The usual top quality puzzle from Beelzebub. I didn’t find anything too problematic in there this week, and I think I’ve been able to explain them all.
*=anagram, []=dropped, <=reversed.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | DIVEST – DIVE + ST. |
| 5 | INTACT – [m]INT + ACT. |
| 10 | GUILLEMOT – (ILL + EMO) in GUT. |
| 11 | TYRANNIS – T + (SIN + NARY)<. |
| 13 | ENEW – E + NEW. |
| 14 | STAGE – G in EATS<. |
| 15 | SOCKET CHISEL – SOCK + ETCH + LIES*. |
| 17 | CURE-ALL – URE in CALL. |
| 19 | ACHATES – CA< + HATES. Achates was Aeneas’s friend in Virgil’s Aeneid, hence is “an intimate and trusty comrade” in Chambers. |
| 21 | BILLINGSGATE – BILL + (A GIN GETS)*. A “bill” is a concave battle-axe, while apparently “billingsgate” with the lower-case B is “foul and abusive language”, presumably deemed to be typical of the old fish market. |
| 22 | LOBAR – LO + BAR. |
| 25 | SPIN – SPIN[e]. |
| 26 | MACROPOD – (CROP + O) in MAD. |
| 27 | WILDGRAVE – (LD in WIG – hence “wearing toupée”, nice) + RAVE. |
| 28 | OSMOSE – [c]OSMOS + [reveri]E. |
| 29 | TEASER – EASE in TR. |
| Down | |
| 1 | DETESTABLE – [DETE[r] + STABLE. |
| 2 | VARECH – V + (E in ARCH). |
| 3 | SUNBELT – UNST[a]BLE. |
| 4 | TINT – [supplemen]T IN T[he]. |
| 5 | ILIACUS – (AIL< in ICU) + S. |
| 6 | TESTIER – SET< + TIER. |
| 7 | ALMA – M in ALA. |
| 8 | CONGELATION – (TEAL* + I) in (CONGO + N). |
| 9 | SYNOECIOSIS – (ONE IS COY)* + S + IS. |
| 12 | HELLBENDER – (B in HELLEN[e]) + RED<. |
| 16 | CALANDO – (A in CLAN) + DO. |
| 17 | CENTARE – NET* in CARE. |
| 18 | RESERVE – [ma]R[ket] + [d]ESERVE. Probably my favourite clue this week: Stock market’s third rate, discounting diamonds. |
| 20 | PAPPUS – PAP + PUS. |
| 23 | BALM – L in BAM. I was pleased to remember BAM from an IoS I blogged recently. |
| 24 | SCAT – double definition: “get lost”/”vocal improvisation”. |
Actually, I found this one a bit harder than normal. Got there in the end, but it was late on Sunday when I got the last one.