A super crossword from Cinephile, reasonably easy but with a wide range of interesting devices so I would not describe this one as straightforward. This is how the midweek crosswords should be I think, accessible without being boring.
The W of the preamble is of course Tennessee Williams, American playwright. My favourite clue was 3 down, easy to get but a lovely surface reading.
Hold mouse over a clue number to read the clue.
| Across | ||
| 1 | WITNESS | Definition and cryptic definition – witness=see and ‘the head of wit’ (ness=head, wit=intelligence) |
| 5 | DESIRED | A Streetcar Named DESIRE and ‘D (had, briefly), also SIR (teacher) in DEED (action) – this clue has two constructions but no definition that I can see, it doesn’t seem to be &lit either. |
| 9, 10 | GLASS MENAGERIE | LASS (girl) MEN (fellows) with AGE (get old) following (persuing), all inside GRIEf (endless sorrow) |
| 11 | WHEREWITH | WH (Shakespeare’s friend) ER (Elizabeth Regina, The Queen) WHITE* (turned=anagram) – WH is the (unknown) person to whom Shakespeare dedicated his collection of sonnets. |
| 12 | TONGS | Name inside TOGS (clothes) – definition is collector |
| 13 | RAMBO | RAM (male) BO (body odour) |
| 15 | STREETCAR | A STREETCAR Named Desire and ERECT* (anagram=structure) inside STAR (heavenly body) |
| 18 | TENNESSEE | Time with East, North, North, East, South, South, East and East (directions) – definitionis ‘state’, |
| 19 | SITKA | SIT (situation, as in sitcom) AlasKA (only part of) – the Sitka Spruce |
| 21 | NIMES | inside disSEMINation reversed – City in France |
| 23 | DETHRONED | DEaTH (missing middle=heart) (OR END)* anagram=upset |
| 25 | ORCHESTRA | OR (gold) CHEST (box) RA (sun god) – definition is ‘musicians’, the possessive apostrophe is a red herring |
| 26 | SAHIB | AS* (reinvented=anagram) with HIB (one of the Hibs, Hibernian FC football club) – definition is ‘Indian gentleman’ |
| 27 | FOOTPAD | Definition and cryptic definition, footpad=robber and a corn is a sore on a foot, so a foot pad will help. |
| 28 | THEATRE | THE A (definite and indefinite articles) in fron ot TRE (‘three’ in Italian) – definition is William’s medium |
| Down | ||
| 1 | WAGE WAR | WAG (clown) WEAR* (motley=anagram) |
| 2 | TRADESMAN | TRADES (trade winds) and MAN (Isle of Man) |
| 3 | ELSIE | ELSE (would otherwise be) outside I (1 Roman numeral) |
| 4 | SYMBIOSIS | anagram of MY BOSS IS and I (1 Roman numeral) – definition is inseparability, living in mutual dependence |
| 5 | DENCH | DEN (retreat, a private place) CH (church) – Dame Judy Dench. I like the double meaning of ‘Dame’ here, it can refer to both Judy Dench’s gender and her title |
| 6 | SIGHTLESS | Definition and cryptic definition – “a sight less” = “a lot less” |
| 7 | RERUN | PERU (without leading letter) inside RN (Royal Navy, sailors) – definition is ‘return to track’ |
| 8 | DRESSER | Cryptic definition – another theatre reference |
| 14 | OVERSLEEP | SLEEPOVER (overnight stay) with ‘sleep’ and ‘over’ swapping places (the wrong way round) – if you oversleep you may miss breakfast |
| 16 | RE-ENTRANT | RE (regarding, in the case of) and ENTRANT (one seeking to qualify) – definition is ‘pointing inwards’ |
| 17, 18 | CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF | CATO (Roman Statesman, Cato the Censor) and (NOT OF HAIR NOT)* possible=anagram – play by Tennessee Williams |
| 20 | AUDIBLE | ABLE (competent) around Unilateral Declaration of Independence (rebellion) |
| 22 | MACHO | CH (Companion of Honour) inside Chairman MAO – definition is ‘tough guy’ |
| 23 | DATED | Double definition |
| 24 | ROSIE | IS reversed inside ROE (eggs) – ‘Cider With Rosie’, novel by Laurie Lee |
*anagram
Excellent puzzle, great fun and, as you say, not too difficult.
18 I read as T + (sounds like) NSE, which are the directions OTHER than W.
Many thanks Cinephile and PeeDee.
Wanderer, I like yourthinking here, but I can’t quite get it to work fully.
If ‘state’=’sounds like’, time=’T’ and NSE=’directions other for W’, then that uses up all the clue. Its not &lit, and if either (or both) of ‘State’ or ‘W’ are the definition then they are are doing double duty, which is a bit naughty. Also, one has to pronounce T (time)as ‘tuh’ rather than ‘tee’. The name of the letter T is ‘tee’ not ‘tuh’.
Thanks Cinephile and PeeDee.
Re 19 Across, Sitka is not only a tree but also a place in Alaska
I came to the puzzle towards the end of a particular trying day and it was just the job. Not too difficult but extremely entertaining. Thank you Cinephile for the perfect Wednesday puzzle.
Getting to this late…I think 18a is a three-part definition…1) a state is Tennessee, 2) time “T” + other directions (“E”,”N”,”N”,etc.) for 3) W or “Tennessee” Williams. Great puzzle!