I think this was all fairly straightforward, relatively speaking, although the gap between solving and blogging was perhaps allowed to grow too long for me recall in detail how I found it. I think I’ve explained everything, at least.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | JANTY – NT in JAY, alternative spelling of “jaunty”. |
| 5 | GREATLY – AT L in GREY. |
| 10 | ESTUARY – EST + U + ARY. |
| 11 | GAEL – LEG< “throttling” A. In cricket, “on” and “leg” side are one and the same. |
| 12 | TORCHON PAPER – (PARTNER + POOCH)*. |
| 15 | SECESH – HE’S* “about” CES[s]. |
| 16 | INSPECT – INSECT “seizing” P. |
| 18 | SLEUTHS – (LUST + HE’S)*. |
| 20 | TRAIN – [s]TRAIN. |
| 21 | OUNCE – [p]OUNCE. |
| 23 | YEZIDEE – YE + (ZEE “to carry” ID). As readers will know, “ye” was never pronounced as it is written – the “y” being a representation of Old English þ (“thorn”), used by printers who did not have the correct symbol to hand. |
| 25 | ADDEEMS – A DD + [s]EEMS. |
| 27 | EARFUL – [f]EARFUL. |
| 30 | DIGITAL RADIO – DIG IT + (OLD ARIA)*. The broadcast medium via which I was following The Ashes as I completed this week’s Beelzebub. |
| 31 | IRIS – IRIS[h]. |
| 32 | FIREMEN – . |
| 33 | BACTRIA – BACT[e]RIA. |
| 34 | ADORE – ADO RE. |
| Down | |
| 1 | JETTISONED – (ON JETTIES)* + D. |
| 2 | AS OF – A SOF[a]. |
| 3 | TUCK – [s]TUCK. |
| 4 | YAHWE – YAH + WE. |
| 5 | GROUCHY – GR + [t]OUCHY. |
| 6 | EXPERT – [gam]E + X + PERT. |
| 7 | AGACERIE – AGE “to take in” (ACER + 1). |
| 8 | TAPENADES – TAPE + SEDAN<. |
| 9 | LEESE – SEEL< + E. |
| 13 | RHINESTONE – (1 NEST) in RHONE. |
| 14 | ISENERGIC – IS + GREEN* + 1 C. |
| 17 | PUCKFIST – PUCK + FIST. |
| 19 | SEDILIA – AIDES< “about” (I + L). |
| 22 | ELUTOR – ROTUL[a]E<. |
| 24 | NAIRA – NAIR + A. |
| 26 | DURRA – DURR[ie] + A. |
| 28 | GAED – GA[m]ED. |
| 29 | BIER – BI[k]ER. |