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. |