PeeDee is off on his hols so I am standing in for a couple of weeks. It has been over a month now since we last had the pleasure of seeing Cinephile and this was a welcome return.
Not difficult by the good Reverend’s standards but a pleasant canter on a bright, if somewhat breezy, sunny morning. Had I started with the ‘downs’, as I often do, I would have realised the ‘same meaning’ of H a little earlier than I did since 3dn was my first H entry, quickly followed by several others. I have a ? against 23dn but cannot see how it can be anything else.
Across
1 Job in Rome gets money without limit when returned (6)
PAPACY – PAY (money) around CAP (limit) reversed (when returned)
4 One like this drinks things that may be radioactive (8)
ISOTOPES – I (one) SO (like this) TOPES (drinks)
10 Hardy fellow and I heard a siren (7)
LORELEI – homophone (heard) of ‘Laurel’ (Hardy fellow) I
11 English H with setter’s way of naming places for people (7)
EPONYMY – E (English) PONY (H) MY (setter’s)
12 Sea H? (4)
MARE – double def.
13 Bad result for Labour? (10)
STILLBIRTH – cryptic def.
16 Catcher let off with sting? (6)
NETTLE – NET (catcher) anagram (off) of LET
17 Disobedient in a scout and ill-advised in a king (7)
UNREADY – double cryptic def. – a reference to the scout motto ‘be prepared’ and King Ethelred
20 Join together around one serviceman (7)
SOLDIER – SOLDER (join together) around I (one)
21 African second in friendly islands (6)
TSONGA – S (second) in TONGA (friendly islands)
24 Not too attractive, arousing bit less ire (10)
RESISTIBLE – anagram (arousing) of BIT LESS IRE
25 A little bit of Sunday? (4)
WHIT – def. & cryptic indicator
27 H has to be suspended, having dropped it (7)
MUSTANG – MUST [h]ANG (has to be suspended, having dropped it {ie H})
29 H in company with a buffalo (7)
CARABAO – ARAB (H) in CAO (company with A) – ‘with’ has to be read in its sense of ‘containing’ otherwise the wordplay gives ‘caraboa’
30 Complained of flower girl turning to only daughter (8)
YAMMERED – MAY (flower girl) reversed (turning) MERE (only) D (daughter)
31 One saying something to old Greek coin (6)
STATER – double def.
Down
1 H’s friend has little time between rounds (8)
PALOMINO – PAL (friend) MIN (little time) in (between) OO (rounds)
2 Rope trick shares rhetorical conclusions (11)
PERORATIONS – anagram (trick) of ROPE RATIONS (shares)
3 H for shooter (4)
COLT – double def.
5 Quiet time kept by antelope in islands with H (8)
SHETLAND – SH (quiet) T (time) in (kept by) ELAND (antelope)
6 Water with boats moving in pairs (3,7)
TWO ABREAST – anagram (moving) of WATER BOATS
8 Mountaineer or show jumper, a legend in the home counties (6)
SMYTHE – MYTH (legend) in SE (the home counties) – Frank Smythe and Pat Smythe
9 H given drink takes nothing (5)
PINTO – PINT (drink) O (nothing)
14 Custom of being on H in Yorkshire dress? (6,5)
RIDING HABIT – double cryptic def.
15 H with dyes called “Transformation” (10)
CLYDESDALE – anagram (transformation) of DYES CALLED
18 Sweetmeat injurious to high class regimen (8)
MERINGUE – anagram (injurious to) of U (high class) REGIMEN
19 Space with traditional elevation in place of H (8)
DARTMOOR – ROOM (space) TRAD (traditional) reversed (elevation)
22 H born with stone round roof of mouth (6)
BRUMBY – B (born) RUBY (stone) around M[outh]
23 Uncommon H, born with defect? (5)
BLACK – B (born) LACK (defect) – I have been unable to find a reliable reference that gives ‘black’ as a type of horse
26 Left wing movement of H (4)
TROT – double def.
28, 7 Just card to fold (6)
SIMPLY – SIM (card) PLY (fold)
Thanks Gaufrid. I agree it was lovely to see Cinephile’s name on this one.
I think BLACK just refers to the fact that black is a relatively uncommon colour for horses.
Yes according to a wiki reference (if you trust them)
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equine_coat_color
wholly black is uncommon
Many thanks Gaufrid & Cinephile – it’s nice to see both of you again.
This was a real toughie as I know very little about Horses.
It took me ages but I got there in the end – except for CARABAO.
First time commenter here…a truly black coat is indeed relatively rare in most breeds because it is a recessive trait. I breed appaloosas, a breed in which black is prized above all other colours.
Anagrams are a good starting point in any crossword. The one here in 15D not only provided an answer but also gave me the meaning of H right from the start.
Thanks to Gaufrid and Cinephile
Indeed a welcome return. My route to H was via 11A. A good collection of less than obvious examples. I hadn’t heard of BRUMBY or CARABAO although the wordplay was pretty clear. 13A is my favourite clue.