A rather overdue blog, I’m afraid, though I’ve no excuses as this was one of the easier Beelzebubs in some time. I managed all but three of four squares unaided, before reaching for Chambers to confirm my suspicions for the few remaining entries. All very enjoyable, however.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | TRIFURCATING – FRUIT* + (C in RATING). |
| 10 | RELABELS – LAB in REELS. |
| 11 | ANIL – A + NIL. |
| 12 | APORIA – OP< in AIR. |
| 14 | SECCO – SEC + CO. |
| 15 | MEDICI – MEDIC + I. “Medic” is in fact a plant, also known as lucerne. |
| 17 | SPA – SPA[n]. |
| 19 | GUDDLE – DD in GULE[s]. |
| 20 | FLYING LEAP – (PEG FINALLY)*. |
| 21 | CLIENTAGES – A in SELECTING*. |
| 24 | TASSET – ‘T + ASSET. |
| 25 | ASP – A[nguine] + SP &lit. |
| 26 | T-CELLS – C in TELLS. |
| 28 | OCHER – 0 + CHER. |
| 30 | EPOPEE – POPE in EE & lit. |
| 31 | NAME – from AMEN, with the N “forwarded”. |
| 32 | ATRAMENT – RAMEN in ATT. |
| 33 | SPICE ISLANDS – S + PIC + (IS in ELANDS). |
| Down | |
| 1 | TRANSACTIONS – ANS in TRACTIONS. |
| 2 | REPO – REP + 0. |
| 3 | ILONA – [ja]IL ON A[ntigua]. |
| 4 | UBIETY – (Y[ou]TUBE I)*. OU is Oxford University, or perhaps The Open University. |
| 5 | READMITTED – READ + MIT + TED. |
| 6 | ASS – [p]ASS. |
| 7 | INCEDE – CE in INDE[x]. I think this is a reference to the Index Librorum Prohibitorum. |
| 8 | NICKLAUS – NICK + LA + US. Jack, of course. |
| 9 | GLOVE PUPPETS – G + LOVE + PUP + PETS. |
| 13 | SIGNALLERS – (G in SIN) + [c]ALLERS. |
| 15 | MOLEST – MOLES + T[ide]. |
| 16 | IDLERS – I’D + LE[e]RS. |
| 18 | POLAR CAP – CLARA* in POP. |
| 22 | ISTHMI – THIS* + I’M<. |
| 23 | GAL PAL – (P in GALA) + L. |
| 25 | ASPEN – ‘S in A PEN. |
| 27 | VEND – V + END. |
| 29 | RAE – EAR<. |