Just assume that nothing in there means what you think it does and you should have no problems… thanks Aardvark!
| Across | ||
| 1, 5 | TREASURE ISLAND |
Novel prize I malign without hesitation (8,6)
TREASURE (prize) I SLANDer (malign) missing ER (hesitation) |
| 9 | IRRIGATE |
Cook in boiling water (8)
RIG (cook) in IRATE (boiling) |
| 10 | TILLER |
One directs packet to central Somerset (6)
TILL (to) somERset (centre of) – a handle for the rudder on a boat (packet) |
| 12 | SCINTILLA |
A bit hurt during wild antics (9)
ILL (hurt) inside ANTICS* anagram=wild |
| 13 | IDYLL |
Some fully discussed retrospective poem (5)
found inside (some of) fuLLY DIscussed reversed (retrospective) |
| 14 | PAIR |
Match beginning in party atmosphere (4)
Party (beginning letter of) and AIR (atmosphere) |
| 16 | PROSAIC |
Dull experts reflecting intelligence (7)
PROS (experts) then CIA (intelligence agency) reversed (reflecting) |
| 19 | CAFE BAR |
Bachelor in panic, going on about where to drink (4,3)
B (bachelor) in FEAR (panic) following (going on) CA (circa, about) |
| 21 | MYTH |
Fairy story writer’s wanting first and last to teach (4)
MY (the writer’s) with (wanting) TeacH (first and last to, letters of) |
| 24 | OVERT |
Public old green in Provence (5)
O (old) VERT (green, French, in Provence) |
| 25 | PERTINENT |
Appropriate training drained Robert in medical department (9)
PE (physical exercise, training) RoberT (drained, no middle) IN ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat, hospital department) |
| 27 | LISBON |
City’s the centrepiece for A-list bigwig on the comeback (6)
a-LISt (the centrepiece for,middle of) then NOB (bigwig) reversed (on the comeback) |
| 28 | IMBECILE |
Stupid one putting insects back among decoration (8)
I (one) then LICE (insects) reversed (back) inside MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, a decoration) |
| 29, 30 | DANISH PASTRIES |
Bakery produce Prince, extremely adventurous, samples with tongue (6,8)
P (prince) AdventurouS )extremes of) TRIES (samples) following (with) DANISH (a language, tongue) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | THIRST |
Desire short-sleeved top, when moving south (6)
T-SHIRT (short sleeved top) with S (south) moved |
| 2 | EARWIG |
Bug creating rage around female group (6)
RAGE* anagram=creating contains WI (Women’s Institute, female goup) |
| 3 | SIGHT |
Sense this rising will stifle government (5)
THIS reversed (rising) contains (will stifle) G (government) |
| 4 | RATTLER |
Beyond river, one struggles to behead snake (7)
R (river) then bATTLER (one who struggles) beheaded (no first letter) |
| 6 | SPIT IT OUT |
Speak now to vacant upstart after one refuse area’s overturned (4,2,3)
TO UpstarT (vacant, no middle letters) following I (one) TIPS (refuse areas) all reversed (overturned) |
| 7 | ALLEYCAT |
Everyone joined Tracey right away handling stray animal (8)
ALL (everyone) with (joined) TrACEY* anagram=handling missing R=right |
| 8 | DERELICT |
Neglected food shop keeps on casual types primarily (8)
DELI (food shop) contains RE (regarding, on) then Casual Types (primarily, first letters of) |
| 11 | CARP |
Given fish, have a bone to pick (4)
dpuble definition |
| 15 | ALBATROSS |
High-flyer’s under-par performance? (9)
double definition – a three-under-par hole in golf |
| 17 | SCHOOLED |
Did train drive away, guided around cape (8)
SHOO (drive away) LED (guided) containing (around) C (cape) |
| 18 | AFTERSUN |
A Parisian attracted by sweet cream (8)
UN (a, Parisian, in French) following (attracted by) AFTERS (sweet) |
| 20 | RIPE |
Seasoned beef not the starter (4)
gRIPE (beef) missing starter |
| 21 | MARIMBA |
One makes music graduates entertain outer circle (7)
MA and BA (graduates) contain (entertain) RIM (outer circle) |
| 22 | GEMINI |
Modern artist seen among private stars (6)
Tracy EMIN (modern artist) inside (seen among) GI (private, soldier) |
| 23 | STRESS |
Force opening of safety lock (6)
Safety (opening letter of) TRESS (lock, hair) |
| 26 | INERT |
At home, regularly regret being immobile (5)
IN (at home) rEgReT (regular selection from) |
definitions are underlined
Just looked at the first three solutions to try and get into this. I don’t think I’ll bother trying to continue with it..
Your intro sums up this puzzle perfectly – very clever setting & most enjoyable.
Thanks PeeDee and Aardvark. Enjoyed this one – not easy, took me a couple of sessions. TILLER was my LOI.
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee
Found this pretty daunting at first, eventually getting INERT and SCINTILLA to open up two fronts. The ‘daunting-ness’ continued throughout with each clue having to be prised out of twisted logic. Even the last pair CAFE BAR and AFTERSUN resisted for a good while after the rest was done. Enjoyed the challenge immensely !!!
The misdirection away from the definition in most clues was masterly. The mark of it’s excellence comes from looking back over the answers – and there is not one sign of ambiguity in any part of them. Did momentarily think there may have been at 20d where I originally parsed TRIPE as beef, but then saw GRIPE – aha !
This was certainly a puzzle that hit the sweet spot. Well done, Aardvark !
Haha, nice puzzle 🙂 Smart enough… jasa penulisan artikel enjoy it. Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee…
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee.
Excellent intro to the blog PeeDee. This was certainly a masterclass in misdirection and I was ultimately beaten by SCHOOLED, AFTERSUN and CAFE BAR.
Aardvark also beat me with the full parsing of TILLER.
I struggled with the SW corner for so long that I thought I’d gone wrong but having read over the blog I only have even greater admiration for this setter.
Favourites are too many to mention although I think IRRIGATE was exceptional.
So thanks again.