A masterclass from Sleuth in setting a fairly easy puzzle that is nevertheless a pleasure to solve.
There was some splendid stuff here: razor-sharp clueing and smoothly witty surfaces. If I were in the mood to grumble, I’d have a bit of a moan about the high number of anagrams and, perhaps, the slightly repetititious use of elaborate charades, but I’m not, so I won’t. Thank-you, Sleuth.
| Across | ||
| 1 | LABOUR OF LOVE |
Blue oval roof constructed? It’s not done for gain (6,2,4)
Anagram of blue oval roof
|
| 8 | ENCLASP |
Embrace northern type almost breaking old record (7)
N [northern] clas(s) [type] within EP [Extended Play, old record]
|
| 9 | STOPGAP |
Interim post reviewed, one held by doctor (7)
Anagram of post a [one] within GP [doctor]
|
| 11 | HANDLER |
Police employee US writer caught out (7)
(C)handler [(English-born) US writer Raymond] minus c [caught]
|
| 12 | STORAGE |
Wise figure keeping to right for reservation? (7)
To r [right] within sage [wise figure]
|
| 13 | ON CUE |
At the right time or at a former time touring university? (2,3)
U [university] within once [at one time]
|
| 14 | ARISTOTLE |
Peer introducing invention, not a noted thinker (9)
Aristo [peer] tale [invention] minus a
|
| 16 | HUSBANDRY |
One in union network gets farming task (9)
Husband [one in union] ry [railway, network]
|
| 19 | IRATE |
Cross protected by choir at evensong (5)
Hidden in choIR AT Evensong
|
| 21 | BUS PASS |
Singer grasping feature that’s distinctive in travel concession (3,4)
USP [Unique Selling Point, feature that’s distinctive] within bass [singer]
|
| 23 | EXPLOIT |
See in old squalid place milk (7)
Lo [see] within ex [old] pit [squalid place]
|
| 24 | AVIATOR |
Ace, say, initially always valuable in alarming tennis opponents? Rather (7)
Initial letters in Always Valuable In Alarming Tennis Opponents Rather
|
| 25 | GONDOLA |
New star missing India entering Indian territory in narrow boat (7)
N [new] idol [star] minus I [India] within Goa [Indian territory]
|
| 26 | MICROBREWERY |
Mild supplier in diminutive form? (12)
Cryptic definition
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | LACONIC |
Brief of those not ministers to restrain right winger (7)
Con [Conservative, right-winger] within laic [of those not ministers]
|
| 2 | BRAILLE |
Type that’s raised liberal eccentric (7)
Anagram of liberal
|
| 3 | UPPER HAND |
Mastery? It’s linked to sole labourer (5,4)
Upper [part of shoe that’s attached to the sole] hand [labourer]
|
| 4 | OASIS |
British band in place of relief (5)
Double definition
|
| 5 | LOOKOUT |
Blooming appearance first giving concern (7)
Look [appearance] out [blooming]
|
| 6 | VAGRANT |
Aged relative beset by tax is nomadic type (7)
Gran [aged relative] within VAT [(Value Added) Tax]
|
| 7 | TECHNOPHOBIA |
Habit one cop developed around hotel – revealing a fear of PCs? (12)
H [hotel] within anagram of habit one cop
|
| 10 | PREFERENTIAL |
Quiet judge in contest snubbed Latin criminal – showing discrimination? (12)
P [piano, quiet] refere(e) [judge in contest] anagram of Latin
|
| 15 | IVY LEAGUE |
Current university expelling amateur in woolly academic grouping (3,6)
I [current] Yale [university] minus a [amateur] within vague [woolly]
|
| 17 | SASHIMI |
His aim’s cooking eastern dish (7)
Anagram of his aims
|
| 18 | ADAPTOR |
A promotion of flat with prominent feature – electrical feature? (7)
A reversal of pad [flat] tor [prominent feature]
|
| 19 | IMPINGE |
Warriors with no good expressions primarily encroach (7)
Impi [Zulu warriors] initial letters of No Good Expressions
|
| 20 | APOLOGY |
A defensive mistake admitted by college in regretful explanation (7)
A OG [own goal, defensive mistake] within poly [college, polytechnic]
|
| 22 | SCRUB |
Get rid of stunted vegetation (5)
Double definition
|
Thanks Sleuth and Ringo – I largely agree with your opening comments. Enjoyed this one but went wrong on 18d, for which I had adapter (AD=promotion, APT=flat, then something to do with E([A]R). Should have thought harder!
I won’t grumble either – splendid puzzle just right for solving on a busy day. Thanks to Sleuth and Ringo.
Thanks Sleuth and Ringo
A nice straightforward puzzle to keep the numbers rolling.
First in was the rock band, OASIS, and the last one in was STORAGE. A couple of new terms – USP, O.G. and ARISTO.
Parsed a couple wrongly – the O.G. in APOLOGY and ‘refere(e)’ in PREFERENTIAL.
Still all good fun.