Beelzebub 1,264

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I’m a little behind with my Beelzebub postings, for which I apologise.

This was almost literally a puzzle of two halves. I took Beelzebub to my favourite pub in Camberwell, as is my wont. A couple of fantastic beers later, I had almost exactly 50% of the grid completed, essentially the bottom right half of the grid, and nothing in the top left.

Cue a week or so of wrangling, scribbling and Tippexing, but I think I’m almost there, though three lack explanations as yet.

*=anagram, []=dropped, <=reversed.

Across
2 ECBLASTESIS – (SITES + CABLES)*.
10 AD-LIB – A + BILD<. “Bild” is German for “picture”.
11 SUNN – SUNN[i].
13 UNOBTAINABLE – (U + NATION + BABEL)*.
14 FRONTLET – R in FONTLET.
15 HEEL-BONE – (EEL + B) in HONE.
18 TOGO – TOG 0. This is quite fun, and a reference to the Tog ratings given to things like duvets.
19 BALANCE – no idea: Choreographer not hot in demonstrating poise.
21 YORUBAN – (RUB + A) in YON.
22 NEAR – N + EAR.
24 WINDGALL – WIND + GALL.
25 ACIDHEAD – CID in AHEAD.
28 CONSISTORIAN – ICONS* + RATIONS*.
29 KLEE – homophone of “clay”. Paul Klee.
30 LOORD – O in LORD.
31 KIDNEY STONE – KIDNEY + S + TONE.
Down
1 NAUGHTY PACK – NAUGHT + (P in YACK).
2 EDNA – ANDE[s]<.
3 CLOSE-GRAINED – (GENERAL DISCO)*.
4 BIBULOUS – again, stumped here: Doubly swollen, say, disposing of one lot of barrels, drinking regularly.
5 ARAROBA – AR + (A BORA)<.
6 SKIO – OIKS<.
7 TUNNELED – TUN + (L in NEED).
8 SUBLINEATION – (ABLE UNIONIST)*. Literally, underlining.
9 INLET – NL in (IE + T[rue]).
12 NETHERLANDS – (ER + L) in (NETHER + HANDS).
16 BOBWHITE – BOB + WHIT + E[lder].
17 KANGAROO – KANGA + ROO[t].
20 ANNATES – AN + NATES.
23 E-COLI – ECO + INFANTRY.
26 ESPY – E[normou]S P[art]Y.
27 FARE – stuck here too: Food from China, say, in short?.

 

3 comments on “Beelzebub 1,264”

  1. shikasta
    #1 - Sun 8th Jun 14, 15:34

    This only just appeared for me after you posted this week’s blog. It happens quite often that it doesn’t appear for several days but it’s never been that long before – & it only happens with Beelzebub – does anyone else find this?

    Anyway, I can assist with 2 but don’t know the choreographer in 19a: 27 Far + E = China; 4d BI BULBOUS minus the last B.

  2. Dormouse
    #2 - Sun 8th Jun 14, 16:49

    The choreographer is Balanchine.

    I’ve been assuming Simon didn’t actually post this till today – he said he was a bit behind – but the system somehow assigning it a time a date a week out, when he was planning to post it. (I’m not sure I’d have the discipline to do a regular blog like this, so my admiration for those that do.)

  3. Simon Harris
    #3 - Sun 8th Jun 14, 17:51

    You’re correct DM, I fell behind due to one thing and another.

    WordPress actually lets you specify the date and time of “publishing”, including dates in the past. I thought I might get away with it and all šŸ™‚

    Many thanks to all for the clarifications.

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