Trouble with overconfidently putting in a couple of answers this time caused hold-ups but nothing that couldn’t be sorted out in the same solving session.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 8 | PRITHEE (HI PETER)* AInd: outed |
| 9 | HOLDALL OLD inside [Peter] HALL |
| 10 | FATAL BLOW Aaaargh! First answer I confidently write in: BLOWN AWAY – I thought with “To-die-for” and “finish you off” it was a cert. and thought I’d work out the rest later. Then I find I can’t make anything cross and when I get 4D BELLYFUL I realise it must be FINAL BLOW (!) Thankfully, one bitten twice shy, when I was left with something odd for 1D I suspected this answer again. Anyway, decoding: Charade: FATAL (to-die-for) BLOW (Oral sex act) Def. a bang to finish you off |
| 11 | SICKO (OK CI[a]’S)< RevInd: flipping Def: Nutter |
| 12 | SHIT FOR BRAINS CD in the most appalling manner. Oh dear. I suspect being able to write this in on the first pass with no crossing letters says more about me than the setter. Full clue: Stupid verbal diarrhoea a result of having this? (4,3,6) |
| 14 | ASEXUAL (SAUL AXE)* AInd: Fumbled |
| 16 | CONDONE CON (Archer was) DONE (accomplished) Joint last in – see 16D below |
| 18 | DOWNING STREET OWNING (admitting) inside [thir]D and STREET (way) |
| 23 | AT SEA ([l]A[bour] SEAT)* AInd: lost |
| 24 | UP THE WALL UP (erection) THE WALL (Ivy’s course) – I think – perhaps “course” just gives WALL. Full clue: Mad Ivy’s course fixating on erection? (2,3,4) |
| 25 | CLOSE-UP LOSE (miss) inside CUP (bra feature) |
| 26 | UMPTEEN [h]UMP TEEN Umpteen is one of those that seems to pop up in crossword grids more than normal conversation – or is that just my experience? |
| Down | |
| 1 | DISTASTE DI’S TASTE |
| 2 | CHILLI HILL (mound) inside [chi]C [arman]I |
| 3 | BELLYFUL L[eft] (FLY)* AInd: undone all inside (LUBE)* AInd: messy |
| 4 | SHOWER DD |
| 5 | CLOSE-RUN C[onservative] LOSER (no-hoper) UN (international body) |
| 6 | TAI CHI (HIT CIA)* AInd: abroad |
| 7 | BLOODSHED (O (love) HOLDS)* AInd: relaxed all inside BED (the sack) |
| 8 | PUFF DD |
| 13 | BALD PATCH BAL[l] (testicle short) D[ate] PATCH (to repair) Lovely Def: William Hague certainly has one |
| 15 | URINATED URI [Geller] (DANTE)* AInd: pissed |
| 16 | CUT IT OUT CUT (nick) IT (sex) OUT (abroad) Def: Stop. I convinced myself this must be “Put it out” as in a dog-end but couldn’t justify “Nick” until I understood 16A. Full clue: Stop Nick having sex abroad (3,2,3) |
| 17 | OUTDATED OUT (published) D[emocrat] [m]ATED |
| 19 | WISDOM (SO DI)* AInd: screwed around inside W[ith] M[ale] Def: ageing comedian. Indeed Norman of that ilk (“Bayonet Practice” clip) I can understand why he became so famous in Albania – his films always make me laugh – that could be because I was exposed to them at an impressionable age |
| 20 | GRUMPY RUMP (arse) inside G[u]Y (heartless bloke) |
| 21 | EXEMPT EX (partner once) E[nergy] (PMT)* AInd: bad |
| 22 | FLAN [nai]L inside FAN (nut – as in fanatic) |
12ac – we too got this almost immediately – says a lot about us all, really 😀
Another great xword from Cyclops.
Nick & Lorraine
10a Yes -put in final blow and so did another solver I know . Funny how fatal just didn’t come to mind
I went down the FINAL BLOW route as well, which caused me all sorts of problems solving 1D.