| Across |
One of the easiest Saturday puzzles we’ve had in a long time but no less enjoyable for that. This would be a great puzzle for beginners to try as the cluing is rock-solid and precise, leaving little room for doubt about each answer.
| 1 |
COG,CAN< – I think I would have got this quicker if the definition was just “French liquor” as the word “production” made me think there was something more going on. |
| 4 |
WEE in (PEATS)* – SWEETPEA |
| 10 |
PE,I in EDICTS< – PESTICIDE |
| 11 |
TRAM,P |
| 12 |
MOOD (reversed) |
| 13 |
T(ASK,M)ASTER |
| 15 |
T(RACE)RY |
| 16 |
R,H,O,MB,I |
| 19 |
S,EXI(S)T – I thought this was very good. Great wording and surface reading. |
| 21 |
DUG,I in LEG (all reversed) – John GIELGUD |
| 23 |
POST,HUMOU[-r]S – “Pole” is often N,E,S or W, but not here. |
| 25 |
ST[-a]IR |
| 27 |
I,CI[-d]ER |
| 28 |
LOG TABLES – double definition. |
| 29 |
TO(POLO,G)Y |
| 30 |
HERE’S,Y |
| |
| Down |
| 1 |
CUP,I’D,IT,Y |
| 2 |
GAS,(ONE CAD)* – GASCONADE. One of a couple of clues that held me up for a while. A new word to me but a fairly easy one to guess. |
| 3 |
[-d]AVID |
| 5 |
(CREW)*,KER[-b] – WRECKER. |
| 6 |
EXTRA COVER – a fielding position in cricket. |
| 7 |
PLAN,T – T is the twentieth letter of the alphabet. |
| 8 |
A,S(P)IRE |
| 9 |
BIG,A,MY |
| 14 |
(HELP REPAIR)* – PERIPHERAL |
| 17 |
BA(GATE)LLE[-t] |
| 18 |
(IS READY)* – I DARE SAY. |
| 20 |
TIM,GALE (going up) |
| 21 |
G,RUDGE – the Dickensian hero is Barnaby RUDGE. |
| 22 |
U,P(L,IF)T |
| 24 |
SKI(M)P – I thought this was cleverly worded as my initial parsing of the clue was “bit of material” as the def with a word for “avoid” with “a” inside as the wordplay. |
| 26 |
VALE[-t] – this was the other clue that held me up although I’m not really sure why as it looks easy enough now. |