A joy to solve yet another excellent puzzle from Dac. Solving time, 17 mins.
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 CAN OF WORMS Double definition dividing elegantly at this/problem.
First answer in the puzzle and the last I solved.
6 SPUR(s) 25 is INCENTIVE
10 UNIT TRUST
11 OMEGA hidden in ‘home game’ with separate definitions either side of it
12 SCORES Double definition – my favourite clue with great misdirection in the surface
13 CHESHUNT Hidden in centre of first two words of clue. Think the team referred to in 6 had a training ground there once, not sure if it’s still there.
15 NEWSWORTHINESS (shower in west N)* Excellent
17 ROBINSON CRUSOE (scouts Borneo in)* This got me started with an easy definition
21 PL EA (SAN) T Abbrev for ‘sanitarium’
22 TIR (AD)E
24 AUDE N Poet whose centenary was not too long ago – one of the admin Departments of France
25 (v) INCENT I’VE
26 Jane EYRE Bronte heroine “air”
27 FLASHLIGHT (high flats l)* From the definition and the anagram fodder ‘light’ just had to be in there somewhere.
DOWN
1 COURSE (of a meal) fine = opposite of “coarse”
2 NO 1 SOME 21 is PLEASANT
3 FATHER S AND SONS Novel by Turgenev
4 ON US
5 MATCH STICK
7 P (RELUD) E (ruled)* Excellent surface
8 ROA (D TE) ST (Ted)*
9 CONSTITUTIONAL Double definition
14 GO DOWN H ILL &lit Excellent
16 TRIP LANE
18 B (L) ENDER
19 O RATING man on board = sailor
20 CE (ME)NT
23 A ChEeSE Take out the evenly placed letters – ref tennis
Another lovely piece by Dac in the ‘Ximenean’ style. Didn’t completely light my fire, but there’s a ‘way of doing things’ evident in this puzzle that smacks of professionalism. Like you NMS, I loved ‘go down hill’.
Well up to the usual standard, I though, with some lovely clues (1ac, 14dn, …). But I couldn’t fully understand 4dn: ‘Responsibility in Obama’s hands’: ONUS. On US???
Obama represents America, so the responsibility is on the U.S.