANSLATION – (* latin master so in – without e)
15.  NEIGHBOUR- (cryptic definition)
16.  CHESSMAN- ( c-hess-man – castle as in chess piece, and Rudolf Hess, famous Nazi
                                    who parachuted into Scotland before the invasion of Russia,
                                     supposedly to negotiate peace.  He was imprisoned for the rest of his life,
                                      latterly in Spandau )
17.  ORDAINER  -( *Rodinera – one who ordains)
19.  SIMMER – ( s-L-immer)
20.  STANCE -(Stan-c-e)
22  ON ICE -( slang expression meaning ‘kept away from public gaze’.  May refer to ‘Soul on Ice’ – book by
                          Eldridge Cleaver.)