A very quick solve for me on this one, but equally a very enjoyable one. I’ve been trying my hand at writing a few puzzles of my own of late and there’s so much good stuff in this puzzle from which to learn. Effortlessly neat and elegant clues with barely an ounce of fat on any of ’em. Excellent work, Phi.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | UNDER MILK WOOD – (KNOW,DRUID,MULE)* |
| 8 | INCUS – IN + initial letters of Chest Usually Sternum |
| 9 | TREE-LINED – NILE < in T,REED |
| 11 | ENTRE NOUS – (NO TUREENS)* |
| 12 | KIROV – I,R in K.O,V[-enue] |
| 13 | WALESA – WALES,A |
| 14 | MISNAMED – (MEN MAIDS)* |
| 17 | SUNDRIES – SUN,DRIES |
| 19 | BINNED – DEN,NIB < |
| 22 | ACCRA – ARC,CA < |
| 24 | TAILPIECE – “tale peace” |
| 25 | DEATH WISH – (WITH HADES)* |
| 26 | AGORA – O in AGRA |
| 27 | RUGBY FOOTBALL – RUGBY (School),FOOT (to pay for),BALL (a dance) |
| Down | |
| 1/10 | UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL – (DUNE WIND DEVASTATED WILDLIFE)* – Lovely anagram |
| 2 | DECATHLON – (CAN THE OLD)* – And another! |
| 3 | RASHERS – RAS[-h],HERS |
| 4 | INTROS – 1,N,SORT < |
| 5 | KEEPS FIT – KEEPS,FIT |
| 6 | OILSKIN – KIN under OILS |
| 7 | DINER – IN in DER |
| 15 | MINNESOTA – INNES in ATOM < |
| 16 | GENTRIFY – GEN + 1,F in TRY |
| 18 | ROAD HOG – (HARD,O,O,G)* |
| 20 | IMPLANT – M,PLAN in IT |
| 21 | RIGHTO – RIGHT-O[-n] |
| 23 | CHAIR – C,H,AIR |
Thanks Ali. I second your comments totally.
I did enjoy this.
Slip of the fingers on 24A: The homophone is “Tale” (story)
Yes, excellent puzzle, I particularly liked ‘not under’ in 5 down.
Oops, cheers Beermagnet, duly edited