Beelzebub 1337

This one was over rather quickly but I cannot explain why, it’s not as if there are no obscure words or complex wordplay in it.

Perhaps I was just on song because around 50% of the grid was filled during my first pass through the clues which is unusual for a Beelzebub.

Across
1 Flowering plant beginning to bloom in a part of fence (7)
ASTILBE – B[loom] (beginning to bloom) in A STILE (a part of fence)

7 Restaurant‘s distinguishing feature: having time for one (5)
TRATT – TRA[i]T (distinguishing feature) with T (time) replacing the i (one)

11 Describing key that’s entered slot on a lock (5)
TONAL – hidden in (that’s entered) ‘sloT ON A Lock’

12 Expression of contempt is evident in a male belief system (7)
BAHAISM – BAH (expression of contempt) IS in (evident in) A M (a male)

14 Ancient tunneller from former conflict embraced by politician (8)
MOLDWARP – OLD (former) WAR (conflict) in (embraced by) MP (politician)

15 Drug treated rich in-patient (13)
ANTINEPHRITIC – an anagram (treated) of RICH IN-PATIENT

18 Arranged to involve additional US military supplier (7)
ARMORER – ARR (arranged) around (to involve) MORE (additional)

19 A new play, left incomplete with other things (3,3)
AND ALL – A N (new) DALL[y] (play, left incomplete)

21 The object, say, in failure (6)
NON-EGO – EG (say) in NO-NO (failure)

23 Dictionary includes ‘morocco’, identifying local usage? (7)
DIALECT – DICT (dictionary) around (includes) ALE (morocco)

26 Religious traditionalist elates cleric bothered about love (13)
ECCLESIOLATER – an anagram (bothered) of ELATES CLERIC around (about) O (love)

29 Chattering women having a laugh outside (8)
ATWITTER – W (women) in (having … outside) A TITTER (a laugh)

30 Article – something linked to Salad Days – about tense performer (7)
ACTRESS – A (article) CRESS (something linked to Salad Days) around (about) T (tense)

31 Bury one’s news about ancient city (5)
INURN – I (one) NN (news) around (about) UR (ancient city)

32 Bears circling the old US President (5)
HAYES – HAS (bears) around (circling) YE (the old)

33 Action taken with desire for returning spare wheel (7)
STEPNEY – STEP (action taken) YEN (desire) reversed (for returning)

Down
1 Carpet, curiously made, filling in the style of British artist (4-6)
ALMA-TADEMA – MAT (carpet) plus an anagram (curiously) of MADE in (filling) ALA (in the style of)

2 Local hard individual enshrined in street name (6)
STONEN – ONE (individual) in (enshrined in) ST (street) N (name)

3 I absorb rising support (5)
INDIA – IN (absorb) AID (support) reversed (rising)

4 Canon, nerveless, fumbling, neglecting right part of vestment (4,7)
LAWN SLEEVES – LAW (canon) plus an anagram (fumbling) of NE[r]VELESS (nerveless … neglecting right)

5 Barrel’s impression picked up in clay (5)
BLAES – B (barrel) SEAL (impression) reversed (picked up)

6 Some break a phalanx – lamed next? (4)
KAPH – hidden in (some) ‘breaK A PHalanx’

7 Met with chlorine possibly in one level of lake (11)
THERMOCLINE – an anagram (possibly) of MET CHLORINE

8 Sermon expressing love in part? (6)
RATION – [o]RATION (sermon expressing love)

9 Isn’t going to enclosure at Ayr racecourse (7)
AINTREE – AIN’T (isn’t) REE (enclosure at Ayr)

10 Anagram of ‘this’? Language! (4)
TSHI – an anagram of THIS

13 I’m upset about noise over radiation from biological samples (10)
MICROARRAY – I’M reversed (upset) C (about) ROAR (noise) RAY (radiation)

16 Decision‘s earliest component? (5)
PARTI – PART 1 (earliest component)

17 Greed sees energy given to robbery, nothing less (7)
EDACITY – E (energy) DAC[o]ITY (robbery, nothing less)

20 The greatest possible river attraction (6)
ALLURE – ALL (the greatest possible) URE (river)

22 Author increasingly eco-minded? Not entirely (6)
GREENE – GREENE[r] (increasingly eco-minded? Not entirely)

24 Namely, what to do with a broken-down car? (2,3)
TO WIT – TOW IT (what to do with a broken-down car)

25 Enjoy your mealtea, by implication? (3,2)
EAT UP – double def., the second cryptic – ‘tea’ is an anagram (UP) of EAT (tea, by implication)

27 Drug supplier about to undermine company (4)
COCA – CO (company) CA (about)

28 Section supporting crack troops in forward action? (4)
SASS – SAS (crack troops) S (section)

1 comment on “Beelzebub 1337”

  1. Thanks for that. I don’t remember much about this, except that I didn’t understand 3dn. Don’t think I thought of I for INDIA.6

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