Lorraine: We were on a coach trip to London when solving this weeks puzzle, and oddly enough passed Ludgate Hill. I managed to work out 15d but could not put it in until we got home and confirmed it in Bradfords lists. Unusual to see the same word clued twice, ‘Char’. 1d was the first in the grid with 15d being the last.
A very enjoyable puzzle, thank you Everyman.
Legend to solution comments:
* = anagram.
< = word reversed.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Page one, suggestive of plagiarism (6) | ||
| PIRACY | P+I+RACY(suggestive of) | ||
| 4. | Swindle rascal detailed (4) | ||
| SCAM | SCAM(p) | ||
| 8. | Guildhall and gutted tollhouse building in a London street (7,4) | ||
| LUDGATE HILL | (GUILDHALL+T[ollgat]E)* | ||
| 10. | Firmly fixed, including a dicky red rear lamp (4,5) | ||
| TAIL LIGHT | A+ILL(dicky, i.e. sick) in TIGHT | ||
| 11. | Member brought in beer, more than enough (5) | ||
| AMPLE | MP in ALE | ||
| 12. | Side’s advantage (4) | ||
| EDGE | dd | ||
| 13. | Worker about to bury 50 in a remote country region (10) | ||
| HINTERLAND | HAND around (INTER+L) | ||
| 16. | Drunk, he hints elf is actually present! (2,3,5) | ||
| IN THE FLESH | (HE HINTS ELF)* | ||
| 17. | Catch that female pinching article (4) | ||
| HEAR | A in HER catch as in hearing something |
||
| 19. | Small haven inside amphitheatre (5) | ||
| HITHE | hidden: ampHITHEatre | ||
| 20. | House members, ordinary people (9) | ||
| COMMONERS | cdd | ||
| 21. | Geyser – veteran’s getting close (3,8) | ||
| OLD FAITHFUL | OLD+FAITHFUL | ||
| 22. | Forward’s second goal (4) | ||
| SEND | S+END forward [a letter e.g.]=send |
||
| 23. | Split a piece of rubber in outhouse (6) | ||
| SHARED | A+R(ubber) in SHED | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | If cutting classes, schools may be turned into these occasionally (7,8) | ||
| POLLING STATIONS | POLLING+STATIONS plus cd | ||
| 2. | Problem with sieve (6) | ||
| RIDDLE | dd | ||
| 3. | Greek poorly after fish from barbecue (9) | ||
| CHARGRILL | GR+ILL after CHAR | ||
| 5. | Check competitiveness once opener’s dismissed, and gentlemanliness (8) | ||
| CHIVALRY | CH+(r)IVALRY | ||
| 6. | I’ll keep silent in Emerald Isle, say, troubled about power (2,4,3,6) | ||
| MY LIPS ARE SEALED | (EMERALD ISLE SAY)* around P | ||
| 7. | Crooked wager involving knight (4) | ||
| BENT | N(knight in chess) in BET | ||
| 9/10. | Nervously signed thirteenth novel (6,2,3,5) | ||
| TENDER IS THE NIGHT | (SIGNED THIRTEENTH)* | ||
| 10. | See 9 | ||
| 14. | International’s trial marriage? (4,5) | ||
| TEST MATCH | dd | ||
| 15. | Labour politician about to stop close to elite public school (8) | ||
| BENENDEN | (tony)BENN around END+(elit)E | ||
| 18. | Chest gets tender after cold (6) | ||
| COFFER | C+OFFER | ||
| 20. | Fish for tea (4) | ||
| CHAR | dd | ||
| ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd | |||
Thanks Lorraine. I found this to be very straightforward, merely a matter of filling in the grid, except for the three obscure words – 8ac, 19ac and 15dn. I imagine someone who lives in London would have no trouble with two of those. Fortunately all three were easily resolved with “guess and Google”.
Favourite clue was 1ac. Simple but clever.
Thanks Lorraine,
I enjoyed this but felt slightly short-changed due to the strange grid (large chunks of dark space in the corners) and only 23 clues. Favourite clue 18d (ans=COFFER) for its excellent surface. Thanks Everyman.
Thanks Lorraine and Everyman.
I’d never heard of Benenden, but worked it out and confirmed via Wiki.
I haven’t lived in London for over 30 years, Colin, but I vaguely remembered Ludgate Hill from tube maps, and the anagram fodder was clear.
I also had to check 19ac., which I hadn’t seen before. I’m not sure in what context I might see it again! 🙂
As usual, a very doable puzzle from Everyman, with some lovely surfaces. I particularly liked 16ac, which made me smile.
Thank you, Lorraine.
Pleasing puzzle over Sunday morning coffee as usual from Everyman, with the almost obligatory delve into the dictionary to confirm an obscure, but clearly clued, word – in this case, HITHE.
Very fairly clued though, I’d say. Just right for an obscure inclusion.
Enthusing about 6dn – good one.