Happy New Year! A relatively gentle start to 2016, with no major hold-ups, though there are a couple I might have struggled with a bit if I hadn’t had the checking letters.
Apologies for the fact that, in my last-minute rush, I forgot to fill in the entries at 23d and 27d in the grid. I only got round to completing it in Crossword Compiler and generating the exported graphic after I had done the rest of the blog, and Crossword Compiler defaults to putting Ds in the cells. I haven’t time to amend it this evening, but will try to do so tomorrow m0rning.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | CABER | Live in Clarkson’s favourite habitat? A tosser’s thing BE = live; in CAR = Clarkson’s favourite habitat Tossing the caber |
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| 10 | VANCOUVER | Virginia primarily underdressed in new top — for the city VA = Virginia; U = primarily underdressed; in N = new, COVER = top |
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| 11 | IRREGULAR | Terrorist organisation removing a soldier, not giving a shit routinely IR[A]; REGULAR = soldier. In the definition, for ‘giving’, read ‘having’. |
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| 13 | PASHTO | Common sexual feeling with “turn-over” tongue PASH = sexual feeling, in common parlance; TO = turnover Pashto |
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| 15 | UGLY MOOD | Hardly a pretty bad temper? Double definition of sorts |
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| 20 | HUMIDITY | Smell sex during off-beat DIY — steamy situation HUM = smell; IT = sex; in *(DIY) |
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| 21 | ETHNIC | Racial element of Elisabeth — nice! Hidden in ‘Elisabeth — nice’ |
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| 24/18 | HOUSE OF ILL REPUTE | Infamous gathering of MPs? Knock here Another sort-of double definition, with both definitions a bit cryptic. HOUSE = gathering of MPs. ‘Knocking shop’ is another term for ‘brothel’ |
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| 26 | CUTTHROAT | Ruthless hacking habit, maybe, appropriating truth casually *(truth), with ‘casually’ as the anagram indicator; in COAT = what one might wear (i.e. one’s habit) for hacking (on a horse) |
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| 28 | MUSIC HALL | Hot, penetrating Annie? Large variety H = hot; in Annie = example of a musical; L = large. Annie Hall might have been a bit of a red herring here. |
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| 29/12 | NORTH KOREA | Horror! Kent’s got rid of queen, restored a “democratic republic“! *(horor kent), i.e. minus R = queen, and with ‘restored’ as the anagram indicator; A |
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| Down | |||
| 1 | SCRIMP | Big spenders don’t text part absent member SCRI[pt]; MP = member |
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| 2/27 | DRAG HUNT | Transvestite minister to engage in country pursuit DRAG = transvestite; HUNT = the minister who is his own rhyming slang Drag hunting |
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| 3 | EVILS | Nick’s got day off — “misfortunes” [d]EVILS, Nick being the Devil, minus D (day) |
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| 4 | INTRIGUED | One turd Nige used was a schemer *(I turd Nige) |
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| 5 | MONKEY SUIT | Betting money on cards is a derisory toffish habit MONKEY = betting money (a stake of £500); SUIT = cards |
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| 6/19 | OVER THE HUMP | In crisis no more, having come to terms with a particular sex act? OVER = having come to terms with; THE = a particular; HUMP = sex act |
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| 7 | ORLANDO | Resort of alternative Labour leader with one party OR = alternative; L = Labour leader; AN = one; DO = party Orlando |
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| 9 | BARNSTORM | Block Corbyn’s last outburst to do some energetic vote-seeking BAR = block; N = Corbyn’s last [letter]; STORM = outburst |
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| 14 | THIRD REICH | Dirt rich, he’s unfortunately forming a seriously racist state *(dirt rich he), with ‘unfortunately’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 16 | ONE IN FOUR | Liberal reunion of … just 25% *(reunion of), with ‘liberal’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 17 | PLUTOCRAT | Donald Trump? Cartoon character, conservative arse PLUTO = cartoon character; C = conservative; RAT = arse |
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| 22 | CATCHY | Memorable, Nick the unknown? CATCH = nick; Y = unknown (in algebra) |
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| 23 | STILE | Aid to getting your leg over is let out *(is let) Stiles |
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| 25 | USSR | Disbanded federation’s fascist organisation infiltrating old city SS = Schutzstaffel; in UR |
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white
white
Here are a couple of Top Tips for you. There are many more here:
Viz Top Tips
And dog owners may find this one familiar:
Our Tess does a very elegant Downward Dog.
And finally, without comment simply because comment would be superfluous:
I bet their Downward Dog isn’t elegant…
Re. 26 across: Habit = Coat. For example, a monk’s habit.
That is what I meant, Chatty Corner; apologies if I didn’t make it clear enough. I have amended that explanation.
Use onions instead of apples, they are always much cheaper.
Just a quickie….is dick the final member of the quartet, I wonder? Although, on that basis, it should have been a quintet?
Thanks for the solutions! I found this a tough one and only got about 60% of answers.
Re 5d I don’t think a monkey (£500) relates exclusively to betting, not in my manor anyway.
The Dick Handler Quartet has to be a photo shop jobbie doesn’t it? Either way – hilarious!
Hmm. http://gbugrb.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/love-thy-neighbor-singing-wells-family.html
“Monkey suit” was almost foreign to me too, though no doubts about its legitimacy.