I found this tricky. There is much to be enjoyed in here though, so well worth persevering.
I think what made this tricky for me is that Wanders chooses definitions that look like they could be part of the wordplay. I didn’t know at which end of the clue I should be looking to find the definition. A few &lits or semi-&lits complicated the matter further. Thanks Wanderer.
| Across | ||
| 1 | MAGIC NUMBERS |
Embracing sum rounded to significant figures in physics? (5,7)
(EMBRACING SUM)* anagram=rounded – values for constants in physics that are just right to allow the Universe to exist as we know it, but no explanation yet as to why they must be so. Hence they are known as ‘magic numbers’. |
| 8 | HENBANE |
Toxic growth of gas in French bean stews (7)
H (hydrogen, a gas) EN (in, French) BEAN* anagram=stews – a poisonous plant (growth) |
| 9 | LAID LOW |
Reduced to inactivity, face the other way and look west (4,3)
DIAL (face) reversed (the other way) then LO (look) W (west) – dial=’face the other way’, excellent! |
| 11 | SLOE GIN |
Drink makes lines go fuzzy (4,3)
(LINES GO)* anagram=fuzzy |
| 12 | NETBALL |
Girl holds bat, playing game (7)
NELL (girl) holds BAT* anagram=playing |
| 13 | ENDOW |
Fund that’s in 19 down! (5)
found inside nineteEN DOWn – devious! Sent me on a wild goose chase for a while. |
| 14 | CAROLLERS |
People who sing about posh cars (9)
CA (circa, about) ROLLERS (posh cars) |
| 16 | FOOTRESTS |
Those supporting legend after split (9)
FOOT (leg end, legen when split) RESTS (those that support) – definition is sort of &lit, sort of cryptic |
| 19 | FLORA |
Content of gut showing one of the early signs of flatulence? (5)
F, L OR A are letters found at the front (early signs) of FLAtulence |
| 21 | EXPENDS |
Lays out dead writer (died Saturday or Sunday) (7)
EX (dead) PEN (writer) D (died) S (could be either Saturday or Sunday) |
| 23 | RISOTTO |
When cooked, it’s perhaps given stir too (7)
anagram (when cooked it’s perhaps given) of STIR TOO – definition is &lit |
| 24 | DEPLETE |
Pail expert emptied in river or drain (7)
PaiL ExperT (both emptied, no middle) in DEE (river) |
| 25 | IMITATE |
Follow as a model has topless stint at tea dances (7)
LIMIT (stint) missing first letter (topless) then TEA* anagram=dances |
| 26 | PRESENT TENSE |
Bit of grammar now taught on the radio? (7,5)
PRESENT (now) TENSE (taut) taut sounds like taught on the radio |
| Down | ||
| 1 | MANHOOD |
Lunch box, no ham? Do get upset! (7)
anagram (get upset) of NO HAM DO |
| 2 | GLASGOW |
Great header, City’s goal in first- half – winning start for City (7)
Great (first letter, header) LA’S (city’s) GOal (first half of) Winning (first letter, start of) |
| 3 | CREW NECKS |
Types of jumper in which man drinks (4,5)
crew (man, as a verb) NECKS (drinks) |
| 4 | UHLAN |
Cavalryman in National Hunt set-up (5)
found reversed (set-up) inside natioNAL HUnt |
| 5 | BRISTOL |
Sailing ship docked before many turned up in port (7)
BRIg (sailing ship, docked=unfinished) before LOTS (many) reversed (turned up) |
| 6 | RELEASE |
About to let loose (7)
RE (about) LEASE (to let) |
| 7 | CHESTERFIELD |
Seat in city area (12)
CHESTER (city) FIELD (area) – a sofa |
| 10 | WELL-SEASONED |
Spring tide journalist experienced (4-8)
WELL (epring) TIDE (season) ED (editor, journalist) |
| 15 | RESTRAINT |
Tie Stranraer lost, the Gunners having gone for it (9)
anagram (lost) of |
| 17 | ON PAPER |
Working daily, in theory (2,5)
ON (working) PAPER (daily) |
| 18 | RANGERS |
Rovers’ football team (7)
double definition – Glasgow Rangers |
| 19 | FASHION |
Make way (7)
double definition |
| 20 | OUTRAGE |
Not in 19 down? Shock, horror! (7)
OUT (not in) RAGE (fashion) |
| 22 | SKEIN |
Geese flying east in film (5)
E (east) in SKIN (film) |
definitions are underlined
Thanks PeeDee and Wanderer,
I think you are right about what makes these clues challenging (and fun).
Re 15d RESTRAINT – it is anagram of Stranraer, minus RA and plus “it”.
Yes a bit of a struggle, but I got there in the end. Did not know gut flora in 19ac, (nor could I parse it so thanks PeeDee), although I could not see it could be anything other than ‘flora’ once I had all the crossing letters. I like the parallelism of Glasgow Rangers in column 5 and Bristol Fashion in column 11….
So it is muffyword. Fixed now.
Thanks Wanderer and PeeDee
23ac: I think the anagram fodder here is “stir too”. The whole of “When cooked, it’s perhaps given” can be taken as the anagram indicator.
Correct Pelham. When I re-read it now my explanation for 23ac it clearly doesn’t make any sense, it doesn’t even produce the right solution. I wish these things were so obvious at the time of writing!
Thanks both. I might not have persevered and eventually finished were it not for your encouragement to do so. As you said in your preamble much to be enjoyed.
Thanks PeeDee and Wanderer.
I messed up in the SE corner having opted for a doubtful ‘well-schooled’ at 10dn (school of thought/tide of opinion?). This left me with a dodgy ‘Froth’ at 19ac.
Very much liked the misdirection of ’19 down’ in 13ac – glad I saw through that little ruse.
Still not sure about ‘limit’ for ‘stint’ in 25ac but otherwise respect to Wanderer. You beat me this time – but I’ll be back!
Thanks Wanderer and PeeDee
Completed this one last week, but only got to check it off tonight. A lot to like here and one needed to be on one’s toes in order to pick up on those subtle definitions. Like others, I especially liked the misdirection with ENDOW – and enhanced by having another (20 down) which did, in fact, redirect one to the answer of 19 down.
Didn’t see the clever parsing of FLORA – with the excellent surface, had assumed that the whole clue gave the answer. At 7d, I lazily took the city of CHESTERFIELD in Derbyshire to be the referred one, but clearly that wasn’t the intent. Read 16a as a pure cryptic clue.
Thought that the convoluted construction of DEPLETE was well captured in a very good surface.