A very quick solve this busy week, to my relief (more time for the garden!). Last one in was 12a.
Special mention has to go to the anagram at 3d, and the wordplay at 8d.
Apologies for the lack of amusing additions this week, but I am extremely pressed for time, and nothing inspiring landed in my inbox or on my Facebook page.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/25 | COSY CHAT | Catchy, so composition leads to easy intercourse *(Catchy so |
|
| 3 | MUG SHOT | Holds up sexy picture for the cops? MUGS = holds up; HOT = sexy |
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| 8 | IMMIGRANTS | The bane of UKIP? Cyclops is, one way and another, and possibly Hugh is I’M = Cyclops is, forwards and backwards; Hugh GRANT[’]S |
|
| 10 | BACK AWAY | Bet off, so don’t make advances BACK = Bet; AWAY = off |
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| 11 | RIPPLE | Wave from bit of a tit with new top |
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| 12 | FLOOR | Speaker’s crack, say, is base Sounds like (‘speaker’s’) “flaw”, of which a crack is an example |
|
| 13 | ACCOLADE | Maybe Brenda’s tap delivers a cold beverage with two vitamins A; C = cold; COLA = beverage; DE = two vitamins. The queen taps on the shoulder of someone she is knighting |
|
| 15 | NUT BROWN | Tone’s keen supporter, Gordon! NUT = keen supporter; Gordon BROWN (not a keen supporter of Tony Blair, I believe) |
|
| 17 | SORRY | Dodgy, gutless senior Tory has no time to be apologetic Anagram (‘dodgy’) of the outside letters of ‘senior’ (i.e. ‘gutless’ senior), and ‘Tory’ minus T (= time) |
|
| 18 | STRAIT | Sound star drunk with sex *(star); IT = sex (in crosswords) |
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| 20 | ETERNITY | Powerless Peter Mandelson finally gets it: Jeremy ultimately forever! ETER = Peter minus P (= power); N = Mandelson finally; IT; J = Jeremy ultimately |
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| 22/9 | HIGH TIME | Happy hour? Not a moment to spare HIGH = happy; TIME = hour |
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| 23 | BOILED RICE | Chopsticks fodder? Was furious with lyricist BOILED = was furious; lyricist Tim RICE |
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| 24 | DISHRAG | “Cleaner ’D’ is hot” — Daily Mail? D; IS; H = hot; RAG = the type of ‘newspaper’ of which the Daily Mail is an example |
|
| Down | |||
| 1 | COMMA | Cameron’s opening shot possibly backfiring — cause for pause C = Cameron’s opening; AMMO, reversed = shot possibly backfiring |
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| 2 | STINK BOMB | Tory leader in decline — flop, schoolboy joke T = Tory leader; in SINK = decline; BOMB = flop (as a theatrical production might) |
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| 3 | MONEY LAUNDERING | ERM in England? You devised dodgy means of cleaning up *(ERM in England you), with ‘devised’ as the anagram indicator. Excellent anagram. |
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| 4 | GASTRIC | Abdominal wind has con getting end away GAS = wind; TRIC |
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| 5 | HET UP | Male presidential candidate regularly in a state HE = male; T |
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| 6 | TUMBLE DRY | Shag upper class-style, on the wagon — and get rid of any damp patch TUMBLE = shag upper class-style (I think Jilly Cooper’s protagonists, for example, did quite a bit of this); DRY = on the wagon |
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| 7 | BREWER | British old crock, a stirrer BR = British; EWER = old crock |
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| 12 | FAULT FIND | Have a go at screwing fitful Dan *(fitful Dan), with ‘screwing’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 14 | LORD NORTH | The PM’s reluctant to accept Dr Ron’s treatment *(Dr Ron); in LOTH = reluctant Lord North |
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| 16 | OCTOBER | Old source of Charles: “To be king sometime in autumn” O = old; C = source of Charles; TO BE; R = king |
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| 17 | SKEWER | Stinks raised about Bercow ultimately stick W = Bercow ultimately (last letter); in REEKS, reversed = stinks raised |
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| 19 | ASHES | Remains of Left abandoning whips |
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| 21 | TACIT | Understood stupid sort’s restricted bill AC = bill (account); in TIT = stupid sort |
|
white
Thought 8AC was fantastic this fortnight. Our first in was 20ac.
I wasn’t convinced by tacit as being ‘understood’. I thought that tacit meant unspoken and things could be understood or agreed to tacitly or unspokenly?
Understood is given as a primary definition of tacit in Collins dictionary, with the example ‘a tacit agreement’.
That’s me educated then!!!