*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
A bit of a hurried solve from me this week, I'm afraid, and I would have liked a bit more time to enjoy this.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | BUSINESS – SINES “held by” (B + US). |
| 5 | ICARUS – 1 + C + A RUS[h]. |
| 9 | CARDIGAN – dd. |
| 10 | RUMOUR – RUM + [t]OUR. |
| 12 | DAIS – DA + IS. |
| 13 | ALBERT DOCK – (TRADE BLOCK)*. |
| 15 | WEEK IN WEEK OUT – hom. of “weak”. |
| 17 | THE PARTY’S OVER – (HER VAST POETRY)*. |
| 20 | CEREBELLAR – (RE + BE) in CELLAR. |
| 21 | ALEC – ALE + C. |
| 23 | ANIMAL – MA in A NIL[e]. |
| 24 | MISSOURI – MISS OU[t] + RI. |
| 25 | EGRESS – SERGE’S*. |
| 26 | ANDERSON – [fl]ANDERS ON[ce]. |
| Down | |
| 1 | BACK DOWN – dd. |
| 2 | SARDINE – SAR[s] + DINE. |
| 3 | NAIL – dd. |
| 4 | SWALLOWTAILS – hom. of “swallow tales”. |
| 6 | COURTHOUSE – THOU in COURSE. |
| 7 | ROOT OUT – hom. of “route out”. |
| 8 | STROKE – dd. |
| 11 | FENESTRATION – (OF INTERNET AS)*. |
| 14 | RIVERBOATS – (E + VIBRATORS)*. |
| 16 | FRACTION – FR + ACTION. |
| 17 | TERRIER – dd. |
| 18 | VELOURS – (LOUVRE + [display]S)*. |
| 19 | SCRAPE – SCRAP + E. |
| 22 | ISLE – [h]ELSI[nki]<. |
15ac. What a lovely clue.
I’d go for 11 Down as one of my clues of the year
Excellent as always from Dac, and quite a bit harder than sometimes, I found. 19 down was very good too.
See what you mean, eimi.
I’d forgotten how good 11d. was as I did this one shortly after midnight.
He’s very good, that Dac.
Agreed on 11D, ’tis a belter.
I liked 14D just as much I have to say, though that’s probably just my puerile mind!
I agree about 11d, and that there are some other good clues. But I think 9a is a very weak dd — just two things vaguely related to Wales, unless I am missing something (as is Chambers).
I don’t have the clue to hand, but I believe Cardigan is a breed of corgi, and of course a place in Wales, so it didn’t seem particularly weak to me.
Yes, I now see that it is a breed of corgi. I didn’t know that.