Independent 7155 by Hypnos

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

This was an enjoyable puzzle with a good mixture of clues, which I found a little easier than some Monday offerings (possibly because it was largely devoid of words I’d never heard of). My favourite was the cleverly concealed definition for elopment in 15 down – “recourse for a secret item”. There were also a couple of excellent &lits.

Across
1	Rebuff: Re + buff.
4	Assailed: (Delia’s + sa[uces])<.
9	Toulouse Lautrec: (Culture a lot)* around Ouse.
11	Underwear: This was the only one I wasn’t too sure about. “Slip, say” is the definition and the rest might be un + (reared)* around w, although un for one seems a bit of a stretch.
12	Thyme: Hom of Time (Magazine). Def is “seasoning used in cooking”.
13	Save: S[t]ave.
14	Mergansers: Mergers around A NS (Bridge partners) .
17	Career Girl: &lit. (E.g. Carlie + r[ising] r[elentlessly])*.
18	Posh: &lit. Initial letters of “performer overshadowing soccer husband”. Referring of course to the former Victoria Adams.
21	Roast: R + oast.
23	Raise Hell: (healer is)* around L.
24	National Gallery: CD.
25	Hacienda: (Had a nice)*.
26	Breton: Br + Eton – André Breton.
Down
1	Rat runs: [Docto]r + a + turns*.
2	Bound over: Bound + over.
3	Floury: Hom of flowery.
5	Self-regarding: (girl’s fee grand)*.
6	Aquatint: A + t[alent] in quaint.
7	Lorry: O + RR in L[ay-b]y.
8	Duchess: Duc[k] + Hess.
10	Steven Gerrard: (Danger reverts)*.
15	Elopement: Op in element.
16	Rest Home: Rome around Esth (abbr. for biblical Esther).
17	Corinth: Corin + th[e]. Corin is not a very common name, but is probably best known from the actor Corin Redgrave.
19	Halcyon: Halon around Cy.
20	Pedlar: Hom of pedaller.
22	Antic: [Gig]antic. Antic can apparently be used as an adjective to mean “ludicrously odd”.

3 comments on “Independent 7155 by Hypnos”

‘Un is (considered) a northern variant I think Neal, as in ‘good ‘un’.

Very pleasing puzzle with good variety as you say. I too found it fairly easy.

In 20dn, the [not very accurate] homophone is surely ‘pedaller’ – ‘a person who pedals’, ie, ‘one on bike, perhaps’? ‘Peddler’ is a variant of ‘pedlar’, the definition.

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