Smooth surfaces, witty definitions and sound clues. I thought this was straightforward and accessible without ever being dull. I suspect this is much harder to achieve than it sounds. Thank you Dogberry.
I found the biggest challenge of the day was trying to spell COLORATURA. I knew the word by sound, but could I find it in the dictionary? Hopeless!
Hold the mouse pointer over any clue number to read the clue.
| Across | ||
| 1 | WAPITI | IT has I (one, Roman numeral) PAW (foot) reversed (inverted) – a type of deer |
| 4 | WINDWARD | WIND (twist) and DRAW (pull) reversed (about) – the definition is a bit messy |
| 10 | TALIBAN | A LIB (Liberal) in TAN (brown) |
| 11 | DEW DROP | POWDEReD* missing E=energy (anagram=experimental) |
| 12 | ECHO | baroquE CHOreography |
| 13 | WITCHCRAFT | definition and cryptic definition – very nice! |
| 15 | BERTHA | (THE BAR)* anagram=trashed |
| 16 | STROPHE | STROP (paddy) EH (what?) reversed – a verse in poetry |
| 20 | USURPER | P (quiet) in USURER (loan shark) |
| 21 | CURATE | RA (Royal Academian, artist) in CUTE (pretty) |
| 24 | COLORATURA | (CUR ALTO OR A)* anagram=mongrel – a type of sporano |
| 26 | STOP | POTS (crockery) reversed |
| 28 | ERASURE | ERA (age) before (previous to) SURE (certain) |
| 29 | CONQUER | sounds like (on air, broadcast) “conker” (nut) – used in the childrens game conkers, where the opposing player’s nut has to be destroyed |
| 30 | DIABETES | ABET (help) in DIES (succumbs) |
| 31 | SPINAL | PIN (secret number) in SAL (a girl) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | WETHERBY | WET HER (make woman moist) BY (near) |
| 2 | PILCHARDS | CHARD (vegetable) in PILS (lager) |
| 3 | TUBA | TUB (bath) before A |
| 5 | INDICATE | CAT (jazz fan) in INDIE (fringe record label) |
| 6 | DAWN CHORUS | anagram of COWARD with SHUN |
| 7 | ATRIA | T (Thailand) in ARIA (song) – definition is ‘hallways’ |
| 8 | DEPUTY | DUTY (tax) containing (collecting) PE (exercise) reversed |
| 9 | ANVIL | V (five) in ANIL (colour) |
| 14 | CHARTREUSE | CHART (plan) RE-USE (to recycle) |
| 17 | HEARTBURN | HEAR (apprehend) URN (container) containing TB (serious deisease) |
| 18 | AESTHETE | SEA (water) reversed on THETablE (empty=no middle letters) |
| 19 | TEMPORAL | (TRAP MOLE)* anagram=stumbles, into=becomes |
| 22 | SCREED | S (second) CREED (declaration of faith) |
| 23 | TRACK | double definition |
| 25 | LLAMA | A MALL (shopping centre) reversed |
| 27 | SNIP | PINS (legs) reversed |
*anagram
Easyish, but nice and elegantly written crossword.
One of two halves – not only literally (as the LHS and the RHS are connected by only two squares in the central column), but also because I found the part on the right substantially harder (though never too hard) than its counterpart.
Difficult to choose one particular favourite as the quality is so consistent(ly high). Perhaps 13ac, or 18d? I don’t know.
Thanks PeeDee for your comprehensive blog.
And credits to Dogberry.
Thanks PeeDee and Dogberry. Some neat clueing and a fine blog.
Solved this very good puzzle with a colleague over lunch, and we were sated entirely. Dogberry = Guardian’s Shed, I am told – true?
Cheers
Rowly.
Yes, Dogberry is indeed Shed, I just looked him/them up in the ‘setters” menu tab. That explains the high quality clueing.