*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone
An enjoyable puzzle with nothing very controversial. Only one clue I didn’t entirely follow (19 down).
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Toll: To L[iverpoo]l. |
| 3 | Able Seaman: (Same banal)* around e. |
| 9 | Antic: Ant (of Ant & Dec) + i c. |
| 11 | Enactment: Cane< + men in TT. |
| 12 | Small Fry: double/cryptic def. |
| 13 | Ablaze: A blaze[r]. |
| 15 | Philadelphia: (Hali paid help)*. |
| 18 | Go pear shaped: phrase* + aped after go. |
| 21 | Anorak: A Nora + k. |
| 22 | Schedule: Clues* around he[a]d. |
| 24 | Dalai Lama: Admi[r]al* around a l a. |
| 25 | Title: double definition. |
| 26 | Pot Bellied: I’ll bet dope*. |
| 27 | Grit: Git around r. I’ve never been convinced about “git” for “fool”, but the dictionary seems to agree with it. |
| Down | |
| 1 | Transept: (Past rent)*. |
| 2 | Lothario: Lot + H + a rio[t]. |
| 4 | Bleary Eyed: By around Lear + hom. of I’d. |
| 5 | Exam: Axe< + M (as in James Bond). |
| 6 | Establishment: (that’s MBE’s line)*. |
| 7 | Maenad: Ma + dane<. |
| 8 | Nutmeg: tune* around m + g. |
| 10 | Collaborative: Collar around Bo + ate around I’ve. |
| 14 | Appreciate: A pate around price*. |
| 16 | Splutter: S putter around l. |
| 17 | Adherent: (heard)* + [g]ent. |
| 19 | Hard up: Clue is “Raise cheer before party is starved of resources ?” I suppose “starved of resources is the definition” but can’t quite see the rest. |
| 20 | Goblet: Cryptic def. |
| 23 | Sail: hom. of sale. |
19d RAH (cheer) reversed DUP (party – Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland)
Lots of very nice clues in this puzzle. With GENT, RAH, BLAZER, etc. making appearances I was rather surprised when “fellow” turned out to be BO rather than “cove”, “chap”, “bird” (or something similarly Wodehouse-esque)…
I enjoyed this, several good clues. The only thing I wasn’t sure about was ‘followers’ = ‘men’ in 11ac. Perhaps it’s hidden in the depths of some dictionary, but how are they equivalent?
‘Follower’ is in Chambers as a definition of ‘man’ – I think it’s in the context of something like Robin Hood and his merry men.