A solid, not-over-exciting but enjoyable puzzle from Magwitch today.
If I had to find fault, I might say that some of the anagrams were rather too clearly flagged up and that – more objectionably – in two or three clues a component was clued quite un-cryptically (relief=aid, for instance). But those are minor grumbles. Thank-you, Magwitch.
| Across | ||
| 1 | HARDEN | Husband replaces wife in guardian’s set (6) |
| Warden [guardian] with h [husband] in place of w [wife] | ||
| 4 | MILORD | I’m backing superior song by Edith Piaf (6) |
| Reversal of Im lord [superior] | ||
| 8 | XEROXED | Reproduced mid-term vote to accept Obama initially covered by Times journalist (7) |
| O(bama) within (t)er(m) x [vote] within x [times, multiplied by] ed [editor, journalist] | ||
| 9 | JUSTICE | Only something cold will produce the right outcome (7) |
| Just [only] ice [something cold] | ||
| 11 | WANDERLUST | Urge to go somewhere else wasn’t ruled out of order (10) |
| Anagram of wasnt ruled | ||
| 12 | GADS | Saunters gaily about deck, smoking primarily (4) |
| Initial letters of Gaily About Deck Smoking | ||
| 13 | SHRUB | Republican Bush mistaken for another one (5) |
| Anagram of R [Republican] Bush | ||
| 14 | COVENANT | Surgeon admits grandma following a firm promise (8) |
| Co [company, firm] nan [grandma] within vet [surgeon] | ||
| 16 | APPLIERS | Dad returned tool used for spreading on glue etc (8) |
| Reversal of pa [dad] pliers [tool] | ||
| 18 | NOBLE | Possibly count on coming back with half a rouble (5) |
| Reversal of on (rou)ble | ||
| 20 | ZEST | Relish spirit of the age at both extremes (4) |
| Ze(itgei)st [spirit of the age] | ||
| 21 | PENSION OFF | Get rid of form of nose pin no longer available (7,3) |
| Anagram of nose pin off [no longer available] | ||
| 23 | UTENSIL | Useful tool I lent us is broken (7) |
| Anagram of I lent us | ||
| 24 | KARAOKE | Entertainment said to carry satisfactory ending for the audience (7) |
| Sounds like carry okay [satisfactory] | ||
| 25 | YES-MEN | They follow orders for the Sabbath in an Arab country (3-3) |
| S [Sabbath, or Sunday, or Saturday] within Yemen [Arab country] | ||
| 26 | TENDER | Kind offer (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | HYENA | Animal starts to hatch young ever nearer April (5) |
| Initial letters of Hatch Young Ever Nearer April | ||
| 2 | REORDER | Make a further request for a non- Tory judge (7) |
| Recorder [judge] minus C [Conservative, Tory] | ||
| 3 | EXECRABLE | Awful former king having the means to besiege the city (9) |
| EC [postcode for the City of London] within Ex [former] R [king] able [having the means] | ||
| 5 | INUIT | On good terms with nudists regularly found in Greenland (5) |
| In [on good terms] alternate letters from nUdIsTs | ||
| 6 | OCTAGON | Not a cog in circulation with eight angles (7) |
| Anagram of not a cog | ||
| 7 | DECADENCE | Corruption is centre of concern after ten years (9) |
| Decade [ten years] (co)nce(rn) | ||
| 10 | QUICKSAND | A swift polish won’t hold you up (9) |
| Quick [swift] sand [polish] | ||
| 13 | SAPIENTLY | Wisely secretive about worker eating a pasty (9) |
| Pie [pasty] within ant [worker] within sly [secretive] | ||
| 15 | VINDICATE | Successfully defend retired detectives framed by absurdly naive terrorist leader (9) |
| Reversal of CID [detectives] within anagram of naive t(errorist) | ||
| 17 | LATINOS | Money is invested in South Asian country for Peruvians say in America (7) |
| Tin [money] within Laos [South Asian country] | ||
| 19 | BAND AID | Restriction on district relief is an anti-poverty initiative (4,3) |
| Ban [restriction] D [district] aid [relief] | ||
| 21 | PRIDE | Publicity over fish gives a sense of satisfaction (5) |
| PR [publicity] ide [fish] | ||
| 22 | FAKER | Safe-cracker is sadly not scarce counterfeiter (5) |
| Anagram of safe cracker minus the letters of scarce | ||
Thanks Ringo, Magwitch. It was a genial, non-taxing grid this – generally made steady progress and was looking like it would be a complete finish before I ran into the clue for Zest (20a) that I couldnt crack.
Nice blogging Starr ..
I agree with Ringo. For instance, ‘zest’ was clever; ‘appliers’ seemed a bit odd. But it was fun. Thanks Magwitch and Ringo.
Hello from Switzerland! Realising it was a pangram helped me get Zest (20a). Don’t think I would have got it otherwise. Thank you, Magwitch and Ringo.
24A I thought that the e of karaoke came from the final letter of audience.
The sound indicator is ‘said’ and may only apply to carry with ok a straight synonym for satisfactory.
Thanks to Ringo and Magwitch