Solving time: about 23 minutes
I found this a challenging puzzle despite getting the long answer on first look. I hope most other solvers got it without too much trouble – if not, I can imagine a pretty slow solve. This puzzle is full of inventive wordplay, sometimes pushing the boundaries a bit to get there. As the result is that the clues are fresh and entertaing, that’s fine with me.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1, 29, 8 and 17 | I AM A BEAR OF VERY LITTLE BRAIN AND LONG WORDS BOTHER ME – with “dim old animal” and “lengthy verbs” among the anagram fodder, and “(1,2,1,4,2,4,6 ….)” to help, this was easy and I think a better anagram than some clues of this type |
| 9 | NINES – clue based on “six sixes” = 36 being the same as 4 x 9, and also containing two copies of Roman numeral IX. |
| 11 | ECU – reverse hidden in “producer” – one of several wordplays only understood when writing up this report |
| 12 | NIGHTSPOT = rev. of “tops=finishes off, th(e), gin=drink” |
| 14 | SUNNI = rev. of “in N. U.S.”, the northern US being “just south of Canada” |
| 15 | H, A.R. = “Queen Anne”, D.U.P. = (Peter) “Robinson’s party” |
| 16 | FACE BOOK = “advice for the work shy” – with “work” optionally meaning “book” – def. and cryptic def. |
| 18 | P,EARDROP = “cure for otitis?” |
| 20 | WI(L.S.O.)N – LSO = “players conducted” |
| 23 | ICHOR = (orchi(d))* – “Flower in the divine” from ichor being the blood of the gods |
| 24 | HOME = in, O = no, PATH = way – lovely all-in-one |
| 25 | BEE = be plus an extra E |
| 26 | GONZO – hidden in Gorgonzola |
| 27 | REAGANISM – IS in (manager)*, cross reffing 2D |
| Down | |
| 1 | IS (LAND) HOPPING – hopping = hopping mad |
| 2 | MAN(A)GER |
| 3 | B,OW! |
| 4 | A(BR,UP)T – “snap” is the def, as in “snap decision” |
| 5 | O.S.,SET=determined,IAN – Bannsider has some Eastern European connections and likes to put references into puzzles – when I suggested he use the city of Lvov for its ?V?V fit, he told me he’d done so already |
| 6 | VENUS DE MILO = (lies unmoved)* with nice surface reference to its damaged nature |
| 7 | RUN = race, INTO = keen on |
| 10 | STICK IN = add, TH(EM = me rev.)UD |
| 13 | TH = rev. of H.T.,UNDER-BOLT = don’t secure doors adequately |
| 19 | ASHANTI = anti-ASH – ASH = Action on Smoking and Health, and “Forest” (Freedom organisation for the right to enjoy smoking tobacco) are their opponents |
| 21 | STAMINA = rev. of animals with T for L letter swap |
| 22 | I’M PAIR = “I have partner” |
| 28 | ANI = second letters in “catching and ringing” – the “black cuckoo” well-known to barred-grid solvers |
Another excellent puzzle from Bannsider. The long anagram was extremely apposite and I (eventually) managed to work it out when I’d quite a few crossing letters even though it is a quote I had never heard of. There’s LVIV
Above posted before I was finished, was saying to Peter that as well as LVOV, there’s LVIV, same place, different languages, both in Collins.
You’d better not go to Lviv and call it Lvov – that’s all I can say!
No more 45-letter anagrams from me – that one nearly killed me.
However I consider both Tskhinvali and Vladikavkaz (the S. and N. Ossetian capitals respectively and both known to my wife) fair game. A stiff drink might be needed before attempting a clue for the latter however …
Noted – I guess “Lemberg” might be even worse …