A clever challenge with variety and gentle wit
ACROSS
UPSTAIRS at next level: anagram of PUTS AIRS arrogance
5 SIMOOM a hot suffocating desert wind: (MOO low Mediteranian IS)< all reversed
8 HUM ming: HUMP sulks with P quietly removed
9 AND SO FORTH etc: anagram of NO SOFT HARD
10 ALLIANCE marriage: DALLIANCE affair with Daughter removed
11 RATTLE conductor: to unsettle – opposite of compose
12 DRAW tie: D dads first RAW green
14 DINING-ROOM eating place: IN popular in DIN row GROOM curry
17 FEMININITY girlishness: MINI NIT little fool in FEY playful
20 AMOK out of control: AM OK have survived
23 CHARGE double definition
24 NO FRILLS simple: N name FOR anagram ILLS problems
25 COURTHOUSE cryptic
26 ALI The Greatest: hidden clue opticAL Illusion
27 ELODEA Hydrocharitaceae waterweed: LODE vein in EA [l]EA[f]
28 HELL-BENT set: HELL as in what the Dickens BENT talent – gift
DOWN
1 UNHEARD-OF never seen before: U superior anagram of FOREHAND
2 SOMALIA African country: SO very (AI very good LAM flight)< over – reversed
3 AVATAR film: A TAR a pitch under AV Authorised Version
4 REDUCTION decline: ED senior journalist in RUCTION protest
5 SAFFRON rice: S taSte AFFRON[t] mostly incense
6 MORATORIA delays – suspension of debts: ORATOR speaker in AIM< end up
7 OTHELLO play: TO< to turn up HELLO what’s that?
13 WHIP-ROUND collection: WHI[t] little bit short N new in PROUD pleased
15 INTRODUCE present: anagram of REDUCTION
16 MAKESHIFT temporary: SHEIK MIFFED Arab chief annoyed Spoonered
18 ETHICAL moral: anagram of [h]EATHCLI[ff]
19 INERTIA sloth: INNER private with middle letter removed I one in TA volunteers
21 MILEAGE &Lit: MI motorway LE empty l[an]e AGE to get on
22 ORDEAL suffering: OR gold DEAL trade
Last time we had a Loroso puzzle, I made, what turns out now to be, a mistake of saying that I thought Loroso was ‘user-friendly’ Anax, or words to that effect. He obviously took note as this one put up more of a fight than usual! I did enjoy myself – Jed’s summary at the top of the blog is spot on. Thanks to him and Loroso too.
Difficult but fun.
I had a slightly different reading of COURTHOUSE, as THOU (you) imprisoned in COURSE (procedure).
Thanks to Jed and Loroso.
I always enjoy a Loroso, particularly when I can finish it like today. I did not get all the wordplay though. Thanks to Jed for sorting out Femininity and Wanderer for Courthouse. My favourite was the succinct clue to Hell-bent. I was a bit surprised by the And in the question and answer to And so forth. I wonder if this was an oversight.
Not many comments today. Maybe everyone is stuck on the Nimrod.
Thanks Jed. I thoroughly enjoyed this, and it was my best time for a Loroso!
In 21dn I think the definition is ‘Use’.
Under ‘mileage’ Chambers gives use, benefit (fig. coll.).
Thanks L for another great puzzle.
Loroso is such fun to solve. What unexpected synonyms – bent/talent, curry/groom, set/hell-bent! I loved the “penny dropping” feeling of 28a, 16d, 18d. Also enjoyed the slick surfaces of the easier clues like 12a, 22d.
Agree with mike04 on the definition in 21d.
8a: Dummy time. I still can’t understand this. Is hum = ming, hump=sulks?
Hi shuchi
I hope you’re enjoying your sabbatical.
Re 8ac: ming=hum=smell (eg BO) and if you ‘get the hump’ you are sulking.
Re 20A
As ‘am’ represents the first person present form of the verb ‘to be’ should there not have been an ‘I’ in the definition part of the clue?
Hi Ernie
The expression ‘I am OK’ could be used to mean ‘I have survived’.
So ‘am OK’ in the grid as a replacement for ‘have survived’ in the clue
seems quite fair to me.
Hi folks
A delay in coming by to say thanks to Jed for the blog and to all for your comments – I’m actually watching the Gerry Rafferty tribute concert on the BBC, didn’t realise how late it is!
Hope you enjoyed this latest offering, and apologies to overseas solvers who weren’t familiar with hum = ming. Sometimes I can’t resist these British colloquialisms.
Thanks for the explanation, Gaufrid.
Getting to learn new words/expressions is a welcome corollary of solving crosswords for me, as long as I can get most of the answers. No apology needed, anax :). Thank you for the entertaining puzzle.