I really enjoyed this one, a proper workout for the grey matter. For a while I thought I was going to have to publish the blog with a couple of clues still unsolved, but perseverance got me there in the end. Thank you Aardvark.
Hold the mouse pointer over any clue number to read the clue.
| Across | ||
| 8 | CREOLE | medioCRE O LEvels |
| 9 | OLYMPIAD | O and MP in DAILY* (anagram=working) – a period of four years |
| 10 | E-FIT | F (fellow) in TIE reversed – an updated version of the old police photo-fit |
| 11 | PUT ON AN ACT | aUcTiOn ignoring the odd numbered letters NAN (grandmother, relative) in PACT (agreement) – definition is ‘fake’ |
| 12 | GIBE | BIG (bountiful) reversed and Earth – a dig is an annoying remark |
| 13 | INFALLIBLE | FINALE* (anagram=at sea) contains (encapsualtes) BILL (advertisement) reversed (for retirement) |
| 17 | PIER | PIpER with P (first of payments) removed – definition is ‘dock’ |
| 18 | IDIOM | |
| 19 | PELT | Look (beggining of) in PET (pooch) – rain pelts down |
| 21 | GUATEMALAN | LAME (feeble) TAU (Greek character) in NAG (badger) all reversed (repelled) |
| 23 | RIGA | RIG (drilling equipment) A (active, abbreviation) – city on the Balitic |
| 24 | ECO WARRIOR | COW inside (inhabiting) EAR (some of a cereal crop) pRIOR with P (piano, quiet) missing – definition is ‘green’ |
| 28 | TEMP | ThE (vacated=nothing inside) PM* (afternoon) shifted=anagram |
| 29 | LIFEBOAT | LI (fifty one, Roman numerals) FAT (rich) keeps OBE (medal) reversed (in recession) |
| 30 | PAVING | GAP (pause) reversed (retiring) containing VIN (French wine) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | GRAFFITI | RIGA* (failed=anagram) containing (controlling) TIFF (argument) reversing (upsetting) |
| 2 | MONTSERRAT | RAT (shop, inform) is at the bottom of (supports) MON (weekday) REST reversed (promoted) – an island in the Carribean. Montserrat is a British overseas territory, and since (even after reading the Wikipedia definition) I still don’t quite understand what that means I guess it is a country too. |
| 3 | DELPHINIUM | I (one, Roman numeral) in NUM (trade union) follows (tracks) DELPHI (old city) |
| 4 | FONT | cryptic double definition – typographical font and item in a church |
| 5 | CYAN | CommunitY (disheartend=no insides) by AN (indefinite article) – a tone is colour |
| 6 | SPAN | South (card player, in bridge coincidentally) PAN (rubbish) – definition is ‘bridge’ |
| 7 | MARCEL | R (regina, queen) in MACE (ceremonial staff) and Left – a wave and hairstyle created by hairdresser Marcel Grateau |
| 14 | FRILL | FRench (starters of) ILL (bady) – definition is ‘trim’, for clothing |
| 15 | LEMON DROPS | LEMON (colour) DROPS (diminishes) |
| 16 | IMPERATIVE | IMP (troublemaker) V (versus, playing) in TIE (match) following (under) ERA (age) |
| 20 | LIGAMENT | LAMENT (express regret) about I (current, electrical symbol) G (government) – definition is ‘bond’ |
| 22 | URCHIN | LURCHIN‘ (movin’ unsteadily) without (out of) L=lake |
| 25 | WREN | WiRE (telegram) with I (one) ignored and N (an unknown in mathematical equations) – sailors of the Womens Royal Naval Service are commonly known as ‘wrens’. |
| 26 | ROOK | double definition – chess piece and Jean Kathleen Rook the journalist |
| 27 | IOTA | mInOr TeAm every other letter removed (regularly knocked out) |
*anagram
Thanks PeeDee
I think, in 18ac, the sense may be that T (tense…?) in idiot is changed into (corrected, but only just, I’d say) M (master).
But many thanks to Aardvark for an otherwise excellent puzzle – some superb and enjoyably tricky clues!
Thanks PeeDee, and Aardvark for a tricky workout.
I’m glad I didn’t have to blog this one – I would have had a couple of holes including 19A PELT. I thought it was a bit unfair to clue “pet” = “pooch” which is a canine, not just any type of pet. So I was in left field with PU(L)P which is what you might get when you RAIN enough blows onto something.
PULP was the best I could come up with for a while too. I was concerned about pooch=pet too, I would normally expect ‘say’ or ‘for example’ to be included somewhere. I almost queried this in the blog but then decided that though it is a little iffy it keeps the level of difficulty in line with the rest of the clues.
I couldn’t do better that PULP, but a sense of unease brought me here… thank you.