One short
Apologies, was a bit rushed today due top work commitments, so excuse the brevity of this blog.
I couldn’t work out one of the ACROSS answers, and don’t know how to parse 1ac.
| Across | ||
| 1 | ENSURE |
Make certain of result by capturing castle (6)
Not sure how this works – sorry! Is ENSURE a chess term? |
| 4 | LONG STOP |
Fielder desperately wants spinner (4,4)
LONGS TOP You need to know your cricket fielding positions to be good at cryptic crosswords! |
| 10 | CHAPERONE |
Guard of honour provides tea for each individual (9)
CHA-PER-ONE |
| 11 | SLIER |
Small recliner is more smart (5)
S LIER |
| 12 | LOOP |
Ring bank back (4)
POOL=> |
| 13 | QUITE RIGHT |
Left crew cuddling redhead? Exactly! (5,5)
QUIT E(R)IGHT |
| 15 | PIERROT |
Entertainer has support crumble (7)
PIER ROT
|
| 16 | PUNTER |
Boat’s propeller is better (6)
Double definition – one propelling a punt and one putting on a bet |
| 19 | LAYMAN |
Parishioner put down fiancé (6)
LAY MAN |
| 21 | ARMOURY |
Militia protecting our weapons store (7)
ARM(OUR)Y |
| 23 | INSANITARY |
A rector in delirium is unhealthy (10)
INSANIT (A R) Y |
| 25 |
Pass on purpose (4)
Don’t know – is it KILL (make someone pass on purpose?) or WILL (something to do with PURPOSE)? |
|
| 27 | THORN |
God has a name that has a point (5)
THOR-N |
| 28 | ADDICTION |
Caught in increasing dependence (9)
ADDI(C)TION |
| 29 | PESTERED |
Penny steered badly when driven round the bend (8)
P *(steered) |
| 30 | KEENER |
More enthusiastic mourner (6)
Double definition |
| Down | ||
| 1 | ESCALOPE |
Look in skip for meat (8)
ESCA(LO)PE |
| 2 | SOAP OPERA |
Flattery works in drama (4,5)
SOAP = “flattery OPERA (plural of OPUS) |
| 3 | REEK |
German gets away from Mediterranean smell (4)
G removed from GREEK |
| 5 | ONE-STEP |
Poteen’s brewed for the dance (3-4)
*(poteen’s) |
| 6 | GASTRONOMY |
Good science provides good food (10)
G-ASTRONOMY |
| 7 | THING |
Poor girl’s obsession (5)
THIN – G G for GIRL; trying to think if I’ve ever seen that? |
| 8 | PIRATE |
Rodent tucked into food for Rover (6)
PI(RATE)E |
| 9 | ROBUST |
Vehicle in process of decay? Tough! (6)
RO(BUS)T |
| 14 | PROMINENCE |
Fame for coppers capturing errant minor (10)
P (*minor) ENCE |
| 17 | ERUDITION |
Publication about sport shows scholarship (9)
E(RU)DITION, where RU = Rugby Union |
| 18 | EYELINER |
Examine vessel for cosmetic (8)
EYE-LINER |
| 20 | NUTCASE |
Fool can’t use production (7)
*(cant use) |
| 21 | ABRADE |
Wear down a nail with emery initially (6)
A BRAD E(mery) |
| 22 | TIPTOP |
Class overturn child’s toy (6)
TIP TOP |
| 24 | SPOTS |
Society has a lot of problems (5)
S POTS |
| 26 | ACME |
High point is when one embraces maiden (4)
AC(M)E |
Thanks Loonapick and Armonie.
1ac is ENSUE (result) capturing R (castle, Rook) – my take on it.
Quite a pleasurable challenge!
Cheers
TL
25ac is WILL as a double def for pass on and purpose.
Cheers
Mahesh
Of course, d’oh!!
Thanks, Turbolegs!
Thanks, loonapick. Minor quibble on 27a. God has name that has a point would be enough. Extra ‘a’ before name is an intended misdirection? Thanks, Armonie.
Thanks Armonie and loonapick
A bit harder than his offering as Chifonie in the Guardian on the same day. Had a couple of short goes at this during today before finishing it off on the train tonight.
Last one in was ENCORE which took a little time to understand what was going on with the parsing. Thought that REEK was quite clever – it was the second last to fall. Took me two tries before spelling ESCALOPE correctly and initially wrote in an unsatisfactory PROPER at 16a.
Enjoy his elegant charades and misdirection.
Hmm … that would be ENSURE not ENCORE as last in …