Like most other people no doubt, I seem to have a full week’s worth of stuff to fit into 4 days this week, so not much time to stop and admire this puzzle I’m afraid. Which is a shame, because it was very nice, like all Punk puzzles!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SCARLET – CARL in SET |
| 5 | AXOLOTL – L TO LO rev. on A,X – Quite tricky this one I thought. It’s a little salamander |
| 9 | RASPINGLY – (LISP,ANGRY)* |
| 10 | FACET – ACE in FT |
| 11 | BACILLI – Got this from the checking letters, but not sure on it – “Might they bring a complaint having account, opening another one?” |
| 13 | BACKING – Double def. |
| 14 | CAUGHT IN THE ACT – IN + DEED (the act) |
| 16 | READ ALL ABOUT IT – AD in REAL,LABOU[-r],TIT |
| 18 | TRAPEZE – Cryptic def, ref. 14A |
| 19 | LESSENS – “Lessons” |
| 20 | LARVA – R in LAVA |
| 21 | PUNCH LINE – PUN,CH,LINE |
| 23 | RETAKEN – N.E KATE,R rev. |
| 24 | ELEMENT – Double def. |
| Down | |
| 1 | STROBE – [-ve]ST,ROBE |
| 2 | AS SICK AS A PARROT – CD |
| 3 | LEI – Hidden in buddLEIa |
| 4 | TAGLIATELLE – I think this is ELLE (the magazine) on GAT (gun) and TAIL (behind) rev. |
| 5 | ANY – A,NY (New York) |
| 6 | OFFICE HOURS – 1,C,EH in OF FOURS – Classic Halpern! It reads fairly bizarrely, but I like it a lot and the definition (Possibly 10-6) is great |
| 7 | ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME – (ACTION I FEEL MINE TO)* |
| 8 | LITIGATE – LIT,1,GATE |
| 12 | LUGGAGE RACK – GG + A G ERA in LUCK |
| 13 | BANK BALANCE – A nice cryptic def |
| 15 | PRATTLER – P[-arole],RATTLER |
| 17 | ASSENT – AS,SENT |
| 21 | PEN – Double def. |
| 22 | HOE – Initial letters of ‘Hack Out Earth’ |
I think 11a is
B(A/c)ILL I
but I don’t know how ‘opening’ can be a container-content indicator.
While your reservations might be understandable, I think you’re right as to the mechanism. BILL is closed, but B ILL is opened.
Excellent stuff from Punky Paul.