I had the impression this was Cyclops coasting along.
Yes, there were a couple of references to a recent political event – the Scottish Referendum – but nothing that could be classed as biting satire …
… and there wasn’t much in the way of outrageously rude clues. (I did like 2D though)
Oh well, I’m probably expect too much. What we have is a well constructed puzzle with solid clues with accurate wordplay.
Overall, not too hard – I had 9 left after the first pass, mostly in the top-left corner.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7 | WARHEAD | Explosive end when not prepared to back the crown (7) RAW< (not prepared – untrained) HEAD (the crown) First clue read – last answered. Misled thinking “Explosive end” was wordplay delivering E |
| 8 | FREIGHT | A load of creeps taking drug (7) E (drug) inside FRIGHT (creeps – as in “gave me the creeps” / “gave me a fright”) I find it a big leap from “creeps” (plural) to “fright” (singular) |
| 10/23 | BARMY ARMY | England fans need somewhere to booze and … well, a host (5,4) BAR (somewhere to booze) MY (well) ARMY (a host) |
| 11 | LEFT BANK | Arty side of European capital‘s archaic, sinister financial institution (4,4) LEFT (archaic, sinister) BANK (financial institution) |
| 12 | LOSS LEADER | Something missed by the like of Salmond’s cheap marketing ploy? (4,6) LOSS (Something missed) LEADER (the like of Salmond) |
| 15/22 | SCOTLAND THE BRAVE | Well, maybe not so plucky having voted for the status quo patriotic hymn (8,3,5) Straight Def preceded by Cryptic topical Def. |
| 18/14 | LEAN UPON | Blair’s ‘issue’ a flipping joke at heart – name added to apply pressure (4,4) A PUN< inside LEO, then N[ame]. Some complex wordply here: LEO=(Blair’s ‘issue’) PUN=joke, Reverse indicator=flipping, Inclusion indicator=(at heart) |
| 19 | LADY GODIVA | Pop star, no range, a round prima donna who once had a modestly long hairy ride (4,6) LADY GAGA – AGA (Pop star, no range (so minus AGA) ), O (a round) DIVA (prima donna) |
| 21 | UNSHAVEN | Sun forced to entertain its own end, which is a bit hairy (8) SUN* AInd: forced. HAVE(to entertain) [su]N (its own end – the SUN’s that is) |
| 24 | PROMOTE | Upgrade old hooker adding speck of dust (7) PRO (old hooker) MOTE (speck of dust) |
| 25 | ODDMENT | Unpaired blokes having time for a bit on the side? (7) ODD (Unpaired), MEN (blokes), T[ime] |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BAMBOO | A minute implant in boob operation, which grows quickly (6) A M[inute] inside BOOB* AInd: operation |
| 2 | THOR | God, Spike’s having core of penis removed! (4) THOR[n] THORN=spike, N from [pe]N[is] |
| 3 | EASY MEAT | Sucker may tease outrageously (4,4) (MAY TEASE)* AInd: outrageously |
| 4 | PREFER | Like more power (official), Brenda? (6) P[ower], REF (official), ER (Brenda) |
| 5 | AIRBRUSHED | A dire Bush, embracing Republican leader, abandoned and taken out of the picture? (10) (A DIRE BUSH R[epublican])* AInd: abandoned |
| 6 | CHINOOK | Wind‘s a prominent feature with nothing on, all right (7) CHIN (a prominent feature) O (nothing) OK (all right) |
| 9 | GLAD-HANDING | Clegg, ultimately an apprentice, dishing out the campaigning politician’s effusive welcome (4-7) [cleg]G, LAD (an apprentice), HANDING (dishing out) |
| 13 | SECOND HOME | Alternative chosen mode which is taken advantage of by many a Westminster MP (6,4) (CHOSEN MODE)* AInd: Alternative |
| 16 | DOGSBODY | Boxers getting stiff? That’s a fag (8) DOGS (Boxers) BODY (stiff) |
| 17 | TENNERS | Domingo’s sounding tender? (7) Homophone: “TENORS” Ref. Placido Domingo – a famous Tenor (1/3) |
| 19 | LEVITY | Silliness of live broadcast – politician has no alternative (6) LIVE* AInd: Broadcast, T[or]Y |
| 20 | VIENNA | Capital backing for old queen (fourth) (6) (ANNE IV) all REv. |
Getting a bit worried – My copy of The Myth of Sisyphus keeps falling off the bookshelf.
I had 19D ‘LEVITY’ but wasn’t sure on how to get the final ‘TY’. I though the ‘Y’ was ‘no alternative’ so was ‘T’ for Tory? Your explaination made much more sense.
I also thought 19A ‘LADY/GODIVA’ had the best clue in weeks.