My first blog of a new year crossword is a duel with Nestor
A grid with lots of letters with little black space – just how I like them.
And some lovely fun clues – 3 down would have to be my pick of the bunch – I can even hear his character in Mary Poppins saying it.
I did wonder if Nestor had had a bad bag experience in an airport recently with 1ac and 28 ac possibly describing the situation with 9dn reflecting the required behaviour in such circumstances and 8dn depicting the airline involved. Maybe a good book by 26ac whilst listening to 27ac would ease the trauma.
As usual some lovely surface readings and very precise wordplay too. Thanks Nestor
Though I can’t fathom out the wordplay for 24ac – please feel free to enlighten me – updated now.
Key – underline = definition, * anagram, Rev. reverse, DD Double definition
ACROSS
1 Where there’s hope for recovery of terminal cases? (7,7)
BAGGAGE RECLAIM Cryptic definition terminal as in airport
10 Bath for one of offspring against getting in (3,4)
Spawn (offspring) around to (against) = SPA TOWN
11 Insect repellent maidens needed in difficult place for sailors losing bearings (7)
Cape Horn (difficult place for sailors) – e, n (bearings) around m (maiden) = CAMPHOR
12 One then cut slack at a desperate point (2,8)
I (one) + next (then) + remiss(slack) – s (cut) = IN EXTREMIS
13 Professional with this singer would be altruistic (3,4)
Pro Bono (altruistic) – pro (professional) = BONO
15 Lobbies Foreign Office certainly squashing resistance (6)
FO (Foreign Office) + yes (certainly) around r (resistance) = FOYERS
16 Injecting remedies a lot safer than all others (8)
Cures(remedies) in set (lot) = SECUREST
18 Stink surrounding lie, one is assuming (8)
Pong (stink) around sit(lie) + I (one) = POSITING
20 Empty headed woman in Darwin’ s feeding party? (6)
DD BARBIE (Barbie doll and Australian term for a barbecue)
23 Senior manager direct from financial district (4)
Ex (from) + ec (Financial district – London) = EXEC
24 Defunct bit of Eurozone touching the heart (4,6)
Dead (defunct) + cent(bit as in coin of eurozone) +re(touching) = DEAD CENTRE
26 Writer resident in terrace leaning over (2,5)
Rev. Hidden tERRACE Leaning = LE CARRE
27 They sang live for example with backing spot (3,4)
Be (live) + eg (for example) + Rev. see (spot) = BEE GEES
28 Sabotage platoon hygiene to exaggerate problems (4,2,3,5)
(platoon hygiene)* = PILE ON THE AGONY
DOWN
2 School promotion through outstanding goodness (7)
ad (promotion) in ace (outstanding) + My (goodness) = ACADEMY
3 As van Dyke might have said, give up crime and secretly control the pen? (10)
Cockney sounding version of Go straight (give up crime) = GHOST WRITE
4 Big eater with prey on one’s mind lifting catch? (6)
Rev. Nag (prey on one’s mind) + net (catch) = GANNET
5 Equipment used to ring fence (8)
DD RECEIVER
6 Musical group ditching black singer (4)
Combo (musical group) – b = COMO as in Perry Como
7 Antiquities collector remains a spy (7)
Ash (remains) + mole (spy) = ASHMOLE (as in Ashmolean museum)
8 Gospel and frequently later book on point that identifies Antichrist (4,2,3,5)
Mark (gospel) + oft (frequently) + heb (later book Letter to the Hebrews relative to Mark) + east (point) = MARK OF THE BEAST
9 Resolve dispute with speed say in an oversight (1,5,5,3)
A slip (an oversight) around tiff (dispute) + upper (speed as in slang for amphetamine) = A STIFF UPPER LIP
14 Reminder about local tax, two grand? It’s not all bad (7,3)
Cue (reminder) around rates (local tax) + gg ( two grand) = CURATES EGG
17 Unseemly son disowned by popular lineage (8)
In (popular) + descent (lineage) – s (son) = INDECENT
19 Client’s avant-garde decoration? One must be cut out for it (7)
(clients)* = STENCIL
21 Bird watcher finally coming in troubled by fleas? (7)
Bitten (troubled by fleas) around r (watcher finally)= BITTERN
22 Part of retracted hotel bid eminently suited to diners (6)
Rev. hidden (hotEL BID Eminently) = EDIBLE
25 Bond film having the lead eclipsed by his capital city (4)
Dr No (Bond film) swapping d (lead) with B(lead of Bond) = BRNO
Thanks twencelas and Nestor,
This was tricky in places and i agree there could be a thread about lost luggage.
I parsed DEAD CENTRE as dead = defunct + cent = bit of Eurozone (coin) + re = touching
Thanks Nestor and Twencelas, excellent puzzle and blog. I parsed Dead Centre like Muffyword, though being pedantic I would have thought a cent was a bit of a euro rather than of the Eurozone, which would surely be a country. Maybe that would be too obvious.
A ‘bit’ is a piece of money.
There was plenty of chewy cluing in this puzzle and I found it an enjoyable challenge.
I agree with the comments @1 and @3 re: 24ac. BONO was my LOI after “pro bono” finally came to mind.
As BRNO is not a capital city, I think the definition is just “city,” and B is his (Bond’s) capital. It is the lead (first letter) or Dr. No that is eclipsed. I was stumped parsing GHOSTWRITER despite barking up the right tree and having recently seen Mary Poppins (for the first time since its 1970 re-release) with my daughter a few weeks ago.
Thanks to setter and blogger.
Thanks Ian, Muffyword and Tatrasman – have update the blog incorporating your points. I agree with you Sidey re. the meaning of bit.
Camphor?? Why maidens plural? I assumed this must be MM (or MS at a pinch) it stumped me ?
Rr Maidens – I think you have to accept a hidden apostrophe maiden’s for ‘maiden is’ My boob was to put luggage reclaim not baggage reclaim. Must fly more often!