Azed 2280

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I couldn’t find my original copy when I came to write this, so have solved the puzzle twice. Of course it was a bit easier the second time round, but (as far as I remember) mostly not too troublesome the first time either. Thanks as always to Azed,

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
1. GUTBUCKET Earthy jazz style Y-Yank backs, endlessly cheered inside (9)
BUCKE[D] in reverse of T-TUG. It’s “a rhythmically simple, raucous, earthy and emotional style of playing jazz”
10. ON HAND Acceptable performer available (6, 2 words)
ON (acceptable) + HAND (performer)
12. DRIER Like a stronger martini in club? Not very (5)
DRIVER (golf club) minus V
13. BITTACLE Compass case, part to confront with measure of bits missing (8)
BIT (part) + TACKLE (confront) less K (“measure of bits”, in sizes of computer memory)
14. PAYEE Person often following ‘account’, always penned by number one? (5)
AY (always) in PEE (number one)
16. VITAS Placed in vessel it lives (5)
IT in VAS
18. THATCHT New brood, kept inside dry once covered in straw? (7)
HATCH In T[ee]T[otal]
19. MISER What can bore well, or screw (though old)(5)
Double definition – this meaning of “screw” is perhaps the origin of the name [Ebenezer] Scrooge. A miser is also a “well-boring instrument” (i.e. it bores wells, rather than being good at boring)
20. REMOVAL Transferring old basin taken back, with second installed (7)
MO in LAVER<
23. BEADMAN Strangely mad in the head, one had to pray for others (7)
MAD* in BEAN
24. GRICE Good grain – did the first go to market? (5)
G + RICE; a grice is a little pig, as in “this little piggy went to market”
25. INFANTE Foreign prince having entered temple, with time inside (7)
IN + FANE (temple)
28. TEARY Have a go at containing flow of water with waterworks fully active (5)
EA in TRY
30. SHANG Dynasty has briefly to hold back (5)
‘S (short for has) + HANG (hold back)
32. TALIONIC I act misguidedly bagging cat as reprisal ? (8)
LION in (I ACT)* – related to lex talionis, the principle of “an eye for an eye” etc
33. ELIAN As a devotee of Charles, I’ll be gripped by stylish vigour (5)
I in ELAN – reference to Charles Lamb, known for his Essays of Elia
34. SOPITE The poodle is poorly? Maybe he, put to sleep thus, old (6)
Composite anagram: (THE POODLE IS)* = HE SOPITE OLD – to sopite is to put to sleep
35. NICOTINED I intend getting drunk around company reeking of fags? (9)
CO in (I INTEND)*
Down
1. GOOP Fatuous fellow from Ohio in Republican party (4)
O[hio] in GOP (Grand Old Party)
2. UNWARIE One localized conflict that is unexpected for old poet (7)
UN (dialect “one”) + WAR + I.E.
3. THRYMSA Old coin revealed when my trash is recycled (7)
(MY TRASH)*
4. UNBED Dig up short note misplaced in air-trap (5)
U-BEND with the N “misplaced”
5. KITCHENER Ticker reset when chicken’s put in cooker (9)
HEN in TICKER*
6. TRAITORSHIP Mutiny in the form of riot tar stirred up – and where? (11)
(RIOT TAR)* + SHIP
7. DICT Former saying, what Sam came out with briefly (4)
Double definition – old word for a saying, and abbreviation for Dictionary, as famously produced by Samuel Johnson
8. BELAH Tree down under, reverse of healthy after start of blight (5)
B[light] + HALE<
9. WRESTLE Wife, three-quarters fidgety, right? Backbreaker may floor one (8)
W + RESTLE[SS] + R
11. ABECEDARIAN Eastern tree I found restricted by a tabu, rudimentary (11)
E CEDAR I in A BAN
15. STRATONIC An army’s quota I cut in endless tally? (9)
RATION less I in STIC[k} (tally)
17. EMBITTER Tribe met in the wars turn hostile (8)
(TRIBE MET)*
21. VITAMIN Palm Monsieur put in his wine as ‘food factor’ (7)
ITA (“the miriti palm”) M in VIN
22. ACONITE Deadly poison I included in a short story (7)
I in A CONTE
26. NEALS Extract of bromine also strengthens (5)
Hidden in bromiNE ALSo – a variant of “anneals”
27. ASCOT Spectator is fancily dressed – showing –– esprit perhaps (5)
Composite anagram &lit (SPECTATOR IS)* = ASCOT ESPRIT, with reference to the fancy outfits worn at Ascot races
29. ALIT Acres typical of lord, landed (4)
A + LIT (drunk “as a lord”)
31. GEED Moved on,w switching parts of advantage (4)
EDGE with its two halves swapped (I’ve shown the clue as it was published, with a superfluous w)

3 comments on “Azed 2280”

  1. Thanks for the blog, Andrew. I had a problem with the clue for SOPITE; is “old” part of the definition, as you suggest, when it is also part of the wordplay? Whichever way you look at it, it’s not the most elegant of surfaces.

    My copy of the paper has now gone to recycling, but I don’t recall there being a redundant “w” in the clue for GEED.

  2. I won’t say how long it took me to complete this, but it took several visits to the big red book. My printed pdf had an extra w too.

  3. but it took several visits to the big red book

    Nothing wrong with that, I don’t think I’ve ever done an Azed without using some sort of reference.

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