I found this an enjoyable little number.
A certain amount of cold solving required for the thematic clues, but it was helpful that they were listed in alphabetical order. No word lengths given, which might have resulted in a few incongruous pairings, but they were easy enough to sort out once the penny dropped.
Having solved the two relevant thematic clues, spotting what looked like it might be MMALCOLMIDDLE on the bottom line broke it wide open.
The thematic material is a series of paired words which, with the addition of ‘in the’ or ‘in a’, form into well-known phrases. Appropriately, one word is to be written ‘in’ the other.
I thought the cluing was fair – not excessively challenging, though there was some nicely tricky wordplay. 23dn, for example, was harderto parse than to solve, but the additional airforce reference was a lovely touch.
I think that I’ve understood 34dn correctly but, if so, I’m rather surprised (though not upset) that the clue made it through. If I’ve slipped up, then blame my mens rea. Thanks, Phi!
The pairings are as follows:
SHOT in the ARM
ONCE in a BLUE MOON
MESSAGE in a BOTTLE
DOG in the MANGER
DROP in the OCEAN
SLAP in the FACE
HOLE in the WALL
RUMBLE in the JUNGLE
MALCOLM in the MIDDLE
MAN in the MOON
PAIN in the NECK
I’m afraid that I couldn’t parse MOON. ‘Moon Over Broadway’ and the verb ‘to moon’ were all I could think of. Aid gratefully received. Thanks, D Reynolds!
Notation
(xxx) = definition
{xxx} = (anagram/homophone/container/etc.) indicator
XXX* = anagram
< = reversal
xxx = unused letter(s)
Idlers=redundant word
Please post a comment if the explanations are not clear.
THEMATIC
| ARM | Strengthen component of a carver perhaps | double definition: strengthen/component of a carver [= a dining chair with arms] perhaps |
| BLUE MOON | German leaves Boulogne worried about money – a rare sight (2 words) | a rare sight: ins. {about} of M (money) in removal of G (German) from BOULOGNE* {worried} |
| BOTTLE | Street entertainer’s collection – a bundle | double definition: street entertainer’s collection/a bundle |
| DOG | The same government failure | failure: DO (the same) + G (government) |
| DROP | Sweet drink container inscribed by Rex | sweet: ins. {inscribed} of R (rex) in DOP (drink container) |
| FACE | Female with excellent look | look: F (female) + ACE (excellent) |
| HOLE | Part of golf course left covered by weed | part of golf course: ins. {covered by} of L (left) in HOE (weed) |
| JUNGLE | Woman keeping extremely graceful where there’s fierce competition | where there’s fierce competition: ins. {keeping} of GL (extremely GracefuL) in JUNE (woman) |
| MALCOLM | Army officer in sickness married a Scottish monarch | a Scottish monarch: ins. {in} of COL (army officer) in MAL (sickness) + M (married) |
| MAN | Governor has millions for British ship | ship: BAN (governor), with M (millions) replacing B (British) |
| MANGER | Someone able to cope without a crib | crib: removal {without} of A from MANAGER (someone able to cope) |
| MESSAGE | Text generation by Old Master | text: MESS (old master) + AGE (generation) |
| MIDDLE | Male violinist not following the central part | the central part: M (male) + removal of F (following from FIDDLE (violinist) |
| MOON | On Broadway show can tick over | on Broadway show can [= the buttocks]: MO (tick) + ON (over) |
| NECK | Pass third of fish taken from front of catch at Oban | pass: removal of S (third of fiSh) from SNECK (catch at Oban) |
| OCEAN | Once a staggeringly vast quantity | vast quantity: ONCEA* {staggeringly} |
| ONCE | Drink keeping cold at any time | at any time: ins. {keeping} of C (cold) in ONE (drink) |
| PAIN | Maori settlement by way of penalty | penalty: PA (Maori settlement) + IN (by way of) |
| RUMBLE | Discover the truth about gang fight in Brooklyn | double definition: discover the truth about/gang fight in Brooklyn |
| SHOT | Exhausted pig | double definition |
| SLAP | Straight pass | double definition |
| WALL | Liberal rule about defence | defence: <{about}[L (liberal) + LAW (rule)] |
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | LORIKEET | Old rook taken by equal alien flyer (8) | flyer: ins. {taken by} of O (old) R (rook) in LIKE (equal) ET (alien) |
| 14 | ESPIALS | Letter containing sanctimonious Latin observations (7) | observations: ins. {containing} of PIA (sanctimonious) + L (Latin) in ESS (letter) |
| 16 | PSOAS | Muscle thus restricted by action (5) | muscle: ins. {restricted by} of SO (thus) in PAS (action) |
| 17 | OMIT | Drop of medium fortified wine (4) | drop: O (of) + M (medium) + IT (fortified wine – Italian vermouth) |
| 25 | CANUTE | Church sheltering a tough king (6) | king: ins. {sheltering} of A NUT (tough) in CE (church) |
| 27 | AMATOL | Returned pot containing live explosive (6) | explosive: <{returned}[ins. {containing} of in AM (live) in LOTA (pot)] |
| 33 | OGPU | Defunct police doctor captured by South African chap (4) | defunct police: ins. {captured by} of GP (doctor) in OU (South African chap) |
| 34 | SOOTY | Blackish pair of ducks found in pen (5) | blackish: ins. {found in} of OO (pair of ducks) in STY (pen) |
| 36 | ATABRIN | Yellow powder in a reduced saline solution (7) | yellow powder: AT (in) + A + BRIN |
| Down | |||
| 2 | TROPIC | Subject covering Republican turning point (6) | turning point: ins. {covering} of R (republican) in TOPIC (subject) |
| 3 | MIDI | Music system communication protocol (4) | double definition: music system/communication protocol |
| 4 | EKMAN | 250 kilometres advanced by navy oceanographer (5) | oceanographer: E (250) + KM (kilometres) + A (advanced) + N (navy) |
| 5 | SEN | Italian without change in Osaka (3) | double definition: Italian without/change in Osaka |
| 6 | GRESHAM | English financier Greek has demolished in letter (7) | English financier: GR (Greek) + ins. {in} of HAS* {demolished} in EM (letter) |
| 7 | EDDO | Sullivan perhaps to cook an edible rootstock (4) | edible rootstock: ED (Sullivan perhaps) + DO (to cook) |
| 8 | TROATS | Bells are carried by William’s old women (6) | bells: ins. {carried} of A (are) in TROTS (William[ Shakespeare]’s old women) |
| 9 | LUGS | Poles in the country carry spades (4) | poles: LUG (in the country carry) + S (spades) |
| 12 | ASMEAR | Antique daubed over, like my old plough (6) | antique daubed over: AS (like) + M’ (my old) + EAR (old plough) |
| 15 | SANTANA | Tennis player, amateur, kicked out of Californian city (7) | tennis player: removal {kicked out} of A (amateur) from SANTA ANA (Californian city) |
| 18 | LIEF | Old dear to remain north of France (4) | old dear: LIE (to remain) on {north of) F (France) |
| 20 | OVAL | Descendant of John erected Hobart’s cricket ground (4) | Hobart’s [Aust] cricket ground: O’ (descendant of) <{erected} LAV (john) |
| 22 | PUMA | Premium area accomodating posh cat (4) | cat: ins. {accomodating} of U (posh) in PM (premium) + A (area) |
| 23 | KACK | Erk avoiding anti-aircraft fire? Rubbish (4) | rubbish: removal {avoiding} of AC (erk – aircraftman) from ACK-ACK (anti-aircriaft fire) |
| 24 | COPPIN | Top policeman, soft at home (6) | top: COP (policeman) + P (soft) + IN (at home) |
| 26 | TANTRIC | Soldier interrupting translator in charge of Hindu and Buddhist scriptures (7) | of Hindu and Buddhist scriptures: ins. {interrupting} of ANT (soldier) in TR (translator) + IC (in charge) |
| 28 | AMOEBA | A live old mother raised a tiny creature (6) | a tiny creature: <{raised}[A + BE (live) + O (old) + MA (mother)] |
| 30 | AGREED | Harmonized silver wind instrument (6) | harmonized: AG (silver) + REED (wind instrument) |
| 32 | HANOI | Drive on across a northern capital city (5) | capital city: ins. {across} of A + N (northern) in HOI (drive on) |
| 34 | SCUM | Problem restricting Catholic mother (4) | mother [meaning ‘scum’ as in ‘dregs’ – nothing rude!!]: ins. {restricting} of C (catholic) in SUM (problem) |
| 35 | ODAL | Shetlander’s estate exhaust lifted by a learner (4) | Shetlander’s estate: <{lifted} DO (exhaust) + A + L (learner) |
| 37 | BOLD | British experienced forward (4) | forward: B (British) + OLD (experienced) |
| 39 | PAL | Drink up mate! (3) | mate: <{up} LAP (drink) |
Try the second meaning of ‘mother’ in Chambers for a politer interpretation!
Oh dear. I was about to blame the mobile Chambers app for its incompleteness, but apparently I liked the unlikely possibility that the Telegraph would use offensive language so much that it affected my ability to look up words. *Entry redacted*!
Tick == Mo
over == on
and Moon over Broadway
was my reading of the clue for Moon, but I’ll be happy to be corrected.
Thanks, Cap’n. I see how MO (tick) + ON (over) works, but how does ‘On Broadway show can’ mean ‘moon’? Hmm.
this is the rude one – ‘moon’ as in, to expose one’s backside through a car window on a public thoroughfare in america = ‘on Broadway show'[or were you bluffing with that hmm?].
….and of course ‘can’ is u.s. slang for buttocks.
Ah-ha! Mystery solved! Thanks kindly, D Reynolds. No bluffing – I’d been thinking of the shoegazing type of mooning.