*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
A very enjoyable arts/literature themed one from Dac, with the usual rock-solid clueing and some chuckles along the way – 1 ac was a gem. There was nothing unduly problematic, although I made life harder for myself by assuming PROFESSORS for 24 ac without really justifying it.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | IAMBIC – I AM BIC. |
| 5 | PASTORAL – PAST + ORAL, and presumably &lit. |
| 5 | CRICKET BAT – CRICKET + BAT. |
| 10 | TOGA – [s]T[r]O[n]G[m]A[n]. |
| 11 | PANTOMIME HORSE – (THESPIAN + ROMEO + M[ontague])*. |
| 12 | DAPPLE – D + APPLE. |
| 14 | ROBIN DAY – (O[l]D + BRAINY)* &lit. |
| 16 | CAROUSEL – CAROL “without” USE. |
| 18 | CASTLE – (LEAST + C[yclone])*. “Man on board” had me thinking of words for sailors for a while, as I’m sure was intended. |
| 20 | A ROOM WITH A VIEW – dd. |
| 23 | ADEN – [l]ADEN. |
| 24 | PROCESSION – PRO + hom. of “session”. |
| 25 | NEREIDES – (I’D SEEN)* “round” RE. |
| 26 | TENANT – TENT “receives” (A + N). |
| Down | |
| 2 | AGRIPPA – hom. of “a gripper”. |
| 3 | BACON – BA + COM. |
| 4 | CHEROKEES – C + HERO + SEEK<. |
| 5 | PUBLIC RELATIONS – (PLACE IN BRISTOL + U)*. |
| 6 | SATIE – SA + TIE. Erik Satie, composer, 1866-1925. |
| 7 | OUTGOINGS – dd. |
| 8 | AUGUSTA – AU + GUST + A. |
| 13 | PRONOUNCE – (R + ON) “during” POUNCE. |
| 15 | BUCHAREST – BUCHA[n] + REST. John Buchan, author, 1875-1940. |
| 17 | ABRIDGE – A + BRIDGE. |
| 19 | LOWDOWN – dd. |
| 21 | WIPED – WED “receiving” 1P. |
| 22 | IBSEN – (IS “penning” B) + EN. Henrik Ibsen, playwright and poet, 1828-1906. |
Yes, another excellent Dac puzzle – I thought IAMBIC was brilliant.
18ac: not very keen on this. Although it looks like a castle the piece is called a rook (abbreviated to ‘R). ‘Castle’ is used only as a verb (for the move involving a king and a rook).
I have always insisted on calling the piece a rook, but Collins, COED and Chambers all have castle as another name for it, while most acknowledge that it is an informal usage.
Quite enjoyable, if a little on the easy side. I thought 13 down read quite well and was nicely deceptive with the “say” as the definition.