A couple of words where I felt no hint of guilt in using the aids: HAEREMAI (obviously familiar to Phi but not perhaps to people outside New Zealand) and MEERSCHAUM, and one more that I don’t fully understand (ESPIONAGE).
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | EARTHWORKS — if ‘earth’ works in the sense used in 12dn, you get ‘heart’ |
| 8/9 | TELEPHONE CALL — I was sure this was an &lit, but it’s simply (the cello panel)* |
| 10 | EDISON — (side)rev. on — he must be a nightmare for setters as he appears so often |
| 11 | RE(PRO)ACH |
| 13 | FAT CAT — FA (tact)rev. |
| 14 | R ASH(N)ES S{ceptre} |
| 17 | {t}RIFLE MAN{y} |
| 19 | P S(YC)HE |
| 21 | HERDSMAN — her d(sm)an, where dan is (and)* |
| 23 | H({Z}ORRO)R |
| 25/26 | ZERO TOLERANCE — (zeal to corner)* {crim}e |
| 27 | MEERSCHAUM — (each summer)* |
| Down | |
| 1 | E S(PI ON)AGE I think, but if this is how it works then pi = detective, which I can’t see … |
| 2 | {p}ROOF |
| 3 | HAEREMAI — (here I am)* |
| 4 | OSCAR — (acros{s})* — ‘anagrams’ used as an intransitive verb |
| 5 | KIL{l} DARE |
| 6 | STEER FORTH — villain in David Copperfield |
| 7 | PLA(1)NT |
| 12 | HOSTELRIES — (ostler)* in hies — after ‘working’ = ‘on’, in both 10ac and 1dn I think, it is now used as an anagram indicator |
| 15 | HISTOGRAM — (argot’s)rev. in him |
| 16 | GALA C({conflic}T)IC |
| 18 | FAROESE — (for sea)* e{xcursion} — I had FAEROES for a while, which slowed me down — anyway I think I misspelt it and also anyway the wordplay wasn’t quite right |
| 20 | CO R(ON)A |
| 22 | S COUR{t} |
| 24 | F LEA{d} |
Thanks John.
1ac. Didn’t you ever see this programme?
…sorry, 1Down.
No I’m afraid not, although I should have at least heard of it I suppose. I’ve led a very sheltered life.
Can’t blame you John,
It was pretty cheesy.
(It made Charlie’s Angels look like The Wire…).
1 down. PI is Private Investigator. (Glad Phi didn’t plump for the more common ‘holy’ for pi). Working is of course ‘on’, all inside e sage.
Magnum ain’t the only P.I., I never thought of him when filling it in. Enjoyable puzzle, as always from Phi.
No, nms, but I think he’s the only one to include his job description in the programme title…
Maybe John was unlucky with his puzzles over the years, but I’ve seen that PI very many times so had to think no more about it.
By the way, following on from last Friday’s, I went to school with a Nina Taltol.
How did Phi know THAT?
(She ended up going off with Oscar Histogram)…
The comment from IanN14 (aka 14th anagram of Nina, I suppose) is noted…
…but there is just a little something in this one, almost too trivial to mention (but it got some letters in the dreaded blank grid).
Nice one, Phi,
Is it to do with “alto”?
(I noticed it hidden in your comment and the grid, and you mentioned “noted”)
I’m no musician, but perhaps someone else can help out?
1 4 Nina (*anag).
So that’s why there’s 12000 miles between you and Laws. Unless he still thinks you’re having ‘a comment’.