A quickish blog, as various factors have led to my falling a little way behind with solving Beelzebub. I’ll use this week to play catchup and then hopefully normal service can be resumed. While I have your attention, explanations for 21ac will be gratefully received. The clue is reproduced below.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ARCH – [m]ARCH. |
| 6 | SMOOCH – COOM< in SH. |
| 11 | FEATHERY – FEAT + HERY. |
| 12 | RULE – RU[bb]LE. |
| 13 | PERISICIAN – PER + IS + (1 in CAN). |
| 14 | ETCHERS – ETC + HERS. |
| 16 | COHESIVENESS – H in (SENSE VOICES)*. |
| 19 | NERONIC – N + ER + ON IC[e]. |
| 21 | SCONCES – a dialect word for head, but I don’t follow the wordplay: “Heads for local for drinks after misbehaving“. |
| 23 | AILOUROPHILE – (H + 1) in (LEO OR PAUL I)*. |
| 25 | ST. LEGER – LEG in STER[n]. |
| 27 | HEAT-TREAT – THEATRE* + A + T. Perhaps what I need for my recurrent back problems. |
| 28 | UNDÉ – UNDE[r]. |
| 29 | EURYDICE – RUE< + Y + DICE. |
| 30 | STARRY – S + TARRY. |
| 31 | USER – U + SER. |
| Down | |
| 1 | AFFECT – (FF in AE) + CT. |
| 2 | REST – dd. |
| 3 | CATCHPOLE – CATCH + POLE. |
| 4 | CHEESECUTTER – CHEESE + CUTTER. |
| 5 | TERRINE – (E + R) in TRINE. |
| 7 | MYSTERY PLAYS – (PRAYS MY STYLE)*. |
| 8 | ORCINOL – OR + C + IN + O[i]L . |
| 9 | CLAP-SILL – C[ontraption] + LAPS + ILL. |
| 10 | HERD – HER + D. |
| 15 | NENNIGAIS – ([t]INNING SEA)*. |
| 17 | OCCIDENT – END* in (OC + CIT). |
| 18 | SNORTER – N in SORTER. |
| 20 | ESOTERY – SOT in EERY. |
| 22 | VERGER – VERGE + R. |
| 24 | THUS – triple, with def. / [violen]T HUS[sar] / def.. |
| 26 | ECCE – CC in ([fi]E[ld] + [fi]E[ld]). |
21a is a double definition.
Sconce = Head is the fourth definition in Chambers.
The third definition is as follows:
Sconce: at Oxford University) a fine imposed for some breach of university rules or etiquette (paid in ale or in attempting to drink a large amount of ale without taking a breath, or otherwise ); a two-handled mug used for the purpose (holding about a quart); a forfeit.