Took a while to get going on this puzzle. I didn’t solve any till getting IDYLL at 26 from the obvious definition. Successful solving needed crossing letters to aid the brain cells. Once a few were in place the answers crept across the grid from the bottom until all that was left was in the top right.
I don’t know what the lead time is to finalise puzzles for the Eye, but Cyclops has managed to get several highly topical references to recent Ukip and other political activity in this one. This made the clues a delight to read without the distraction of trying to solve them.
Surely CALYPSO is a coincidence. That appalling dirge “Ukip Calypso” was only released – then quickly de-released – a couple of weeks ago. I mean blimey! The Nazis had Wagner, Ukip have Mike Read putting on a cod-Jamaican accent. Fascism certainly isn’t what it used to be.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1/3 | DUMB BRITAIN | Blair (Left ousted by Mandelson primarily) bit stupid to be trapped by Brown? Inane responses here (4,7) (BLAIR – L + M and BIT)* AInd: Stupid, making MBBRITAI all inside DUN (Brown) |
| 4 | DOMINATE | Be the assertive partner taking no time at all to penetrate girlfriend? (8) 0 MIN (no time) inside DATE (girlfriend) |
| 9 | ACHILLES | Dicky in pain with sex (Paris finished him off) (8) ILL (dicky) inside ACHE (pain) S[ex] |
| 11/29 | TEA LADY | Sarah Palin politically? Traditionally, a real stirrer in the corridors of power etc. (3,4) DD Referring to the Tea Party and the very British tradition now sadly lapsed of a lady with a tea-urn on a trolley going around stuffy offices – Ah those were the days |
| 12 | WORST FEARS | Boris becoming new leader probably Cameron’s argument backing up faster reforms – Sam’s initiative? (5,5) ROW< (argument, backing up) FASTER* AInd: reforms, then S[am]. Penultimate clue solved. This clue misled by having a definition that appeared to contain significant chunks of wordplay |
| 13 | PLONKER | One to forcibly put down a tosspot (7) Double Def |
| 15 | CALYPSO | Dissolute Cyclops: “head going for a song” (7) (CYCLOPS – C + A)* AInd: dissolute |
| 17 | ACRONYM | China welcomed by Arabic militant leaders – ISIS, maybe? (7) CRONY (china – Cockney Rhyming slang for Mate via “China plate”) inside A M A[rabic] M[ilitant]. ISIS is an example of an acronym |
| 19 | PRUDISH | Far from broad head of prick, rather rough (7) P[rick] RUDISH (rough) |
| 22 | WATERWORKS | Put coyly, the means by which you have the piss taken out of you (10) Singel Def. really. Euphemism for human excretory infrastructure by reference to the actual social infrastructure |
| 24/10 | CON TRICK | Dodge Tory trap (3,5) CON (tory) TRICK (trap) |
| 26 | IDYLL | Heartless Dicky in seedy surroundings – a scene of innocent bliss (5) D[ick]Y inside ILL (seedy). First clue answered, which means I must have read all the above with no joy on the first attempt. |
| 27 | DIVE BOMB | Joint flop incurs attack from above (4-4) DIVE (joint) BOMB (flop) |
| 28 | DEADBEAT | Idle bum needs stiff whip (8) DEAD (stiff) BEAT (whip) |
| Down | ||
| 2 | UNCUT | “Foreskin intact” not edited out? (5) Double Def |
| 4 | DESERT | Due to defect to Ukip, say? (6) Double Def. Last clue answered. I had trouble equating DUE with DESERT but I suppose if you get your [just] deserts, you get your dues |
| 5 | MOTET | After Miliband gets started, too much to include first hint of economics, so here’s musical item (5) M[iliband] E[conomics] inside OTT (too much – Over The Top) |
| 6 | NAIVETY | Paisley’s gone heavenward? Examine at end of day for innocence (7) IAN< (Paisley etc.) VET (examine) [da]Y. Clue reminded me of Martin Rowson’s cartoon with God or St Peter inserting earplugs |
| 7 | TAKE RISKS | Reckless, to do which, toys with Ukip’s heart? Ask rest (4,5) ([u]KI[p] ASK REST)* AInd: toys with. Reckless is one of the ex-Tories hoping to get his name in lights by jumping on the Ukip bandwagon the day before the Conservative Conference, and forcing a pretyy pointless by-election at Rochester & Strood in a couple of weeks. |
| 8 | CLOWNERY | Boris’s thing in front of the camera? Crew only embarrassed (8) (CREW ONLY)* AInd: embarrassed |
| 14 | LUCRATIVE | Ultra CV, i.e. dodgy as a top banker’s job? (9) (ULTRA CV IE)* AInd: Dodgy |
| 16 | ABRASIVE | Bloody group underwear one has produces chafing (8) A (blood group) BRAS (underwear) I’VE (one has) |
| 18 | ONE-EYED | Balls covered with honey (not hot, but energy-filled), Cyclops-style? (3-4) ED (Balls) underneath HONEY – H + E |
| 20 | DECIBEL | Sound unit secured by celeb getting pissed with Di (7) (CELEB DI)* AInd: getting pissed |
| 21 | CREDIT | Crooked direct bank loan? (6) DIRECT* AInd: crooked |
| 23 | WILDE | Labour leader engaged in off-target wit (5) L[abour] inside WIDE |
| 25 | NAMED | Called in Cameron, a mediocrity (5) Hidden in cameroN A MEDiocrity |
I threw a ball for my dog.
Extravagant, I know, but it was his 18th birthday.
Never got 13ac – there are just too many words fitting the crossing letters. 5d was a new word for me.
Hardest Cyclops I can remember. Took ages to get 9a , 12a, 13a & 28a .12a seemed contrived .Most dictionaries define a tosspot as a drunkard rather than a fool.