The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26602.
This one gave me more trouble than Paul’s offerings have recently; I had the right half finished before getting anything in the left, and the NW quadrant was last of all.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BLOATER |
Fatty fish (7)
Somewhere between a cryptic definition and a double definition. |
| 5 | LOOK-SEE |
“Fail” about right, poor grade for examination (4-3)
An envelope (‘about’) of OK (‘right’) on LOSE (‘fail’) plus E (‘low grade’). |
| 9 | ALIBI |
Defence shown by boxer with giant cut (5)
A charade of ALI (‘boxer’) plus BI[g] (‘giant’) without its last letter (‘cut’). |
| 10 |
See 26
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| 11 | DONALD DUCK |
Character billed as land devastated — do nothing about it (6,4)
An envelope (‘about it’) of NALD, a anagram (‘devastated’) of ‘land’ in ‘do’ plus DUCK (‘nothing’). |
| 12 | THOR |
Spike Milligan’s back scrubbed? God! (4)
THOR[n] (‘spike’) without the N (‘MilligaN‘s back scrubbed’). |
| 14 | JAM TOMORROW |
Expectation of rush hour delays, an empty promise? (3,8)
Definition and literal interpretation. |
| 18 | TEST MATCHES |
Demonstrate that it’s possible to light up games (4,7)
Definition and literal interpretation. |
| 21 | CHAT |
Bird jaw (4)
Double definition. |
| 22 | PLASTICINE |
In ecstasy after short film packages endure? That’s the stuff of Wallace and Gromit (10)
An envelope (‘packages’) of LAST (‘endure’) in PIC (‘short film’) plus ‘in’ plus E (‘ecstasy’). |
| 25 | LABORIOUS |
Tough promises by Miliband’s lot, or … (9)
LABOR IOUS. Has Paul crossed the pond? There is a ‘say’ on the far side of the ellipsis – at a distance, and it hardly applies in any case. Also, ‘Milliband’s lot’ shall we say does not have the force it once did. |
| 26,10 | PETER PRINCIPLE |
… safe leader, say, rising to a height of incompetence, as a rule (5,9)
A charade of PETER (‘safe’) plus PRINCIPLE, a homophone (‘say’) of PRINCIPAL (‘leader’). I represent that remark. |
| 27 | RELATED |
Similar, it’s told (7)
Double definition. |
| 28 | LARGELY |
Dutch painter admits not all of art good, in general (7)
An envelope (‘admits’) of ‘ar[t]’ without its last letter (‘not all’) plus G (‘good’) in LELY (Peter, 17th century ‘Dutch painter’). |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BRANDY |
Mark Antony’s extreme spirit (6)
A charade of BRAND (‘mark’) plus Y (‘AntonY‘s extreme’). |
| 2 | ONIONS |
Bulbs shining, these charged (6)
A charade of ON (‘shining’) plus IONS (‘these charged’). |
| 3 | TRIPLE JUMP |
Journey ends in the hajj, entering mass event (6,4)
An envelope (‘entering’) of EJ (‘ends in thE hajJ‘) in TRIP (‘journey’) plus LUMP (‘mass’). |
| 4 | RAPID |
Fleet seeks power in attack (5)
An envelope (‘in’) of P (‘power’) in RAID (‘attack’). |
| 5 | LOINCLOTH |
Pass up around hip, unwilling to go lower for wrap-around garment (9)
An envelope (‘around’) of IN (‘hip’) in LOC, a reversal (‘up’ in a down light) of COL (‘pass’) plus LOTH (‘unwilling’). ‘to go lower’ emphasises the order of the particles, and there is the suggestion of an extended definition. |
| 6 | ORCA |
Black and white beast turning up in zebra crossing (4)
A hidden reversed answer (‘turning up’) in ‘zebrA CROssing |
| 7 | SAPPHIRE |
Stone — rock perhaps describing one (8)
An envelope (‘describing’) of I (‘one’) in SAPPHRE, an anagram (‘rock’) of ‘perhaps’. |
| 8 | EYEBROWS |
A couple faced listening to what a cow says she does? (8)
A homophone (‘listenig to’) of I BROWSE (‘what a cow says she does’). |
| 13 | WORSHIPPER |
Queue up with overseas trader for prayer (10)
A charade of WOR, a reversal (‘up’ in a down light) of ROW (‘queue’) plus SHIPPER (‘overseas trader’). |
| 15 | METALLOID |
Arsenic, for example, in it: old meal poisoned (9)
An anagram (‘poisoned’) of ‘it old meal’. |
| 16 | STICKLER |
Perfectionist, model ultimately wearing label (8)
An envelope (‘wearing’) of L (‘modeL ultimately’) in STICKER (‘label’). |
| 17 | ISTANBUL |
Transcontinental location, a Butlins resort (8)
An anagram (‘resort’) of ‘a Butlins’. |
| 19 | LITTLE |
Minor left among offspring, having bottom wiped (6)
An envelope (‘among’) of L (‘left’) in LITTE[r] (‘offspring’) without its last letter (‘having bottom wiped’). |
| 20 | HEARTY |
At sea, tar yeh? (6)
An anagram (‘at sea’) of ‘tar yeh’, &lit. |
| 23 | SISAL |
Fibre found in legumes is a lot (5)
A hidden answer (‘found in’) in ‘legumeS IS A Lot’.
|
| 24 | GRIT |
Bits of stone balls (4)
Double definition. |
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