A puzzle in the familiar, pleasing, Quixote, style – aimed, I’d say, at being as easy by the general standards of Indy difficulty. Solving time, 17 mins which is v fast for me.
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 BESTIAL Defn:cruel best (supreme) i (independent) Al (Capone): gangster
5 DEARTH Defn: scarcity dear (expensive) article mostly = the less e ie th
8 OUT OF THIS WORLD Double definition – the second one slightly cryptic
9 ELSA Hidden in hotel’s atmosphere – refers to lion in Born Free film from 1960s etc
10 FRIGHTENED (fighter)* (end)*
13 HEIGHT H (hospital) eight (number)
14 REPOSING Defn; relaxing and “re-posing” for the photographer
17 AUDACITY UDA (Ulster Defence Association) – loyalist paramilitary group in A CITY (a place like Belfast). City chosen for its relevance. Definition: daring (noun)
18 THROWN “throne”
20 TALEBEARER ear (listener) in (rebel at)*
22 FAIR air (tune) f (loud – from music) Defn: fine
24 AGGRANDISEMENT (gangster maiden)*
25 PRAYER ray (a litttle light) in per (through)
26 DRESSED addressed less a d (duke)
DOWN
1 BROKEN HEART Clue relies on the fact the answer could be seen as indicating cryptically an anagram of ‘hater’
2 SATISFIED Defn; met fie in (sadist)*
3 INFO Defn: dope (ie information) in FO (Foreign Office) now called something slightly different, I think, hence ‘as it was’
4 LAHORE la (the in French) ho (house) r (river) e (edge of the ie last letter). Defn: city (in Pakistan)
5 DISAGREE Defn: have words sag (sink down) in dire (dreadful) e (rage finally = last letter)
6 APOSTROPHE My favourite clue. (to a shopper)* One tends to see misuse of apostrophes in handwritten signs eg in greengrocers
7 TALON defn: One may be grabbing hidden in rest alone
11 DEGENERATED (renegade)* Ted (rocker of yesteryear – Teddy boys from the 1950s) Defn: got worse
12 CHUCK BERRY US singer who had a big influence on the Beatles when they were starting out. chuck = shy (throw) err (sin) in by (through)
15 IDOLATERS (lad Tories)*
16 STRAINER Defn; someone trying hard s (seconds) trainer (one out to improve performance)
19 PERIOD do = party (wound up = going upwards) after peri (fairy) Defn: time
21 LAGER lag (delay) er (hesitation)
23 BEDE Venerable Bede from NE England – early days of Church B. Ed (person with educational qualification) E (English) defn: monk
Thanks for the blog, NMS.
Rather easier than the usual Quixote – and not an unusual word in sight!
Favourite clues: AUDACITY and TALEBEARER for their surfaces and, way out in front, the brilliant APOSTROPHE – an absolute gem! Many thanks to the Don for that and the rest of the puzzle.
I’m not sure why Quixote is appearing two weeks running – perhaps there’s a themed puzzle of some sort next week. I thought this was quite pleasant and undemanding. As someone whose father owned a shop with a misused apostrophe, I could appreciate 6 down.
Yes, I too wondered what eimi has up his sleeve for us next Monday.
Not quite 17 minutes, but a steady and straightforward solve. I’m an APOSTROPHE admirer too, but I also liked BROKEN HEART, and BEDE, for no other reason than it reminded me of home. I passed his monastery at Jarrow on the school bus twice a day for seven years.
Thanks to nms and Quixote.
Thanks nms and Q. APOSTROPHE was terrific; BROKEN HEART and CHUCK BERRY also good.
Yes, Don’s being very charitable today: something to do with the HORRENDOUS grid perhaps!
I was not going to come in today because I have nothing much to add except thanks to Quixote for an enjoyable puzzle and nms for the blog, but Paul B@5 – what do you not like about the grid? We have at least 50% cross-checking in all answers and it meets my most stringent standard for full interconnection between sections.
PB is joking. I am in two weeks running because I allowed myself to get out of phase with my dates and eimi kindly slotted another one in. There will be another delierate dislocation next month. Thanks to all. Q
Well that explains the Don’s appearance, Thrown (my last just didn’t see it) for a few seconds by Apostrophe before the penny drop.
Are the UDA still active or should it have been former/ex paramilitaries, I thought they’d stopped, apologies if I’m wrong.