*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
A typically excellent Beelzebub, with some especially nice surface readings. I’ve managed to explain them all this week, which may actually be a first!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SPYGLASS – (P[-rett]Y G[-ir]L) in SASS. |
| 7 | APSE – APE “seen round” S. |
| 11 | OROROTUND – (OR + OR + OD) “gathered round” TUN. An alternate spelling of “orotund”. |
| 12 | POMACE – POM + ACE. |
| 14 | DOOSRA – DORA “restricting” OS. “Act of war” sent me the wrong way at first. |
| 15 | KREESED – REES “enveloped in” KED. A “ree” is a female ruff, and a “kris” or “krees” is a Malay dagger. |
| 17 | RICHLY – RLY “carrying” ICH. “Ich” is a South-West dialect form of “I”. |
| 18 | STREET SMARTS – (STRESS MATTER)*. |
| 19 | ROOM AT THE TOP – (METAPHOR TOO)* “to accomodate” T. A 1957 novel by John Braine. |
| 24 | VANISH – as in “like a van”. Raised a smile. |
| 25 | TIL SEED – TIED “to enthrall” LSE. “Til” is another name for sesame. |
| 26 | GOOGLY – GOOLY “limiting” G. One for the cricket fans: The Gabba is the Brisbane cricket stadium, and so “gooly” (an Australian term for a small stone) is therefore “a stone in the Gabba”. |
| 27 | VITTLE – VILE “to include” TT. |
| 28 | CIVILIZER – (I + V + I + LIZ + E) “in” CR. |
| 29 | TSAR – T[-a]SAR. “Tasar” is an alternate spelling of “tusser”, a particular type of Indian silk, or a dress made thereof. |
| 30 | TELECINE – (NICE LET)< “by” E. |
| Down | |
| 1 | SOPORS – SO + POR[-e]S. |
| 2 | PRODITORIOUS – PROD + I + [-no]TORIOUS. |
| 3 | GRAPHEMES – HEM “in” GRAPES. “Hem” being, in this case, “a sort of half-cough to draw attention”. |
| 4 | LOCALE – LOCO[-o] + ALE. |
| 5 | SUDRAS – (DR + A) “held by” SUS. |
| 6 | SNOEK – ([-hoo]K + EONS)<. The South African name for the snook, any of several marine fishes. |
| 8 | PISS ARTIST – (TRIPS + SITS)* “enbracing” A. |
| 9 | STREPTOSOLEN – (TREE PLOTS SON)*. |
| 10 | EVADES – (SED + AVE[-s])<. |
| 13 | MICROFLORA – (I FORM CORAL)*. |
| 16 | EPAENETIC – (NEAT PIECE)*. |
| 19 | ROTGUT – ROT + GUT. German for “red” and “good” respectively, hence “for the Oktoberfest”. |
| 20 | THEY’VE – HEY “in” (TV + [-programm]E). |
| 21 | HABILE – HA + BILE. |
| 22 | PHEERE – P + (HERE “without” E). |
| 23 | RELIT – TILER<. |