Now that another Guardian crossword week is over (ending with a Puck-to-treasure, surely more about that in a week’s time) I thought: there’s still that last Monday’s gap waiting to be filled. In order to keep a 100% archive, I decided to write a belated blog – a simple one too. Moreover, I am in a Rufus/Dante mood anyway after just finishing the blog of that same day’s Dante puzzle.
Across
7 FRONT LINE FRONT (top) + LINE (rank) – Def: the most advanced units
8 CABIN Cryptic definition (apart from a sailor’s song, a shanty is also a simple dwelling)
9 UNREFINED Double definition (“crude”/”rude”)
10 ACTOR Cryptic definition
12 REVELS V (a number, five) inside REELS (lively dances) – Def: festivities
13 INSTANCE (AN INSECT)* – Def: example
14 ADORING ADO (the commotion) + RING (the band) – Def: loving
17 COBBLED Double definition (“old streets may be”/”repaired at last”)
20 PATIENCE PATE (head) around (NICE)* – Def: waiting without complaint
22 MAHOUT Cryptic definition (the Jumbo here being an elephant)
24 AGLOW AG (silver) + LOW (down) – Def: at melting point?
25 NURSEMAID (US A MINDER)* – Def: a small charge (ie one who cares for the little ones)
26 STILE Cryptic definition (as a keen walker I have seen many of them)
27 NUMERATOR Perhaps a cryptic definition (a dividend can be a number that is to be divided which, in a fraction, will be the numerator)
Down
1 FRINGE RING (hoop) inside FE (iron) – Def: edge
2 INNER EAR Cryptic definition
3 ALLIES A + L (student) + LIES (tells tales) – Def: friends
4 ANGELIC (LACE + GIN)* – Def: divine
5 MARCIA MAR (reversal of RAM (gate-crasher)) + CIA (US secret service) – Def: she
6 DIVORCEE Cryptic definition
11 OSLO OS (O plus O, ducks) + LO (see) – Def: European capital
15 DRAUGHTS Double definition (“they make people cold”/”drinks”)
16 NANA Cryptic/Double definition (NANA is the nurse dog employed by the Darlings to take care of Wendy (in Peter Pan) – NANA is also a pet name for a grandmother)
18 BOHEMIAN Double definition (“unconventional”/”description of old Prague” (it was once situated in Bohemia))
19 TENUOUS (SUN OUT)* around E (the East) – Def: weak
21 IF ONLY I would really like to see this as a double definition with “an expression of regret” as the first and “perhaps” as the seond, but I am not sure about the latter
22 MISLED (SMILED)* – Def: given the wrong direction
23 UNISON UN (international group) + IS + ON (performing) – Def: in concert
I wonder if there’s a problem for Minh, don’t know if Gaufrid is back and up to running the site, still, thanks Sil for this. Sadly I failed to even look at this after struggling with the Quiptic and a Nimrod.
Flash.
Very many thanks, Sil, you are real gentleman!
And thank you, Rufus.
However, I was disappointed that the solution to 16d was not NINA.
It seems ages since we had one.
Very enjoyable. Kept us going for a little while. Weren’t entirely happy with the o’s in Oslo or ‘aglow’ for ‘melting point’. This is our first post on here and possibly our last as we are usually a week behind everyone else!
Thanks all
Better late than never,brighton, and welcome.
Since there is sometimes a sense of the nineteenth century around this MB you might think you will fit in well.
Welcome, brightonbadgers. Why are you not entirely happy with the two items you mention?
Many thanks Sil and Rufus
A good blog and a kindness to your fellow solvers (and of course valuable for the archive).
A bit trickier than usual with some clever definitions. I had to check ‘nana’ – my first guess was ‘nina’.
Thanks, Sil,
Hope Gaufrid is feeling better.
Giovanna x
Well, I only wrote this blog because I know how important it is to Gaufrid to keep this site up-to-date.
So, it is my way of “thinking of Geoff”.
I had no intention to start discussions on clues. In that case, I should have included the clues which I didn’t.
Thank you Sil, for filling in the missing blog.
Nice to see you last week-end!