I write this as an atrocity unfolds in Paris.
Sometimes there are more important things in life than crosswords. So this week’s report is brief
I did enjoy this puzzle with some typically lovely Anax touches – thanks Anax. 17ac was my favourite
Vive la France!
Et les mots croisés ainsi. Merci Anax.
Key
* anagram
Rev. reverse
Underline – definition
DD double definition
Across
1 In dialect, spoken literature doesn’t follow (5)
Homonym of Books (in dialect) = BUCKS
4 Modest about power and Tory protection (9)
Coy (modest) about p (power) + right (Tory) = COPYRIGHT
9 Sleep on Kojak’s idea (7)
Theo (Kojak) + rem (sleep) = THEOREM
10 Ornament from slices cut from cloth (7)
Deck (ornament) around fro (from) = DEFROCK
11 Not for tea – unknown Huxley novel (5, 3)
Anti Cha (not for tea) + y (unknown) = ANTIC HAY
12 Tell wicked uncle about one (4, 2)
(uncle)* abou i (one) = CLUE IN
14 They’d lure one travelling around British territory far away (3, 4, 6)
(theyd lure one + b)* = THE BLUE YONDER
17 London landlord’s introduction to 20 (7, 6)
Cryptic definition CAPITAL LETTER (20 is sentence)
19 RAF target 1D? (6)
1dn is Bit parts b and it = BANDIT
20 Time? Or period following it?
DD SENTENCE
23 What about “very good knock” as a memorial? (7)
Eh (what) about Pi (very good) + tap (knock) = EPITAPH
24 Clown both upright and corrupt (7)
Pier (upright) + rot (corrupt) = PIERROT
25 What other earnings will keep behind (2, 3, 4)
Hidden whaT OTHER EARnings = TO THE REAR
26 It should be great for surfing, dude (5)
Cryptic double definiton = SWELL
DOWN
1 No leads chewed, tied up (3, 5)
Bit (chewed) + Rev(strap(tied)) = BIT PARTS
2 Escape cold and warm up (5)
C (cold) + heat (warm up) = CHEAT
3 Highly personal reality TV script re-written (8, 7)
(reality TV script) = STRICTLY PRIVATE
4 Motorcade struggles to keep parking alongside (8, 2)
(motorcade + mp)* = COMPARED TO
5 When a duke’s packing, I should add notebooks (4)
a + d (duke) in PS (I should add) = PADS
6 After he’s upset (7, 8)
(after hes)* with new anagram indicator = RUFFLED FEATHERS
7 Travel across lake and promise to shorten travel (9)
Go (travel) around l(lake) + Betroth (promise) – h (shorten) = GLOBETROT
8 Able to stand, cheers the greatest (6)
Ta (cheers) + king (the greatest) = TAKING
13 One is given if 17 starts (10)
17 is capital letter making Given as in Shay Given a GOALKEEPER
15 One had 20 x 2 parts to chuck out (2-7)
x + con (chest (as in 2dn) in evict (chuck out) = EX-CONVICT
16 Old individual in hire car from China, say? (8)
O(old) + i (individual) in rental (hire car) = ORIENTAL
18 Be in opposition’s goal (6)
DD OBJECT
21 Bottle still raised, runs in (5)
Rev even(still) about r (run) = NERVE
22 Reported leak that’s thrilling (4)
Homonym of Wee (leak) = WHEE
I don’t drop in to the site too often any more because of work commitments, but I had to say how much I enjoyed this puzzle. I thought the linked BIT PARTS/BANDIT clues were superb, as was the clue for GOALKEEPER once the penny dropped. The events in Paris were indeed appalling.
I did this whilst waiting to see the dentist. Fortunately neither had pulling of teeth required. The bandit and bucks clues held me up nicely.thanks anax quite enjoyed a couple of days late after blowing up fireworks on the day. Did wonder if 17 or 18 were originally linked
Smashing puzzle with superb clueing. My only gripe would be in Lancashire we don’t pronounce books like bucks.
I found this unaccountably difficult, but ultimately very satisfying. I particularly enjoyed the moment of realisation on 13D. Does the “One is…” also refer to the goalkeeper’s usual shirt number, 1, or is that an unnecessary over-interpretation of the clue?
My one lingering uncertainty was the definition part for TAKING at 8D. How is ‘able to stand’ synonymous with taking? I couldn’t think of a sentence where the two would be interchangeable, but am I missing the obvious?
Many thanks for the blog, twencelas, and to commenters.
And hi there Tramp! Funnily enough, I added ‘in dialect’ on edit precisely because some peeps say it one way and some another.
ANax: of course you did: silly me!