I found this very enjoyable, a good example of how to make a crossword accessible without making it dull. Something in here for everybody. Thanks Commoner.
| Across | ||
| 1 | REHEARSE |
Go over and try again before she loses heart (8)
RE HEAR (try again, in court) before ShE (losing heart)
|
| 5 | BYE-BYE |
Believe, when spoken repeatedly for so long (3-3)
BYE sounds like (when spoken) “to buy” (believe) repeated
|
| 9 | ALBUM |
A large posterior – could be a record (5)
A L (large) BUM (posterior)
|
| 10 | OFF THE PEG |
Fellow happening to appear in paper, say, after zip’s mass-produced (3,3,3)
F (fellow) then HEP (happening, groovy man!) inside (to appear in) FT (paper) EG (say) all following (after) O (zip, nothing)
|
| 12 | HOTSHOT |
Ace flaming sambuca? (7)
double/cryptic definition
|
| 13 | ODORISE |
Give bouquet to woman in love regularly (7)
DORIS (a woman) in lOvE (regular selection from)
|
| 14 | SUCCULENT |
Lush? One may be potted! (9)
double definition – ‘juicy and fleshy’ or a cactus, for example
|
| 16 | CHILD |
Kid about with date after good day by lake (5)
C (circa, about) with D (date) following (after) HI (good day) L (lake)
|
| 17 | BOOZE |
Drink black slime (5)
B (black) OOZE (slime)
|
| 18 | PENDRAGON |
Write fourth-rate paper about King Arthur, for example (9)
PEN (write) D (fourth rate, grade D) RAG (paper) ON (about) – ancient title gvien to certain kings, from Welsh “Pen Ddraig” meaning chief dragon
|
| 20 | ICE OVER |
Freeze as a result of voice being affected by queen (3,4)
VOICE* anagram=being affected by ER (The Queen)
|
| 22 | VIETNAM |
Energy shown crossing mountain in Asian country (7)
VIM (energy) contains (shown crossing) ETNA (mountain)
|
| 24 | CONCORDAT |
Agreement doctor can set out (9)
(DOCTOR CAN)* anagram=set out
|
| 25 | ICTUS |
Sudden attack leads to international court taking unprecedented steps (5)
first letters (leads to) of International Court Taking Unprecedented Steps – a fit or sudden attack (medical)
|
| 26 | EXTRAS |
5 minor players? (6)
double definition – two byes in cricket
|
| 27 | PREMISES |
The aforesaid component of sleep, REM, is essential (8)
found inside (of) sleeP REM IS ESsential – same as premise, used pluralised in a legal context
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | REACHES |
Bays once and pines once more? (7)
RE-ACHES (pines one more) – in the definition ‘once’ indicates usage is obsolete
|
| 2 | HABIT |
Hard to overcome something that’s an addictive practice (5)
H (hard) in front of (to overcome) A BIT (something)
|
| 3 | ALMSHOUSE |
Large fancy homes accommodating us, next to a home for the poor (9)
L HOMES* anagram=fancy contains (including) US following (next to) A
|
| 4 | SHORT-TEMPERED |
Embarrassed by horrible stepmother, quick to anger (5-8)
RED (embarrassed) following (by) STEPMOTHER* anagram=horrible
|
| 6 | YAHOO |
Not beginning to show disapproval, grass up lout (5)
bOO (to show disapproval, not beginning) with HAY (grass) reversed (up)
|
| 7 | BAPTISING |
Into font, perhaps tip out gallons for christening (9)
BASIN (font perhaps) contains (into … put) TIP* anagram=out then G (gallons)
|
| 8 | EGGHEAD |
Intellectual is partial to Clegg, he admits (7)
found inside (part of, is partial to) clEGG HE ADmits
|
| 11 | FLOATING VOTER |
One crosses indecisively from side to side! (8,5)
cryptic definition, a voter makes a cross on the ballot paper
|
| 15 | CLOSE-KNIT |
Complete outfit, lining new and bound together (5-4)
CLOSE (complete) KIT (outfit) with N (new) as lining (inside)
|
| 16 | CARPE DIEM |
Make the most of the time you have and throw cream pie over old copper (5,4)
(CREAM PIE)* anagram=throw containing (over) D (old penny, copper)
|
| 17 | BRIOCHE |
Before Christ consumes port, he gets bread (7)
BC (before Christ) contains (consumes) RIO (port in Brazil) then HE
|
| 19 | NEMESIS |
Revolutionary seen getting married is an enemy (7)
SEEN reversed (revolutionary) contains (getting) M (married) then IS
|
| 21 | VIOLA |
There you go – one swaps places with old Shakespearean character (5)
VOILA (there you go) with I (one) swapping places with O (old) – heroine of Twelfth Night
|
| 23 | NATES |
Upset Irish chap taking time to show buttocks (5)
SEAN (Irish chap) reversed (upset) containing (takes) T (time)
|
*anagram
definitions underlined
definitions underlined
Yes, I agree that this was an excellent puzzle. I finished with CHILD after CARPE DIEM, both of which required careful analysis of the wordplay.
Yes, I enjoyed this one, too. It was not too easy but accessible with a bit of thought. I like clues which make you search your brain for several meanings such as here in 1d and 16ac. Took ages to get 17ac, don’t ask me why!
Thanks both
A good crossword. I’ve even learnt a couple of new words – 25a & 23d!
Query the construction and parsing of 10A, where it would seem that HEP needs to be in FT, which it isn’t. Only F[ellow] is inside FT. If I’m missing something, someone will tell me.
Mini typo in 27A, singular is premise.
Thanks to Crosophile and PeeDee.
Hi gwep @4
10ac does work if you read it as O + F + (HEP in FT EG).
@5Gaufrid OK, got it, thanks.