[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here
I enjoyed this puzzle, despite my being in a foul mood. Praise indeed.
A not-very-helpful grid and a few obscure-ish terms made an easy puzzle a not-quite-so-easy puzzle, but this was still something of a stroll. No grumbles that I can think of. Thank-you, Armonie.
| Across | ||
| 1 | PASS BY | Disregard holy men born in Settle (4,2) |
| Ss [saints, holy men] b [born] within pay [settle] | ||
| 4 | OBSCURES | Hides cubs, sore after frolicking (8) |
| Anagram of cubs sore | ||
| 9 | DROVER | Medic terminated farm worker (6) |
| Dr [doctor, medic] over [terminated] | ||
| 10 | TROPICAL | Sultry queen dips in current (8) |
| R [Regina, queen] within topical [current] | ||
| 12 | GALA | A delay brought about celebration (4) |
| Reversal of a lag | ||
| 13 | REFER | Direct attention to umpire’s hesitation (5) |
| Ref [umpire] er [hesitation] | ||
| 14 | CURE | Make better pickle (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 17 | EFFERVESCENT | Never getting effects in order, being high-spirited (12) |
| Anagram of never effects | ||
| 20 | METALLURGIST | Shockingly ill-treat smug scientist (12) |
| Anagram of ill treat smug | ||
| 23 | EPIC | Sanctimonious in the city? That’s impressive! (4) |
| Pi [pious, sanctimonious] within EC [postcode for the City of London] | ||
| 24 | ASPIC | Reptile I caught in jelly (5) |
| Asp [reptile] I c [caught] | ||
| 25 | SHOE | House in south-east Oxford, say (4) |
| Ho [house] within SE [south-east] | ||
| 28 | IN SEASON | Available for Ian’s nose operation (2,6) |
| Anaram of ians nose | ||
| 29 | COPIED | Did pirate provide pastry for swimmer to eat? (6) |
| Pie [pastry] within cod [swimmer] | ||
| 30 | DUMPSTER | Skip across the pond (8) |
| Cryptic definition – a dumpster is what a skip is known as in the US (‘across the pond’) | ||
| 31 | INTEND | Propose to much-liked nurse (6) |
| In [much-liked] tend [nurse] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PEDIGREE | Pure-bred GI deeper in trouble (8) |
| Anagram of gi deeper | ||
| 2 | SHOPLIFT | Steal work left during work period (8) |
| Op [opus, work] l [left] within shift [work period] | ||
| 3 | BEEF | Muscle complaint (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 5 | BORDER COLLIE | Boy to instruct officer over deceit? The dog! (6,6) |
| B [boy] order [instruct] col [colonel, officer] lie [deceit] | ||
| 6 | COPE | Work in church making vestment (4) |
| Op [work] within CE [Church (of England)] – a cope is a liturgical cloak | ||
| 7 | RECOUP | Compensate for soldiers’ exploit (6) |
| RE [Royal Engineers, soldiers] coup [exploit] | ||
| 8 | SPLEEN | Rage noticed when touring Poland (6) |
| Pl [Poland] within seen [noticed] | ||
| 11 | GENERAL STORE | Officers rent shop (7,5) |
| Generals [officers] tore [rent] | ||
| 15 | CREED | Brave duke’s faith (5) |
| Cree [Native American, brave] D [duke] | ||
| 16 | INERT | Still upset after having victory annulled (5) |
| Invert [upset] minus v [victory] | ||
| 18 | HIGH WIRE | Piping with passion at the circus (4,4) |
| High [piping] w [with] ire [passion] | ||
| 19 | ATTENDED | Was there when a Rechabite expired (8) |
| A TT [teetotaller, Rechabite] ended [expired] | ||
| 21 | REMIND | Trot around a short time? That’s prompt! (6) |
| Min [minute, short time] within red [Trot(skyite)] | ||
| 22 | DIM SUM | Chinese food is lacklustre on the whole (3,3) |
| Dim [lacklustre] sum [whole] | ||
| 26 | BATS | Mad cricketers (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 27 | MOAN | Old bird sitting on pole is grouse (4) |
| Moa [extinct bird] n [north, pole] | ||
Sorry you started off grumpy, Ringo: I’m sure this affable stroll did you the world of good. I hate using outside references, so was grumpy myself at having to look up DUMPSTER — and then I was pleased that I’d learned yet another new word. Thanks, Ringo and Armonie.
The south east held out , so thanks for your help, Ringo.Another lovely puzzle from Armonie.I hope your mood has lifted now.
Thanks Armonie and Ringo
A typical crisply clued puzzle from Armonie (who I’m more familiar with in his Chifonie role).
Made a mess of INERT – put in ANGRY … couldn’t parse it nor get it out of my mind to be able to see the ‘obvious’ correct answer.
Thought both DUMPSTER and HIGH WIRE were very good.