There were certainly a large number of mistakes in this puzzle.
Gaffe, Lapse, Cock-up, Boob, Faux pas, Blunder and Goof, to name but a few.
I couldn’t find any actual error though.
Edit: I provided my own extra error by writing in BLUNDER instead of CLANGER
This grid image has been corrected
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7 | IN HAND | Wanker’s source of pleasure is under control (2,4) Double Def. in expected prurient Eye style |
| 8 | GLADIOLI | Youth grabbed by soldier gets oil over bloomers (8) LAD (youth) inside GI (soldier) then OLI* AInd: over |
| 11 | MACMILLAN | PM‘s gutless blokes skirting round awkward issue of Camilla (9) M[e]N (blokes, gutless) around (skirting) CAMILLA* AInd: awkward issue |
| 12 | GAFFE | House introduces Osborne’s ultimate balls-up (5) GAFF (house, [slang]) [osbourn]E |
| 13 | LAPSE | Fall off Circle and District (5) LAP (circle) SE (district, postal district of London) |
| 14 | SKEDADDLE | Total netted by crappy Leeds and Blackpool’s centre? Piss off! (9) ADD (total ) inside (LEEDS [blac]K[pool])* AInd: crappy |
| 16 | FEISTY | It’s getting pissed in slightly mad surroundings that’s spirited (6) ITS* Aind; getting pissed, inside FEY (slightly mad) |
| 17 | SPIRAL | Ditzy Paris Hilton’s third screwing (6) (PARIS [hi]L[ton])* AInd: ditzy |
| 21 | OSTEOPATH | Manipulator juggling potatoes (hot) (9) (POTATOES H[ot])* AInd: juggling |
| 23 | THYME | Passion lacking, yet hymen tied in a fragrant bouquet, perhaps? (5) Hidden in yeT HYMEn, in fact the answer remains after removing YEN (passion) from it |
| 25 | ROBES | Lord Gnome’s mouthpiece has way out garb (5) [st]ROBES Lord Gnome, Private Eye’s longstanding supremo, is Emmanuel Strobes and signs as “Strobes” ST for Street (way) is removed (out) |
| 27 | XENOPHOBE | “Vandalised phone box”: English description of Trump? (9) (PHONE BOX E[nglish])* AInd: Vandalised. No need for the question mark there especially given his latest promise to build a massive fence around every American |
| 28 | SCOTSMAN | Old Bob beds bloke (Sean Connery, nominally?) (8) S[hilling] (old bob) COTS (beds) MAN (bloke) Def. refers to ex-007 and celebrity scotsman’s understandable desire to live somewhere less cold and rainy |
| 29 | COCK-UP | Member done with boner (4-2) COCK (member) UP (done with) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | DISMAL | Pisspoor S&M in ring (6) S and M in DIAL (ring). First clue read but one of the last to fall this time even though I thought the wordplay would involve SM somewhere it held out till I finally got Super-Mac at 10A |
| 2 | CHECKPOINT | Charlie famously fiddling with cock (hint: “PE”) (10) Definition references the famous Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. (COCK HINT PE)* AInd: Fiddling with |
| 3 | INDIRECT | Elected to do a Michael Winner – rambling (8) IN (elected) DIRECT (do a M W) Michael Winner was a famous film director – and famous for insurance ads |
| 4 | CLANGER |
Bell’s foot-in-mouth utterance? (7) Here’s one I cannot parse: I don’t know who or what Bell refers to. Ding Dong! It was CLANGER. As pointed out by Anthony in Comment 1 |
| 5 | GOOF | Clot deposits sticky stuff on female (4) GOO (sticky stuff) F[emale] |
| 6 | SIZEWELL | Liz messed with Lewes’ controversial site (8) (LIZ LEWES)* AInd: messed with. Quite a site from Mersey Island beach |
| 9 | DOGMA | One male with almighty erection that’s rammed down one’s throat? (5) A (one) M[ale] GOD (almighty) all rev (erection) |
| 10/20 | CLOSE THING | Lucky miss‘s narrow whatsit (5,5) CLOSE (narrow) THING (whatsit). Last One In. I fell for the trap and got stuck thinking the second word was THONG. Also not helped by the minimal 40% cross-checking letters |
| 15 | DIRTY LOOKS | They’re disapproving of Tory oik filthy with LSD (5,5) (TORY OIK LSD)* AInd: filthy |
| 16 | FLOURISH | Bread-maker wants his nuts to thrive (8) FLOUR (bread-maker) HIS* AInd: nuts. First One In. Giving up some nice first letters |
| 18 | PUT-UP JOB | Fiddle stuck into behind of long-suffering type (3-2,3) DD/CD Ref the woebegotten Biblical character |
| 19 | FAUX PAS | Enemy broadcast – old man’s blunder (4,3) Homophone “Foe” (enemy, H.indicator: broadcast) then PA’S (old man’s) |
| 22 | OASIS | Which is not necessarily appreciated by those thirsty for good music? (5) CD Making the point that not every is in thrall to the Beatles c.1967 knock-off troupe |
| 24 | EXEMPT | Excused once energy applied to treatment of PMT (6) EX (once) E[nergy] PMT* AInd: treatment |
| 26 | BOOB | Scary ejaculation by Bishop Howler (4) BOO (scary ejaculation) B[ishop] |
As I write this blog we are on tenterhooks waiting for the results of the Academy Awards.
I expect The Revenant to sweep the board. It is a brilliant film as you can see from this still:
I’m thinking 7d is “clanger” … and there’s your bell 😉
Oops … meant 4d
Oh dear, I mistakenly found another error that fits the crossing letters and thus blundered into dropping a clanger. Fitting, I guess.
Thanks Anthony.
When I found BLUNDER fitted the theme and the crossing letters I didn’t think it could anything else.
I just thought it was me not knowing who Bell was – probably some buffoon from literature known for always getting the wrong end of the stick. Can someone please write those stories pronto.
Thanks for helping me with my ?s, but especially thanks for the film still. I have to clean my monitor now.
Dumb me!
I had managed to turn 26d into Booh! (Bishop and ooh as a howl) to make a scary ejaculation. I was never happy with this and am grateful for the help to get the correct parsing.
Thank you.