*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
For once I’ve actually picked up on a theme and spotted a Nina, although the penny dropped much later in the game than I should really admit. The significance of the date is that this week marks the 40th anniversary of the Abbey Road album cover photograph being taken.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | PEPPERS – PEERS “over” PP. |
| 5 | REPACK – RE PACK (of cards). |
| 10 | SEEDY – differently-stressed hom. of “CD”. |
| 11 | CLUB – dd. |
| 12 | SERGEANT – SERGE + ANT. |
| 13 | LONELY – ON in LELY. Sir Peter Lely was indeed a “Dutch artist in England”, I have just this moment learned. |
| 14 | HELP – L in HELP. |
| 16 | SMALLISH – ILL< in SMASH. |
| 19 | SARDINES – dd. |
| 20 | MAGI – MA + GI. |
| 22/9 | RUBBER BAND – dd. |
| 24 | REVOLVER – LOVER< + VER[y]. |
| 26 | STAY – dd. “Last in race” is a nice bit of misdirection, this is “last” in the sense of “endure”. |
| 27 | MILER – I’ve no idea why “fourty-two ponies”. “Pony” as in £25? |
| 28 | SOUL – hom. of “sole”. |
| 29 | HEARTS – dd. |
| 30 | READING – dd., with an extra hint that the two terms are not homophones. |
| Down | |
| 2 | ERASER – AS in (E[leven] + R + E[leven] + R). |
| 3 | PEDIGREED – cd. “Boxer” as in dog, that is. |
| 4 | RASTA – [orchest]RA STA[lls]. |
| 5 | ROYAL PALM – dd? I guess this is just tree/literary award, but I haven’t worked out what to do with the “by the way”. |
| 6 | PECAN – AC< in PEN. |
| 7 | CLUELESS – CLUE LESS. This one raised a smile. |
| 8 | DENTISTS DRILL – cd. |
| 15 | PANORAMAS – OR in PANAMAS. |
| 17 | LEGALISED – 1S in ALLEGED*. |
| 18 | BAGUETTE – (EG + BUTTE[r] + A)*. |
| 21 | RETURN – dd. |
| 23 | BOYAR – BOY + A + R. |
| 25 | VERNE – [go]VERNE[d]. “Divine protection” is great here. This is Jules Verne, of course. |
The first 3 answers I got were PEPPERS, SERGEANT and HEARTS, so I twigged almost immediately. Just as well really as I was struggling a bit on my first pass.
I was unsure on the ROYAL PALM clue as well and only guessed at it once I’d seen BEATLES running across the middle of the grid.
24A is LOVER rev. + VER[-y] I think
Fixed – thanks Ali. I think that’s how I read it, but this was quite hastily typed, I’m afraid.
In 27A, 42 ponies = 42 x £25 = 1000 guineas which is a horse race, presumably run over a mile.
There was me thinking only 10 thematic answers was a bit light for a Virgilius puzzle! I completely failed to spot the BEATLES running across the central row – thanks Ali. And thanks to Richard for explaining 27Ac, a lovely clue which, along with 5Ac and 29Ac, typifies the seemingly effortless brilliance we’ve come to expect from Virgilius.
The 1000 Guineas is indeed run over the Rowley Mile at Newmarket. It is also one of the two Classics limited to fillies (The Oaks is the other one). So I put FILLY in for 27A which was a bit of a blind alley.
Another brilliant Virgilius.
Don’t know quite why, but I loved 20ac.
Great surface, lovely wordplay.
Got the theme as soon as I got Pepper, Revolver & Soul.
And the central nina helped with 5d.
Thanks again, Mr Greer.