Once again, I find myself blogging for a Bradman grid, which was a very enjoyable romp. I thought he had upped the ante slightly with this one, relative to his recent puzzles. Although 5d didnt find any favors with me, it was compensated for a neat clue in 25ac. Thanks Bradman.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CUP TIE | President grabbed by female who is attractive and game (3,3) |
| P (president) grabbed by CUTIE (attractive female) | ||
| 4 | SPRAY GUN | Newspaper includes petition, good device that can make a splash (5,3) |
| SUN (newspaper) includes [ PRAY (petition ) G (good)] | ||
| 9 | VALID | Someone unwell must abandon home, OK? (5) |
| inVALID (someone unwell) abandoning IN (home) | ||
| 10 | HARVESTED | Gathered something to wear, raced around (9) |
| HARED (raced) around VEST (something to wear) | ||
| 11 | RIVIERA | Holiday destination? After wandering about, arrive around one (7) |
| Anagram of ARRIVE around I (one) | ||
| 12 | SHADOWS | Gigs to include a d—– good old instrumental group (7) |
| SHOWS (gigs) include A D | ||
| 13 | GOUT | Illness when circular object is stuck in alimentary canal (4) |
| O (circular object) stuck in GUT (alimentary canal) | ||
| 14 | DO GOODER | Pet possibly loves the German person trying to be virtuous (2-6) |
| Charade of DOG (pet) OO (loves) DER (‘the’ in German) | ||
| 17 | TABLE MAT | Pill mum swallowed – something put out at dinner time? (5,3) |
| TABLET (pill) containing MA (mum swallowed) | ||
| 19 | CIAO | Agents love to give greeting in another language (4) |
| CIA (Agents) O (love) | ||
| 22 | ABSINTH | Drink messy contents of bath – what’s wrong in that? (7) |
| Anagram of BATH (messy contents) containing SIN (what’s wrong) | ||
| 24 | TILLAGE | Work in fields up to declining years? (7) |
| TILL (up to) AGE (declining years) | ||
| 25 | BRAIN CELL | Brilliance would be tricky if one was lacking? (5,4) |
| Anagram of BRILLiANCE without I (one was lacking) – I quite loved this clue, my favorite in the grid. | ||
| 26 | DEIST | Prude is taunted – sort of believer to hide away here (5) |
| Hidden in “pruDE IS Taunted” | ||
| 27 | REHEARSE | Prepare special vehicle – get the engineers first (8) |
| HEARSE (special vehicle) with RE (engineers) first | ||
| 28 | TRANNY | One could hear that attempt to restrict woman (6) |
| TRY (attempt) restricting ANN (woman) – Short for transistor radio | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | COVERAGE | Reporting of news in prison is too much (8) |
| OVER (too much) in CAGE (prison) | ||
| 2 | POLE VAULT | Rod is up for this sporting event (4,5) |
| Cryptic clue – referring to how the pole actually is during action (Rod is up). | ||
| 3 | INDEED | Province upset over something done, certainly (6) |
| IN (Province – NI, Northern Ireland, upset – reversed) DEED (something done) | ||
| 5 | PERISSODACTYL | Loony displaces Tory ass maybe (13) |
| Anagram of DISPLACES TORY – This was unlike Bradman, to throw in something so obscure. | ||
| 6 | ABELARD | Lincoln has fat theologian (7) |
| ABE (Lincoln, Abraham) LARD (fat) – Peter Abelard is the reference here. | ||
| 7 | GET TO | Arrive at poor district, hard to avoid (3,2) |
| GhETTO (poor district) without H, i.e. hard to avoid | ||
| 8 | NUDIST | Sun – it’d come out for me (hopefully!) |
| Anagram of SUN IT’D / cryptic clue | ||
| 10 | HEAD OVER HEELS | Position of gymnast in love? (4,4,5) |
| Cryptic clue | ||
| 15 | RUINATION | Downfall of one country after old city’s revolution (9) |
| RU (Ur, old city, revolution – reversed) I (one) NATION (country) | ||
| 16 | HONESTLY | Genuinely pious keeping comfortable home (8) |
| HOLY (pious) keeping NEST (comfortable home) | ||
| 18 | BONANZA | A lot of good stuff being performed in bar (South Africa) (7) |
| [ ON (performed) in BAN (bar) ] ZA (South Africa, code for which comes from the Dutch name for the country, Zuid-Afrika) | ||
| 20 | BARBER | Composer, one from Seville? (6) |
| Cryptic clue – Composer reference is Samuel Barber. The Barber of Seville was an opera by Rossini. | ||
| 21 | GLIDER | The current situation must be all right for this flyer (6) |
| Cryptic clue – Current here refers to Air Currents on which Gliders depend for lift and float. | ||
| 23 | SMASH | Second TV series of yesteryear, a big hit (5) |
| S (Second) M.A.S.H (TV series of yesteryear) | ||
*anagram
I loved 5dn PERISSODACTYL! How many times has that appeared in a crossword? I agree with Turbolegs that Bradman did up it a bit, and all the more enjoyable for that. Thanks Turbolegs and, of course, Bradman.
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
First time to do one of the Don’s puzzles in the Bradman persona. Found it pretty typical and maybe a bit easier than his Pasquale alter-ego … apart from the mind boggling PERISSODACTYL!! Although, again, that’s a normal trait for him to throw some little known words into the fray.
Had a bit of a problem having a splash made from a SPRAY GUN. Thought that BARBER and BRAIN CELL were very good.
Last couple in were SMASH and BONANZA.