Independent 7095 by Math

by

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def

I found this a lot easier than some of the recent Monday puzzles. There didn’t seem to be any obvious theme or NINA.

Across
1 Homicide: I CID in home.
5 Bleach: CD.
9 Delinquency: (q[uestion] I deny uncle)*.
11 Inn: Hidden in thin nickel.
12 Liszt: hom of “list”.
13 Logarithm: Log + a + hom of rhythm.
14 Subcutaneous: (Cut E on a bus)* + us.
18 Tabasco sauce: (SA bat)< + co + sauce.
21 Funk music: (Muck is fun)*.
23 Unbox: UN + box.
24 Opt: Op + t.
25 Judgment Day: Judy around (G Men + DA).
26 Doobry: (By door)*.
27 Analysis: (say in LA’s)*.
Down
1 Huddle: (Roy) Hudd + le.
2 Molest: (Adrian) Mole + st.
3 Construes: Cons + t[he] + rues.
4 Double crossed: DD.
6 Layer: DD. A layer is a type of shoot bent in order to take root in the earth.
7 Aviation: A + via + it< + on.
8 Hindmost: (Don Smith)*.
10 Night Watchman: Night + Watchman. John Harrison was the inventor of the marine chronometer, a key component in solving the problem of establishing the longitude of a ship.
15 Nocturnal: Con< + turn + a l[abour] – referring to clue 10 above.
16 Stafford: Staff + rod*.
17 Ab initio: Abi (Titmuss) + I nit + IO.
19 Abides: Abi + Des (O’Connor). I was a bit dubious about the logic of this clue, but I suppose if you interpret it as Abi + Des together gives lives, it just about works. I’m not really up on celebrity relationships, but I don’t think it’s an &lit.
20 Oxeyes: Ox + eyes.
22 Major: 3 definitions (course taken by American = Major).

2 comments on “Independent 7095 by Math”

  1. Thanks Neal,
    I didn’t know “layer” and I’ve never heard of John Harrison.
    I can’t see a NINA, but it is pangrammatical.

  2. Thanks for the blog, NealH. A very nice puzzle from Math, too.

    In 19ac I think the ‘but now’ simply functions to preserve the relevance of the element ABI common to both clues. Kind of ‘… but now (i.e. in this clue here) ABI produces a word meaning LIVES with element DES’.

    AFAIK Ms Titmuss is currently with whoever she’s with, while Mr O is married to Australian singer Jodie Wilson.

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