(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) A typical Tuesday puzzle, not difficult but enjoyable, with a couple of uncommon words/meanings. Thanks to Sayang. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1,4 After theatre in Broadway, Mary Jane was perfect (6,8)
BEYOND REPROACH : BEYOND(after, in time or space) + REP(short for “repertory”, a theatre, eg. in Broadway, New York) + ROACH(slang for the butt of a marijuana;Mary Jane in slang, cigarette).
9 Ugly duckling? (6)
CYGNET : Cryptic defn: Derived from the Hans Christian Anderson tale of the ugly duckling which was actually a young swan;a cygnet.
10 Hitler was a great film for Chaplin (8)
DICTATOR : Cryptic defn: Reference to the Charlie Chaplin film, The Great Dictator.
11 The Italian in trouble is injured (6)
SPOILT : IL(Italian for “the”) contained in(in) SPOT(a bit of trouble;a difficult position to be in).
12 Superabundance from the polar meltdown (8)
PLETHORA : Anagram of(… meltdown) THE POLAR.
13 More of Miss West in Scotland (3)
MAE : Double defn: 1st: “more” in Scottish; and 2nd: First name of former American actress and sex symbol, Miss West, who said: “When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad I’m better”.
14 This clue of a religious symbol (6)
ACROSS : A + CROSS(the Christian religious symbol).
Defn: Descriptive of this clue.
17 The Age of Aquarius for wanton sex, is it? (7)
SIXTIES : Anagram of(wanton) SEX, IS IT.
Answer: The decade which saw the Age of Aquarius, the advent of the New Age movement, which spread from the hippie counterculture at that time. And a reference (wanton sex?) to free love, “Make Love Not War”, etc. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.
21 Dress an abstainer with passion (6)
ATTIRE : A(like “an”, an article in grammar) TT(abbrev. for a “teetotaller”;an abstainer) + iRE(the passion of anger).
25 Experienced animal doctor to investigate (3)
VET : Triple defn: 1st: Short for “veteran”, descriptive of one having had experience); and 2nd: Short for “veterinarian”;an animal doctor); and 3rd: To check out;to screen;to investigage.
26 Firearm of habitual criminal (8)
REPEATER : Double defn: 1st: A firearm that can fire several shots without reloading; and 2nd: A criminal who keeps committing crimes and keeps getting caught.
27 // in parasol I ditched (6)
SOLIDI : Hidden in(in) “parasol I ditched “.
Answer: Plural of(2 x) “solidus”(/;the diagonal stroke in print).
28 Cable television dishing out bestial programme of brutality (8)
VIOLENCE : Anagram of(… programme) [“Cable television ” minus(dishing out) “bestial “]. Another WIWD clue.
29 Felt children will embrace ambassador (6)
ELTCHI : Hidden in(… will embrace) “Felt children “.
Answer: An elusive word to find in the dictionaries. Collins gives “elchee”, and other sources give alternative spellings, “elchi” and “eltchi”.
30,31 Companion for Friday (8,6)
ROBINSON CRUSOE : Cryptic defn: The castaway who called his companion, Man Friday, in Daniel Defoe’s novel.
Down
1,22 Support chair to club vexatious passenger (4-4,6)
BACK-SEAT DRIVER : BACK(to support;to endorse) + SEAT(a chair) plus(to) DRIVER(a golf club).
2 Does its consumption make one cultured? (8)
YOGHOURT : Cryptic defn: Reference to the food product made from milk curdled with bacteria cultures.
3 Unnecessary demand for smaller amount (8)
NEEDLESS : NEED(a demand;a requirement) plus(for) LESS(a smaller amount).
5 Red bible did not begin to be fit for consumption (6)
EDIBLE : “Red bible ” minus its respective 1st letters(did not begin).
6 Turn Dad’s Army into repetitive performance (6)
ROTATE : T.A.(abbrev. for the Territorial Army in the British military, made up of volunteers, and featured in the BBC TV sitcom, “Dad’s Army”) contained in(into) ROTE(a repetitive routine, usually used as a method of memorising, especially if without comprehension).
7 Battle exploit (6)
ACTION : Double defn.
8,20 Remedial niche created around Britain for planted remedy (6,8)
HERBAL MEDICINE : Anagram of(… created) containing(around) B(abbrev. for “Britain”).
Defn: Cryptically, cures made from plants.
12 Consort with confederate (7)
PARTNER : Double defn: 1st: … in marriage; and 2nd: … in crime.
15 So out of sorts, almost (3)
SIC : “sick”(out of sorts;ill) minus its last letter(almost).
Defn: Thus;as indicated, used in text editing.
16 Principally the English addiction (3)
TEA : The 1st letters, respectively, of(Principally) “the English addiction “. A WIWD clue.
18 He walks with a baby carriage (8)
STROLLER : Double defn.
19 Malaysian national symbol is in his club, left out and devastated (8)
HIBISCUS : Anagram of(… devastated) [ “is ” contained in(in) “his club ” minus(… out) “l”(abbrev. for “left”) ].
20 See 8
22 See 1
23 A quiet look to the doctor for assurance (6)
APLOMB : + P(abbrev. for “piano”, the musical direction to play softly) + LO(look!, as in “lo and behold!”) plus(to) MB(abbrev. for a Bachelor of Medicine, a doctor).
Defn: Self-confidence.
24 Local time to hail sailors (6)
TAVERN : T(abbrev. for “time”) plus(to) AVE!(hial!;welcome!) + R.N.(abbrev. for the Royal Navy).
Defn: The drinking establishment near where one lives or works, and which one frequents.
25 Fastening material from level crossing (6)
VELCRO : Hidden in(from) “level crossing “.
The original, and an innovation:
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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle answers/clues.
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)
4) is a George III TAVERN clock
1) shows a collection of Roman coins, the gold ones of which would be SOLIDI
5) is the Toyota Scion iQ, also called the Aston Martin CYGNET
Right so far, Freddy!
Pic 2 is The Fifth Dimension who sang about the Age of Aquarius.
Pic 8 shows Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell who co-starred in Girl Friday. However, I can’t
tie that to the puzzle. Over to you, Freddy!
Thanks for the clue grandpuzzler – I didn’t recognise Rosalind Russell.
8) Perhaps Rosalind Russell played a SPOILT little rich girl in the movie Auntie Mame ??
Further to His Girl Friday: Rosalind may have had to do stenographic work for Cary – that may
make him the DICTATOR. Over to you, scchua!
grandpuzzler, you’ve got pic2 right. And you had the answer to pic8 right from the start.
The answers:
Pic3: A modern REPEATER clock (I know, doesn’t look like one).
Pic6: Janis Joplin and Tina Turner, real name Anna MAE Bullock.
Pic7: Jamaican nyabinghi drums, one of which is called the REPEATER.
Pig8: Cary Grant and His Girl Friday, in contrast to CRUSOE and his Man Friday.
Thanks scchua, but those REPEATER references were too devious for me.
Thanks scchua – I took part – but failed miserably.