Great puzzle. I can’t believe how long it took me to spot what was going on at 1a and 29a.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | (NOTA BENE I MOVED)* – ABOVE-MENTIONED. A self-referential clue as it is literally above “mentioned” (16a). |
| 10 | ST,RUM |
| 11 | REM(A)INDER |
| 12 | (I[T for D],CARDS)* – DRASTIC. Took a while to unrave but got there in the end. |
| 13 | A,RE in (DENY)* – YEAR END |
| 14 | SLUM,P |
| 16 | (END TO MINE)* – MENTIONED. |
| 19 | STATE,MEN,T |
| 20 | NU(M)BS |
| 22 | A PR OP,OS |
| 25 | RELI(E)VE |
| 27 | DAMP-PROOF – I liked this one. If something’s damp-proof then it’s probably watertight, but proof of damp suggests that it isn’t! If you see what I mean… |
| 28 | CUT UP – if this is right can “cut” mean “drive”? |
| 29 | UN,D (NEAT M SETTER)* – UNDERSTATEMENT. Another self-referential clue as it is under “statement” (19a). |
| Down | |
| 2 | BAR(RAC)UDA – “paramilitaries” (in crosswords at least) are usually IRA or ETA. |
| 3 | V,OMIT |
| 4 | O in (CAMEMBER[-t])* – MORECAMBE |
| 5 | N,I,M,BY – very clever &lit. NIMBY is an acronym for Not In My Back Yard. |
| 6 | [-l]IMITATION – the sincerest form of flattery. |
| 7 | NUD(G)E – German (G) in NUDE would be naked. |
| 8 | DER,I’D,ED |
| 9 | A(SIDE)S |
| 15 | PIPE in (PRIDE)* – PIED PIPER. Excellent clue, which even rhymes! |
| 17 | NET PROFIT – another good one. “Phishing” is the practice of sending emails designed to look like they’re from legitimate organisations, usually banks but also companies such as Paypal and eBay, which ask you to log in to your account in order to “verify” it – what actually happens is your username and password are stolen, along with any information you use to authenticate yourself. |
| 18 | N,UMBER NET (going up) – NUMBER TEN |
| 19 | S,PANDA,U – a reference to Rudolf Hess of course, rather than the red-nosed variety, and the German prison where he died. “On show to all” for U is a reference to the cinema certification. |
| 21 | STEP,PE |
| 23 | RIMED – rime is a thick white frost. And RIMED sounds like “rhymed”. |
| 24 | S?O?T – couldn’t get this one. Full clue: “Stand around, having gap after a call”. |
| 26 | MU,COL (going up) – LOCUM |
24d) I liked this one. If you write “Stand around” with a gap after “a” you get “Stand a round” – as in, “it’s your shout” at the bar.
Answer: SHOUT
Did not understand SHOUT till I came here, though it seemed the likely answer. A bit unsure about DRIVE = CUT also, thought it might refer to a cricket shot.
Both ‘drive’ and ‘cut’ have the meaning ‘to excavate’ according to Collins.
Nah!
CUT UP as in drive into the path of someone. “The b*st*rd cut me up on the M1.”
Also, to CUT something UP is to butcher it.
Indeed. The definition is not “drive” but “drive in front of”.
What a fantastic puzzle! Found it in some old paperwork. Can’t recall such a great crossword receiving so few comments. So had to post in hope Morph might see that his super work here is appreciated, albeit a touch late!
Neildubya – I wonder how many people solved this without noticing the brilliant positioning of ABOVEMENTIONED, MENTIONED, STATEMENT and UNDERSTATEMENT? (Big thanks to you from the future.) And some great clues – SHOUT, SPANDAU, RIMED etc.
[neildubya = NeilW ?]