Fiendishly difficult – hidden festive greeting given after the answers
‘Where letters clash, enter both (Across then Down) to get our wish for you’
Across
1 Crazy with rage? Not entirely acceptable to have weapon BARKING IRON
BARKING crazy IR[e] rage ON acceptable
10 Fatty stuff occupying plate (usually sent back) SUET
hidden backwards in [pla]TE US[ually]
11 Tuba concerto originally penned by male celebrity HELICON
C[oncerto] in HE (male) LION (celebrity)
12 On land ALIGHT dd
14 Clear reduced furnishings will lead to little good in home DECONGEST
DECO[r] (furnishings) G (good) in NEST (home)
15 Catch two taking in new verses SENARII
N (new) in SEAR (catch) II (two)
16 Seabird you’d see in the RN? Easily ERNE
hidden in [th]E RN E[asily]
17 Nose with boil afflicted other parts of head OBELIONS (NOSE BOIL)*
19 Flightless bird runs hard to running water RHEA
R (runs) H (hard) EA (running water)
21 Faked article’s closing section CODA COD (fake) A (article)
23 Man, tense, arrested after throttling African leader THEOBALD
T (tense) OBA (African leader) in HELD (arrested)
24 Entrance poetically one time in the past YATE
A T (one time) in YE (the)
26 Bishop and Priest discussing dispute PONTIFF
P (priest) ON TIFF (discussing dispute)
28 Birds mostly disnatured when flying STURNIDAE (DISNATURE)*
30 Nurses set to appear in answer ANGELS
GEL (set) in ANS (answer)
31 Plant is very much recalled around summer in Nice ISOETES (house leek)
IS ETE (French summer) in SO< (very recalled)
32 Ring back to secure contract KNIT TINK< (ring back)
33 Thwart servants working to imprison King almost entirely TRANSVERSAL
R (king) in (SERVANTS)* AL[l] (almost entirely)
Down
2 Judge to maintain position about university girl JULIE
J (judge) U (university) in LIE (position)
3 One refusing to hold Government up held sway REIGNED
G (government) in DENIER< (one refusing up)
4 Taking over representationof Rhine, one’s on top of Ring INHERITING
(RHINE)* I (one) TING (ring)
5 Knee excellent after cap removed, honest GENUINE
GENU (knee) [f]INE (excellent minus first letter)
6 Scaffolder to provoke blowing top RIGGER [t]RIGGER (provoke)
7 Old US star is a shade American OCHER O (old) CHER (singer US)
8 Tail of falcon, for example, upset old hawk NYAS
[falco]N SAY< (for example upset)
9 Uncertain fate daunts someone primarily this? UNSTEADFAST
&lit (FATE DAUNTS)*
10 Muscle parasite? Running across it when going round islands – one’s left
CAYS (islands) minus A (one) SARCOCYSTIS (ACROSSIT)*
13 Confounded nuisance about cricket side’s agreement over pitch UNISONANCE
ON (cricket side) in (NUISANCE)*
18 Plants flag in rocks ORPINES PIN (flag) in ORES (rocks)
20 Keeps on edge, having reduced tears HASTENS
HAS (keeps) TENS[e] (on edge – reduced)
22 Nests in a sequence (excluding second) AERIES A [s]ERIES (sequence)
25 House party in turn getting curtailed TUDOR DO (party) in TUR[n]
27 Leaves look bad owing to inverting FOLIA (plural of folium)
AIL (look bad) OF (owing to))<
29 Weather feature not observed on the radio MIST sounds like MISSED (not seen)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
AJ OY OU SC HR IS TM AS
I thought this was a lovely puzzle – and it made a very nice change to have both the clashing letters in a cell.Strangely enough, I found most of the clues slightly easier than usual. Beelzebubs are always enjoyable, this one was particularly so because of the slight variation (spelling out a message).
I agree with Joan MM that a little variety every so often is not unwelcome, although I have an inkling that neither of the Beelzebub bloggers found this easier than usual! Well, a challenge is always welcome too, so no complaints here, and thanks to Beelzebub for the kind wishes!