As Cyclops puzzles go, I thought this was pretty straightforward — none of those stubborn clues that hold you up once you have solved everything else. As usual, plenty of witty surface readings to keep it entertaining.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/18 | ANGELA MERKEL | Sponsor France’s main intervention in leak about Sarkozy’s unlikely partner? ANGEL = Sponsor; MER = France’s main (sea); in *(leak), with ‘about’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 9 | AT LENGTH | Given rein, most politicians will go on this Double definition, of sorts |
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| 10 | DEFENDANT | “Eden? F-off!” — day TV presenter who’s in the dock *(Eden F); D = day; ANT = TV presenter (half of Ant and Dec). Definition: who’s in the dock |
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| 12 | LENIN | Extreme Left-winger Neil Kinnock’s heart broken *(Neil N), N being ‘Kinnock’s heart)’ |
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| 13 | WRAITHS | Spooks from Washington protecting Republican shit organisation WA = Washington (US state); R = Republican; *(shit) |
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| 15 | REPLACE | Brenda taken aback: “One’s removed from one’s residence (as one’s son would to do to one)” RE = ER (the Queen, aka Brenda) reversed (taken aback); P[a]LACE = “One’s (A is) removed from one’s residence” |
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| 17 | RESIGN | Peres ignored accommodating surrender Hidden in ‘Peres ignored’ |
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| 22 | FIGHTER | Her gift: screwing a soldier *(Her gift). Definition: a soldier |
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| 24 | RUSTLER | Criminal nuts lust after Queen Brenda *(lust), with ‘nuts’ as the anagram indicator; after R = Queen; ER = Brenda (see above) |
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| 25 | ON-OFF | Wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am guy’s sort of relationship? Another sort of double definition, which speaks for itself |
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| 27 | PANTYHOSE | Tories, say, needing time to replace Right and water down members’ cover-up ‘party’ (Tories, say), with T (time) replacing R (right) would give PATTY rather than PANTY (Thanks to Dave for pointing out what I should have noticed!); HOSE = water down. Definition: members’ (legs’) cover-up |
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| 30 | DELIVERY | Labour’s ultimate goal turned Miliband slightly ill? DE = ED (Miliband) reversed (turned); LIVERY = slightly ill. ‘Labour’ in the sense of childbirth |
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| 31 | GAFFER | One at the top who’s prone to cock up public statements? Double definition: foreman, boss; one who makes gaffes |
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| Down | |||
| 3 | STATURE | Reputation of peer involving Tories useless leaders STARE = peer; involving TU = first letters of ‘Tories useless’ |
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| 4/1 | WELL PAID | Private Eye will stuff outside independent fat cat’s modest description? WELL = we (Private Eye) will; PAD = stuff; outside I = independent |
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| 5 | AGENDA | The business that connects one with low-down duck’s arse A = one; GEN = low-down (information); DA = duck’s arse (a hairstyle popular during the 1950s |
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| 8 | GUFFAWS | Bollocks? Saw off for laughs GUFF = Bollocks (rubbish); *(saw), with ‘off’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 13 | WAR OF WORDS | Slanging match following articles LibDem leader removed from sci-fi classic The War of the Worlds, with the two definite articles and L (LibDem leader) removed |
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| 14/11 | TIGHT ARSE | Scrooge pissed with Bottom TIGHT = pissed; ARSE = Bottom. What an appropriately economical clue! |
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| 16 | PRESS | Mangle hacks! Double definition: a mechanical laundry aid; journalists |
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| 19 | KILL OFF | Dicky’s after top way to dump soap character? OFF = dicky (unwell); after KILL = top (verb) |
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| 20 | DRIP-DRY | No need to press a wet (not what he ought to be) a DRIP is a wet, and DRY is not what he ought to be. |
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| 21/6 | IRON CHANCELLOR | “Heavy metal” Osborne’s butch description of 7/18? IRON = heavy metal; CHANCELLOR = Osborne. Angela Merkel could be thus described. |
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| 23 | GOODLY | Sizeable testicle appears round foot of bed GOOLY = testicle; round D = foot of bed |
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| 26/28/2 | FIVE YEAR PLAN | In a flap with every pisspoor grandiose political scheme *(In a flap every), with ‘pisspoor’ as the classic Private Eye anagram indicator |
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| 29 | EURO | Bit of a poseur outlays dodgy money Hidden in ‘poseur outlays’ |
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Got a train to catch, so I haven’t much time to add a joke. For those who didn’t see it on Facebook, then, here is the magnificent front page from Friday’s Daily Telegraph:
Confused by 27 across. Got same answer, but if ‘T’ replaces ‘R’, makes pattyhose, no? Where does the N come from to make ‘panty’, from needing?
Goodness, you are right! Just shows how much I actually think when I solve clues. I think it has to be a mistake.
I too was confused buy the N. Wikipedia has an article about something called Ntime http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTIME
As usual, I found it very straightforward – apart from the ones which weren’t.
I took it to be ‘N[eeding] T[ime]’ replacing ‘RT’, though that did seem rather weak. But a search for acronymic NT does rake up “No Time”, so perhaps that, perhaps less weak?