The usual fun from Cyclops, who has managed as ever to work all sorts of salacious references into wordplay for simple and innocent words. Clue of the fortnight, though, has to be 17a, for which the answer is less decorous.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | MAYOR | Boris might, coming before his party, wasting time getting end away? MAY = might; [T]OR[y] + Boris’s party, without T (time) or its last letter (getting end away). Great deceptive wordplay for such a simple answer. |
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| 10 | LOCKSMITH | Ex-Labour leader’s after jam, being a crafty worker LOCK = jam (as in gridlock, I think); SMITH = the late lamented John Smith |
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| 11 | ALAN SUGAR | Saul: crudely wrapping a maiden’s rear with dirty rag sacking his speciality *(Saul); around N = a maiden’s rear; *(rag), with ‘dirty’ as the anagram indicator. Saying “You’re fired!” is what he gets paid for these days, so sacking is his speciality. |
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| 12 | RECAP | Go over Cameron’s head when it’s pear-shaped all round *(pear C). Definition: go over |
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| 13 | EMIGRE | Energy much reduced, Clegg ultimately in mess, political outcast E = Energy much reduced, G = Clegg ultimately; in MIRE mess. Definition: political outcast |
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| 14 | SCROUNGE | Bum Conservative coddled by plastic surgeon C = Conservative; in *(surgeon). Definition: bum (as a verb) |
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| 17 | THE DOG’S BOLLOCKS | Temperature at which male gets ’boxers rot’? Excellent! T = temperature; HE =male; DOGS = boxers; BOLLOCKS = rot. Definition: Excellent! |
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| 19 | MOROSELY | Ex-Labour minister stood against loony extremes, in a sullen way MO = the late and also lamented Mo Mowlam, once a Labour minister; ROSE = stood; LY loony extremes |
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| 21 | EGG CUP | Say really large bra size could hold your breakfast? EG = Say (for example); G CUP = really large bra size |
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| 24 | SEMEN | Result of having come from club out of basement [ba]SEMEN[t], i.e. without ‘bat’. Definition: Result of having come |
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| 26 | TIGHTROPE | Pissed on truss, which is beneath a well-balanced type? TIGHT = Pissed; ROPE = truss |
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| 27 | OLD SCHOOL | Conservative Cameron’s was a publicly posh one Double definition: conservative; David Cameron went to Eton, a posh public school |
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| 28 | REIGN | “Stand down!” — having dumped Sun, Murdoch’s is nearing the end? RE[s]IGN, i.e. ‘resign’ (stand down) without S (sun). Murdoch’s reign may well be nearing the end. |
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| Down | |||
| 1 | IMPALE | Run through Gnome piss IMP = Gnome; ALE = piss, depending on where you drink |
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| 2 | DYNAMITE | Blow up doll’s number one, any time around D = doll’s number one; *(any time) |
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| 3 | GRASS ROOTS | “Gordon, leader-wise, right prat” — Swedes? Rank-and-file party members, actually G = Gordon, leader-wise; R = right; ASS = prat; ROOTS = Swedes |
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| 5 | SCARECROW | After alarm, Cameron’s first rank as a dummy in a corny situation? SCARE = alarm; C = Cameron’s first; ROW = rank |
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| 6 | USSR | Land of Bush senior: a major power no more US = Land of Bush; SR = senior |
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| 7 | TIN-CAN | Rejected dickhead Clarkson’s leader article — full of spam? TIN = NIT, reversed (rejected dickhead); C = Clarkson’s leader; AN = article. A tin (well, not really tin) can might be full of Spam, in its original sense. Good wordplay. |
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| 8 | THE PRESS | Herpes outbreak covered by back street hacks *(Herpes); in TS = ST (street) reversed |
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| 15 | OBLIGATORY | A blog, rude about Berlusconi’s end by politician is a must *(A blog); I = Berlusconi’s end; TORY = politician |
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| 16 | ISOLATION | Cameron’s Europe policy apparently is too plain, crappy and lacking power *(is too lain) — take out P (power) before anagramming, or rendering it ‘crappy’ |
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| 17 | TIME SLOT | Murdoch’s rag destiny gets a place in the schedule TIMES = Murdoch’s rag; LOT = destiny |
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| 18 | CYCLOPIC | Just like me, going round clutching outsize panty tops CYCLIC = going round; OP = first letters of ‘outsize panty’ |
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| 20 | REMEDY | Cyclops overdrawn at bank? Economy’s final solution ME = Cyclops; in the RED; Y = Economy’s final letter |
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| 22 | PEEING | Making water’s sharp sound when drugs introduced EE = drugs (Es); in PING = sharp sound |
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| 23 | AGILE | ’Sprightly’ Italian leader’s after girl’s top, soaked in booze I = Italian leader; G = girl’s top; in ALE = booze |
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| 25/4 | NICK CLEGG | Catch member putting weight about — pain in the arse for Cameron? NICK = Catch; LEG = member, in CG = weight (centigram) |
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Again, no time to think up a joke, so here’s one I found on Facebook (and apologies to anyone who finds it offensive).
Ta jetdoc. Odd coincidence with Azed’s effort. V amusing though I doubt Clegg will ever actually be a pita.
‘plastic’ surgeon In 14ac. I mean, come on.
What’s wrong with ‘plastic’ ? Could me intended to mean artificial, as in mixed-up.
Yes, ‘plastic surgeon’ seems fine to me. ‘Plastic’ is defined as (aomng other things) ‘having the power to take on different forms, mouldable; shaping, formative; of or relating to moulding or modelling; modifiable; capable of permanent reshaping without giving way’.