I found this puzzle easy and as enjoyable as Mudds usually are. My clue of the week is 19d (FABULIST) and I would also single out 13a (LOBSTER POT).
I have adopted a new format for the blog this week but one that will be familiar to many of you as other bloggers on the site also use it. I am not sure yet whether I will stick with this format but will likely use it for the next few weeks.
| Across | ||
| 1 | HIPHOP |
Joint bound to get the rap (3-3)
HIP (joint) + HOP (bound)
|
| 4 | BRACELET |
Two allowed, one on the wrist? (8)
BRACE (two) + LET (allowed)
|
| 10 | TELLING |
Narration is effective (7)
Double definition
|
| 11 | CAPRICE |
Fancy better food (7)
CAP (better) + RICE (food)
|
| 12 | OINK |
Noise of the swine gets right around home (4)
IN (home) in OK (right)
|
| 13 | LOBSTER POT |
Best plot or otherwise – might there be a catch in it? (7,3)
Anagram of BEST PLOT OR
|
| 16 | SCREAM |
Cry a shade after first of spankings (6)
S[pankings] + CREAM (shade)
|
| 17 | MACHETE |
Comrade carrying Marxist weapon (7)
CHE (Marxist) in MATE (comrade)
|
| 20 | IMPETUS |
Force member into it, use chicanery (7)
MP (member) in anagram of IT USE
|
| 21 | PAGODA |
Fathers joining a temple (6)
PA (father) + GOD (father) + A (a)
|
| 24 | MICRONESIA |
Nice Maoris relocating to a subregion of Oceania (10)
Anagram of NICE MAORIS
|
| 25 | ESAU |
Biblical character sees value, every second (4)
[s]E[e]S [v]A[l]U[e]
|
| 27 | SO THERE |
Drunkard present in expression of defiance (2,5)
SOT (drunkard) + HERE (present)
|
| 29 | BELLINI |
Italian composer getting call in Italy (7)
BELL (call) + IN (in) + I (Italy)
|
| 30 | DONATION |
Body of people joining party as an act of charity (8)
DO (party) + NATION (body of people)
|
| 31 | BEAT IT |
Shoo! Spread one’s wings, perhaps? (4,2)
BE A TIT (spread one’s wings perhaps?). Thanks to Sil for completing my understanding of this one. |
| Down | ||
| 1 | HOTHOUSE |
Solver wearing tights in outdoor building (8)
THOU (solver) in HOSE (tights)
|
| 2 | PALINDROMIC |
Abba gig, and mum and dad like this? (11)
Double definition
|
| 3 | ODIN |
Wotan some god, inevitably (4)
Hidden word
|
| 5 | ROCK STAR |
Fashion “arts”, perhaps, for pop idol? (4,4)
ROCK (fashion) + anagram of ARTS. How does ‘fashion’ clue ‘rock’?
|
| 6 | COPPERHEAD |
Met chief, one so venomous (10)
COPPER HEAD (Met chief). I wonder if many Brits know of copperheads.
They are venomous snakes indigenous to the part of Virginia where I live.
|
| 7 | LEI |
Garland turning up in battlefield (3)
Reverse hidden word.
|
| 8 | TWENTY |
All Premier League football teams perished in trophy, completely gutted (6)
WENT (perished) in T[roph]Y
|
| 9 | AGLOW |
Silver and blue, radiant (5)
AG (silver) + LOW (blue)
|
| 14 | PATRON SAINT |
Country’s defender isn’t after pants or elastic (6,5)
Anagram of PANTS OR + AINT (isn’t)
|
| 15 | MALEVOLENT |
Evil mouse-like chap not heartless (10)
MALE VOLE (mouse-like chap) + N[o]T
|
| 18 | SUPEREGO |
Some personality, for example, in eccentric poseur (8)
EG (for example) in anagram of POSEUR
|
| 19 | FABULIST |
He tells stories, but fails to move (8)
Anagram of BUT FAILS
|
| 22 | AMUSED |
A coach with roof off in sea, diverted (6)
A (a) + [b]US (coach with roof off) in MED (sea)
|
| 23 | LIMBO |
Arm taken with old dance (5)
LIMB (arm) + O (old)
|
| 26 | SLOE |
Reportedly thick fruit (4)
Homophone (“slow”)
|
| 28 | TIN |
Vessel where egg turned up (3)
NIT (egg — of the louse) reversed
|
*anagram
Thanks Pete.
Your blog looks great!
31ac:
BEAT IT can also be seen as BE A TIT (think: bird) and therefore perhaps “spread one’s wings”.
Many years ago, I submitted a similar clue to John Halpern’s Cryptica clue-writing competition: ‘Imagine you’re a bird and get stuffed’.
Therefore, this was an easy header for me.
5d:
I agree, this doesn’t really work.
The clue is probably written as a reverse anagram: “Arts, perhaps?”, ‘arts’ can be obtained by rocking ‘star’.
“Fashion arts” is just an ordinary anagram device to get ‘star’ but not ‘rock’.
This looks like a messy mixed-up clue that is faulty.
Oh, and in 6d the first COPPER HEAD should be defined by ‘Met chief’ (using a capital, head of the Metropolitan Police.
But perhaps that is what you meant.
I thought that 28d might be tin ie nit (egg of the louse) reversed.
Thanks to Pete and to Mudd
I agree with ernie, I also had TIN.
You’ve convinced me and I have adjusted 28dn to be TIN. By curious coincidence I never knew until last week what a nit was.
Thanks Mudd and Pete
Did this one on the train to work yesterday morning, but only checked it off now. Also found this on the easier scale for Mudd.
No real stand outs, in fact pretty ho hum for JH – but interesting to find out that there are 20 teams in the EPL.
FInished in the SW corner with AMUSED and SUPEREGO the last couple in.
Pete, I liked your new format – made it much easier to read!
Several missing for me.
1d I don’t think I would ever have got that thou was required and while I’m familiar with a greenhouse , a hothouse I am not.
11a I was convinced this was cuisine purely on the grounds that Frank’s café serves food while Pierre’s Brasserie serves cuisine at the twice the price even though it is probably no better.
20a Just couldn’t see it
21a Couldn’t see god =father
6d Too hard for me I’m afraid. I don’t think I’ve come across the name copperhead and I don’t think I want to come across one either.
Thanks Mudd and Pete. I first looked at this after the first five comments were up, so I assume that Pete’s original answer for 28dn was TUN, which is what I had. Now the answers have been published, we know that TIN was intended, but I still think TUN is a valid alternative.
Excellent I thought and well up to Mudd’s usual standard, not ho-hum at all. Two very small quibbles: I didn’t like the definition by example in 6dn and the anagram indicator in 20ac (chicanery) is to me a good example of why nouns are bad for this.