Skipjack’s contribution to the Derby S & B event can be found here: Skipjack @ Derby. If anyone who wasn’t there last Saturday still would like to solve this puzzle, then click on the link before looking any further.
Skipjack’s crossword has special instructions: “13 answers are too long and must be compressed when entered in the grid“. These answers all contain AND. This letter combination should be entered in just one single box to make things work. Feels like a Guardian Genius. As a bonus the crossword has a nina in the top and bottom rows: SLOGGERS AND BETTERS.
Definitions are underlined wherever possible and/or appropriate.
| Across | ||
| 9 | ANDROGYNOUS | Grandson you dressed to look like granddaughter? (9) |
| (GRANDSON YOU)* | ||
| 10 | RAISE | Serial line out buggered up jack (5) |
| Anagram of {SERIAL minus L (line)} | ||
| 11 | LIGHT | Easy answer (5) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | HARD AND FAST | Fixed like something from the barrel of a gun (9, three words) |
| Cryptic / Double definition | ||
| 13 | SLANDERER | He smears, being furtive, wiping bottom and hesitating repeatedly (7) |
| SL[y] (furtive, wiping bottom ie minus the last letter) + AND + ER,ER (hesitating, repeatedly) | ||
| 14 | NEW MOON | Time to begin waxing bare buttocks again (7, two words) |
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | RILKE | Half-hearted killer disturbed layman (5) |
| Anagram of KILLER minus one L in the middle (‘half-hearted’) – the definition refers to a lay (a lyric poem), RILKE is an Austria born poet (1875-1926) | ||
| 19 | HANDS | Lots of these make lamp function (3) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 20 | IDIOT | Fool’s peculiar use of language didn’t end there, nor here (5) |
| {IDIOM (peculiar use of language) minus (‘didn’t end’) the last letter M} + T[here] | ||
| 21 | SAMISEN | Messiaen dropped ecstasy and composed for this instrument (7) |
| (M[e]SSIAEN)*, the deleted E being ‘ecstacy’ | ||
| 22 | DEAD SEA | Perhaps the best place for flotation (7, two words) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 24 | LUNCHTIME | Begin sentence without a 1? (9) |
| {LAUNCH (begin) minus A} + TIME (sentence) | ||
| 26 | DAN DARE | Read and edited comic strip (5, two words) |
| (READ AND)* | ||
| 28 | GRAIL | Ambition of good attack. . . (5) |
| G (good) + RAIL (attack) | ||
| 29 | SQUANDERING | . . . dissipating when French enter opponents’ arena (9) |
| QUAND (when, French) inside {S,E (opponents, in bridge) + RING (arena)} | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SANDAL | Theatrical school not about to become one providing sole cover (4) |
| S[c]ANDAL, the deleted C being ‘about’ | ||
| 2 | LONGHAND | Extended ovation for script (6) |
| LONG (extended) + HAND (ovation) | ||
| 3 | OYSTER BEDS | Secretive people have penetrative sex with seafood suppliers (10, two words) |
| BED (have sex) inside (‘penetrative’) OYSTERS (secretive people) | ||
| 4 | GOPHER | Republicans’ champion has no love for member of underground community (6) |
| GOP (Republicans, Grand Old Party) + {HERO (champion) minus O (love)} | ||
| 5 | G STRINGS | Garments picked by guitarists? (8, two words) |
| Cryptic definition with a hint of a Double | ||
| 6 | ERRAND | Furthermore, following sin of commission. . . (4) |
| AND (furthermore) following ERR (sin) | ||
| 7 | RIGATONI | . . . capital award announced for sustaining tubes (8) |
| RIGA (capital) + TONI (homophone of TONY (award)} | ||
| 8 | SECT | School cricket loses home? (4) |
| INSECT (cricket) minus IN (home) | ||
| 13 | STRANDS | Old instruments given new strings (5) |
| STRADS ( old instruments, Stradivarii) around N (new) | ||
| 15 | WAIT AND SEE | Be patient instead of jumping at new ideas (10, three words) |
| (AT NEW IDEAS)* | ||
| 16 | NOTANDA | One is really expected to look at them within? No thanks! (5) |
| AND (with) inside (indicated by ‘with/in’) NO TA (no thanks) | ||
| 18 | LEMON DAB | Something of a disappointment to expert swimmer (8, two words) |
| LEMON (something of a disappointment) + DAB (expert) | ||
| 19 | HUNKIEST | Greediest king became king most likely to win Mr Universe! (8) |
| HUNGRIEST (greediest) with GR (king, King George) being replaced by K (king) | ||
| 22 | DIE OUT | Disappear if your heart stops fast (6, two words) |
| [y]OU[r] inside DIET (fast) | ||
| 23 | SEA AIR | Hear note before shanty? (6, two words) |
| Homophone (‘hear’) of: C (note) + ERE (before) | ||
| 24 | LIGAND | RD Laing lost his head about thing for bondage (4) |
| ([r]D LAING)* | ||
| 25 | HANDLE | Name of composer on radio (4) |
| Homophone (‘on radio’) of: HANDEL (composer) | ||
| 27 | EGGS | Caviar stimulates lesson? (4) |
| EGGS ON (stimulates) minus ON (less/on) | ||