Azed 2,217

This is the last time you will see me for a while unless someone else decides to go on holiday. It is also the first time I have been scheduled to blog an Azed since the three I covered back in the summer of 2009, but not much seems to have changed since then, at least so far as Azed’s puzzles go (OK, I know, the recommended dictionary has been updated during this period).

As happens so often with Azed, looking back through the clues once the puzzle had been solved I wondered why I didn’t see some of the more obscure words during my first pass through the clues since, with hindsight, the wordplay was perfectly clear.

As usual I made extensive use of my electronic version of Chambers (I wouldn’t even attempt Azed’s puzzles if I didn’t have this facility), perhaps even more so than usual due to the number of obscurities in this one. However, in my customary fashion, I warmed up with Everyman before starting Azed and the two were finished before breakfast so I think this puzzle didn’t take as long to solve as some of Azed’s do. Does that mean it was easier? Probably not, I was just in the right frame of mind today, possibly due to it being a bright and sunny morning for a change.

Across
1 Primer, easy to mix with brush (no hurry) (5)
ABSEY – an anagram (to mix) of EASY B[rush] (brush (no hurry))

8 Bewildered once, having lost last letter in rostrum (4)
BEMA – BEMA[d] (bewildered once, having lost last letter)

12 Sow back behind shelter, like piggies? (6)
LEETLE – LEE (shelter) ELT (sow) reversed (back)

13 Foolish Scots greeting stylish vigour (6)
HIELAN – HI (greeting) ÉLAN (stylish vigour)

14 It’s silly to buy food that makes one feel detached? (9)
OUT-OF-BODY – an anagram (it’s silly) of TO BUY FOOD

16 Herb Mac cultivated, something found on Scottish mount (7)
BRECHAM – an anagram (cultivated) of HERB MAC – the ‘mount’ in this case being a horse

17 Tile left in glen (5)
DALLE – L (left) in DALE (glen)

18 Citrous and glutinous (4)
LIMY – double def.

19 Mouldy gems one’s included in fare? (12)
CHEESEMONGER – an anagram (mouldy) of GEMS ONE in CHEER (fare) – had ‘gem’ been a type of cheese then I would have said that this is an &lit, but as it isn’t I’ll just say that the whole clue needs to be read as the definition

21 I split about relation, regardless (12)
IRRESPECTIVE – I RIVE (I split) around (about) RESPECT (relation)

24 Tête-à-tête revealing some bits of ana? (4)
SOFA – hidden in (some) ‘bitS OF Ana’

26 Serpent – what figures prominently in Genesis recalled it? (5)
KRAIT – ARK (what figures prominently in Genesis) reversed (recalled) IT

28 Number associated with darts displaying gut! (7)
NARROWS – N (number) ARROWS (darts) – narrows = gut = a narrow passage

30 Drum beaten with a tool, device to vary pitch (9)
MODULATOR – an anagram (beaten) of DRUM A TOOL

31 Beer I’m brewing in ancient vessel (6)
BIREME – an anagram (brewing) of BEER I’M

32 Sort of partition (with reference to fruit) (6)
REPLUM – RE (with reference to) PLUM (fruit) – &lit

33 Nurse accompanying a paramilitary force in India (4)
SENA – SEN (nurse) A

34 Back strain interrupting odd bits of poem, blow for poet (5)
PEYSE – SYE (strain) reversed (back) in (interrupting) P[o]E[m] (odd bits of poem)

Down
1 Murray two up? So one’s heard (5)
ALOUD – AL (Murray) DUO (two) reversed (up)

2 Claptrap about Evangelical Union in Nonconformist venue (6)
BEULAH – BLAH (claptrap) around (about) EU (Evangelical Union)

3 Decisive blow for colonist (7)
SETTLER – double def.

4 It’s famous for its mess (10 letters) (4)
ETON – E TO N (10 letters) – Eton mess

5 Gritty stuffing for saucisse? Peer wobbled unsteadily under pressure (12)
PEBBLE-POWDER – P (pressure) plus an anagram (unsteadily) of PEER WOBBLED

6 Less than what was promised? It certainly involves mother getting upset (12, 2 words)
SHORT MEASURE – SA (it) SURE (certainly) around (involves) an anagram (getting upset) of MOTHER

7 Lateral hair sinks, not fashionable but coiled in knots (9)
SIDELOCKS – S[in]KS (sinks, not fashionable) around (but) an anagram (in knots) of COILED – but = without = outside of (according to Chambers)

9 One in embassy captivated by angel chimes (5)
ELCHI – hidden in (captivated by) ‘angEL CHImes’

10 How to address a palm-reader (demented soul)? (6)
MADAME – MAD (demented) AME (soul)

11 Hopelessness? Some must accept what’s at its centre (5)
ANOMY – ANY (some) around (must accept) [s]OM[e] (what’s at its centre)

15 Low upwardly mobile Gentlemen will gather in dining quarters (9)
MESS-ROOMS – MESSRS (Gentlemen) around (will gather in) MOO (low) reversed (upwardly mobile)

20 Tiny gal? Quite wrong – colossal (7)
GIANTLY – an anagram (quite wrong) of TINY GAL

22 Crew man on dry land, one in bar that is (6)
ROADIE – A (one) in ROD (bar) IE (that is)

23 In Burgundy you must imbibe what’s currently seasonal – red or white? (6)
VINOUS – VOUS (in Burgundy you) around (must imbibe) IN (currently seasonal)

24 Empty sign on dismantled bus stops (5)
SNUBS – S[ig]N (empty sign) plus an anagram (dismantled) of BUS

25 It was sub-zero for embattled sailors (5)
FRORN – an anagram (embattled) of FOR plus RN (sailors)

27 English despatched in mutinous Meerut, a veteran squad (5)
TURME – an anagram (mutinous) of ME[e]RUT (English despatched in … Meerut)

29 One of nibbles gives bits of cheeky amorousness when applied to this! (4)
NAPE – [ca]NAPÉ (one of nibbles gives {minus} bits of c[heeky] a[morousness])