Easier than the last AARDVARK puzzle I blogged, but no less enjoyable. My favourite was 29 across which made me smile, 13 across is good too. Also, I got throught he whole thing without having to resort to the dictionary once, which makes a nice change!
*anagram
hover mouse over clue number to see clue
click on solution to see definition
| Across | ||
| 1 | SIPHON | P inside HIS reversed with ON (the on side = the side of the cricket field behind the batsman’s legs) |
| 4 | TOM BAKER | TOMB and RAKE* (actor played Dr Who in TV series) |
| 10 | BITTERN | BIT (part) TERN (gull) |
| 11 | FUCHSIA | SUCH* inside FIAt |
| 12 | LUNE | Like UNE (‘one’ in French) gives river in Cumbria |
| 13 | AVANT GARDE | sAVANT (accomplished) with GARDEn (area for flowers) losing the bordering letters |
| 16 | UNFAIR | fUNFAIR (f=fellow) |
| 17 | BERMUDA | Double definition |
| 20 | POLLOCK | LOP reversed and LOCK (artist Jackson Pollock) |
| 21 | POTEEN | OP (opus=work) reversed and TEEN |
| 24 | WATERMELON | European MERLOT* inside WAN |
| 25 | ESAU | thESAUrus |
| 27 | TRANSIT | departmenT (RATS IN)* |
| 29 | PIANOLA | sounds like “P&O” plus LA (‘the’ in French) |
| 30 | POLO NECK | Marco POLO and Notice Knocking around EC (City of London postal code) |
| 31 | WESTIE | ITS reversed inside WEE (minute=small) gives West Highland Terrier |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SIBELIUS | IS reversed (opposing=the other way round) 1 inside BLUES |
| 2 | PUT ON A FRONT | TON with AFRO inside PUNT |
| 3 | OVEN | prOVEN (dropping pr=price) |
| 5 | OFFENDER | whO F FENDER (wing of a car in N. America) |
| 6 | BACKGAMMON | BACK (second) MAG (fanzine perhaps) reversed and MONday |
| 7 | KES | maKES losing m (millions) and a (before=ante) |
| 8 | READER | tRADER around European |
| 9 | KNAVE | VAN reversed inside KatE |
| 14 | RIDLEY SCOTT | RID (deliver from) LEY (ley line) SCOTT (sounds like Scot) |
| 15 | BILL BRYSON | BILL (police=’the old bill’) BRanch NOSY reversed |
| 18 | ECLECTIC | L (learner driver) inside EC EC (City of London postal code) and TIC. I would complain about EC for City also being used in 30 across, but the clue clearly states it is used repeatedly. |
| 19 | INCUBATE | CUBA inside wINTEr |
| 22 | SWOT UP | TWO inside SUP (hampered = either ‘constrained’ or ‘put in a hamper’) |
| 23 | COUPE | O (love=zero tennis score) inside CUP and prizE |
| 26 | HARE | HAREm (without male). The hare is an atificial lure in dog racing. |
| 28 | AIL | Sounds like “ale” |
Took a moment or two to get going, but enjoyed the solve when I did. 11a is FUCHSIA and not as you have it above – I know from blogging experience how easy it is to go from the right word on the grid to entirely the wrong word in the review!
Fuchsia typo fixed, thanks.
Thanks PeeDee. An amusing puzzle, with a tone that was right up my street (or should that be bookcase, on which both Messrs Baker and Bryson enjoyed preferred status). I did wonder whether Kes was a ’70s rather than ’60s film, but turns out that it was released in 1969.
A couple of laugh-inducing moments at 20A and (like you) 29A. Your subtitle for this blog also raised a smile – best one I’ve seen in a while!
One small edit: you have ‘magazine’ for ‘fanzine’ at 6D.
Nice Aardvark production! Plenty to break my teeth on.
Thanks to Aardvark & PeeDee for their work!
PeeDee, a minute point: in 24a you are not including the E(uropean)
My favourites today are 17a, 2d and the absolute top 11a with a very smooth surface.
Thanks Nestorius, fixed now.
Thanks PeeDee,
5d – isn’t a fender what we call a car’s bumper & not its wing?
5d – just Googled “fender” apparently it’s either, but usually refers to the wing, so apologies to Aardvark for doubting his superior knowledge. Something new every day.
Only had 9 solved when my hour was up -but can’t complain having seen the answers.
Surprised I had never heard of the Lune river
Thanks PeeDee.
Super puzzle from Aardvark,with a good few smiles during the solve.
Outrageous homophone used in 29 across – I thought it was brilliant!
14 and 15 down were harder to parse than solve,thought 15 was very good.
Strictly speaking gulls and terns are from different families,but I think they are similar enough for the purpose of the wordplay in 10 across.