An enjoyable puzzle. All the solutions are gettable but I thought some of the parsing was quite tricky. Thank you Aardvark.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BENCH PRESS |
Judges and paparazzi in lift (5,5)
BENCH (judges) and PRESS (paparazzi) |
| 6 | AGED |
Regularly distributed gang head over the hill (4)
gAnG hEaD (regular selection from) |
| 9 | EDWARD LEAR |
He wrote senselessly to harass leader governing electoral area (6,4)
LEADER* anagram=to harras contains (governing) WARD (electoral area) – he wrote Nonsense Verse |
| 10 | LAMB |
Sweet, innocent thing reportedly hit (4)
sounds like (reportedly) “lam” (hit) |
| 12 | GLOCKENSPIEL |
Music player, sleeping rough, covered hair (12)
SLEEPING* anagram=rough contains LOCK (hair) |
| 15 | ANTIPASTO |
Food worker over in heart of Ethiopia (9)
ANT (worker ant) then PAST (over) in ethIOpia (heart of) |
| 17 | OCTET |
Rowing crew starts to examine training after a month (5)
Examine Training (starting letetrs of) following OCT (month) |
| 18 | NIP IN |
Quickly enter current number when withdrawing (personal ID) (3,2)
N (number) I (current, electrical symbol) reversed (when withdrawing) and PIN (personal ID) |
| 19 | PETTICOAT |
Preferred to rearrange attic when storing old garment (9)
PET (preferred) and ATTIC* anagram=to rearrange containing O (old) |
| 20 | CREME FRAICHE |
Centre for kids includes farm that is shortly to manufacture dairy produce (5,7)
CRECHE (centre for kids) contains anagram (to manufacture) of FARM and IE (that is, shortly=abbrev) |
| 24 | REST |
Pause on empty seat (4)
RE (regarding, on) and SeaT (empty, no middle letters) |
| 25 | HOMOGENISE |
Make the same unsettling noise carrying grand into house (10)
NOISE* anagram=unsettling contains (carrying) G (grand) inside (into) HOME (house) |
| 26 | AUNT |
Six-footer embraces posh relative (4)
ANT (six footer) contains U (posh) |
| 27 | BARENTS SEA |
What skinny-dipper is at Ness swimming in mass of cold water? (7,3)
BARE (what skinny dipper is) and (AT NESS)* anagram=swimming |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BEER |
Booze improved when less sober (4)
BEttER (improved) missing (when less) TT (sober) |
| 2 | NEWS |
Gossip column’s latest exploit reported (4)
columN (latest, last letter) and EWS sounds like “use” (exploit) |
| 3 | HAROLD PINTER |
Dramatist rather shakily holding worn-out leg (6,6)
RATHER* anagram=shakily contains OLD (worn out) PIN (leg) |
| 4 | RELIC |
Souvenir left by one in sports ground (5)
L (left) by I (one) in REC (sports ground) |
| 5 | SCAPEGOAT |
One taking charge has better personality during day (9)
CAP (better) EGO (personality) in SAT (day) |
| 7 | GLACIATION |
Mostly pleased with agents breaking into geological development (10)
GLAd (pleased, mostly) then CIA (agents) and INTO* anagram=breaking |
| 8 | DEBILITATE |
Weaken one ignited during argument (10)
I (one) LIT (ignited) inside DEBATE (argument) |
| 11 | ASTONISHMENT |
Shock pastor inwardly, with odd hints about primates (12)
pASTOr (insides of) with HINTS* anagram=odd containing (about) MEN (primates, example of) |
| 13 | MAGNA CARTA |
John signed this article, rejected by journal, on speech of ex- president (5,5)
AN (article) reversed rejected following (by) MAG (journal) then CARTA sounds like (speech of)) Carter (ex-president) – charter signed by King John of England |
| 14 | STEPHENSON |
Old engineer puts his foot down to keep female working (10)
STEPS (puts his foot down) containing HEN (female) then ON (working) |
| 16 | SUPERNOVA |
Star’s late meal half-heartedly eaten in the end (eggs) (9)
SUPpER (late meal, half hearted) eateN (end of) and OVA (eggs) |
| 21 | IN ONE |
United captain on edge somewhat (2,3)
found inside (somewhat) captaIN ON Edge |
| 22 | HISS |
Noise from one scoffing? That man’s getting seconds (4)
HIS (taht man’s) and S (seconds) |
| 23 | BETA |
Gamble on a trial version (4)
BET (gamble) on A |
definitions are underlined
I agree with you about this puzzle, PeeDee. Thank you for the blog and for all your hard work throughout the year – that goes for all your colleagues, too. I don’t always respond because I usually do the crossword before the blog is published & by the time I get back to it everything I wanted to say has been said!
Thank you too to Aardvark – the above applies to you and the other setters too.
Thanks AARDVARK and PeeDee – an enjoyable solve indeed. There’s a minor correction needed to the parsing of 20A – it should read …and IE (that is, shortly=abbrev).
Aardvark is usually much harder, isn’t he?
I did this puzzle tonight while cooking a late dinner.
No dictionary or other forms of resources needed whatsoever.
All very sound.
I had to smile at OCTET = rowing crew.
Eight people in a rowing boat, in one hand an oar, in the other an oboe, a bassoon, a clarinet …..
Thanks PeeDee, and Aardvark for an enjoyable puzzle.
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee.
I’m another that really enjoyed this. Especially the convoluted constructions – such as ANTIPASTO, GLOCKENSPIEL and BARENTS SEA.
I felt that ‘working’ in 14dn was somewhat otiose – I took STEPS ON for ‘puts his foot down’ – but I suppose helps the surface.
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee
A backlog puzzle that I started on the train ride into work this morning and got to finish over lunch. Not too testing in comparison of what he can be, although CREME FRAICHE was new and took some work to get.
Must say that many of the constructions, especially of the down clues were a bit same-same as I cast the eye over them in retrospect.
Still a fun enough challenge and liked it. Finished in the bottom half with HOMOGENISE, CREME FRAICHE and IN ONE the last few in