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Lorraine: Another straight forward puzzle this week, luckily for me as I was not really in the mood for puzzling today.
Legend to solution comments:
* = anagram.
< = word reversed.
| Across | |||
| 1. | MEAT LOAF | . | A in MET + LOAF; Like a bat out of hell? |
| 5. | APED | A + PE + D | |
| 8. | RUCKSACK | RUCK + SACK | |
| 9. | FORMAT | FORM + A + T | |
| 11. | EXACT | EX + ACT | |
| 12. | ORCHESTRA | O + (CHARTRES)* | |
| 14. | HIERONYMUS BOSCH | (BOYS HOME URCHINS)* | |
| 16. | FROM STEM TO STERN | (MOST OF TERM)* + STERN | |
| 20. | ROISTERER | (TERRORISE)* | |
| 21. | MECCA | ME + CC + A | |
| 23. | EL NINO | L in (IN ONE)* | |
| 24. | BEGRUDGE | B + EG + RUDGE | |
| 25. | LACE | L + ACE | |
| 26. | STRIDENT | S + TRIDENT | |
| Down | |||
| 1. | MORPETH | P in (MOTHER)* | |
| 2. | ACCRA | ACC + RA | |
| 3. | LESOTHO | LE + (SO HOT)* | |
| 4. | ANCHOVY PEAR | ANCHOVY + PEA + R | |
| 6. | PROVERB | ROVER in PB; nice misdirect of the word ‘lead’ | |
| 7. | DEMITASSE | (TEA MISSED)* | |
| 10. | TRASH | T + RASH | |
| 13. | COUNTERFEIT | COUNTER + FE on IT | |
| 15. | EMOTIONAL | E + MOTION + AL; ref. Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate; Nick: I failed CSE English grade 1 years ago, as I do not understand poetry, and 34 years later, still do not 🙂 |
|
| 16 | FORTE | T in FORE | |
| 17. | SATANIC | A + TAN in SIC(k) | |
| 18. | SAMURAI | (RUM)< in (ASIA)* | |
| 19. | NEAREST | ARE in NEST | |
| 22. | CADRE | D in CARE | |