We found this a fairly straightforward Saturday challenge from Tees, but we’re too depressed by yesterday’s result to say any more.
We did like the definition at 20 across however.
| Across | ||
| 8 | Bugs Bunny’s first work with Queen Isabella after vacation (8) | |
| BACTERIA | B (first letter of Bunny) ACT (work) ER (queen) I |
|
| 9 | Cat’s remark about bustling activity in field (6) | |
| MEADOW | MEW (cat’s remark) around ADO (bustling activity) | |
| 10 | Outrun runner last in marathon (4) | |
| SKIN | SKI (runner) N (last letter of ‘marathon’) We were a bit doubtful about the definition here, but ‘skin’ can mean ‘to slip through or away’, which at a stretch, could be synonymous with ‘outrun’ – ant other thoughts out there? | |
| 11 | Without showing emotion, throw bun that connects? (10) | |
| UNBLINKING | An anagram of BUN (anagrind is ‘throw’) LINKING (that connects) | |
| 12 | In my opinion duke is made (6) | |
| FORMED | FOR ME (in my opinion) D (duke) | |
| 14 | Princely House or gloomy discount supermarket? (8) | |
| GRIMALDI | GRIM (gloomy) ALDI (discount supermarket) | |
| 15 | One more on Earth that spins (7) | |
| ANOTHER | An anagram of ON EARTH – anagrind is ‘spins’ | |
| 17 | Plant has unusual name distinct from others (7) | |
| ANEMONE | An anagram of NAME (anagrind is ‘unusual’) + ONE (distinct from others) | |
| 20 | Bill abroad, from Bury, with hangover? (8) | |
| INTERPOL | INTER (bury) LOP (hang) reversed or ‘over’ – a new meaning of ‘lop’ for us! | |
| 22 | Go back to renew Green Energy (6) | |
| RENEGE | An anagram of GREEN E (energy) – anagrind is ‘renew’ | |
| 23 | What might be n-nose? Ear’s also good! (5,5) | |
| SENSE ORGAN | Cryptic definition – an anagram of N-NOSE EAR’S and G (good) | |
| 24 | What occurs in tub at home? (4) | |
| BATH | Another cryptic definition – hidden, or ‘occurring’ in ‘tuB AT Home’ | |
| 25 | One caught in passion covered spot (6) | |
| ALCOVE | A (one) + C (caught) in LOVE (passion) | |
| 26 | Gushing eulogy originally given by fine quintet involves us (8) | |
| EFFUSIVE | E (first or ‘original’ letter of ‘eulogy’) F (fine) FIVE (quintet) round or ‘involving’ US | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | Finance advanced on Balkan redevelopment? (4,4) | |
| BANK LOAN | An anagram of ON BALKAN – anagrind is ‘redevelopment’ | |
| 2 | College close to neglected houses (4) | |
| ETON | Hidden or ‘housed’ in ‘closE TO Neglected’ | |
| 3 | More or less AO? (6) | |
| AROUND | A ROUND (O) | |
| 4 | Refuse to keep luggage item in French station (7) | |
| GARBAGE | BAG (luggage item) in GARE (French for ‘station’) | |
| 5 | Strange moan drowns fragment I dream (8) | |
| AMBITION | An anagram of MOAN (anagrind is ‘strange’) round or ‘drowning’ BIT (fragment) I | |
| 6 | Champion almost injured leg in game (10) | |
| BACKGAMMON | BACK (champion) GAMM |
|
| 7 | Kiwi bird and Kelly from Australia complained (6) | |
| MOANED | MOA (New Zealand – Kiwi – bird) NED (Kelly – Australian bushranger) | |
| 13 | Insect destroyed by Eros or Oedipus? (7,3) | |
| MOTHERS BOY | MOTH (insect) + an anagram of BY EROS – anagrind is ‘destroyed’ | |
| 16 | Masculine stratagem in rising river’s working (8) | |
| EMPLOYED | M (masculine) PLOY (stratagem) in DEE (river) reversed or ‘rising’ | |
| 18 | No musical info given up (8) | |
| NEGATIVE | EVITA (musical) GEN (information) all reversed or ‘given up’ | |
| 19 | Black feller’s journalist on-line (7) | |
| BLOGGER | B (black) LOGGER (feller) | |
| 21 | Rivalry in game that may get you stitched up (6) | |
| NEEDLE | Double definition | |
| 22 | Escape to produce copies quickly (3,3) | |
| RUN OFF | Another double definition | |
| 24 | When to live outside is reprehensible (4) | |
| BASE | AS (when) with BE (live) outside | |
Agreed.Even 1200 miles away-its taking a while…thanks for blog, especially under circs
12000 I meant
I see that centre across and down answers read “another garbage blogger”! What’s Tees trying to say about us?!
I see that most here are anti-Brexit. Well, me too. An immensely sad day for the UK, and Scotland will now seek to hold a second referendum – ironically – so that it can remain! A nationalist party for Remain! Oh, you couldn’t write it!
This cheered me up, good puzzle. I think those ‘cryptic definitions’ you have spotted are ‘extended definitions’. I have seen this idea described here. They are almost but not quite &lits, where the way the clued part is put together is almost literally true as a description of the answer. You bath in a tub at home, and ears and noses are sense organs. Clever stuff anyway.
Copmus, are you Aus or NZ?
Afternoon all, thanks Tees and Bert & Joyce for a fine puzzle and coverage thereof.
SKIN in that sense is a football term I think, you skin someone if you go past them, show them a clean pair of heels etc.
Those clues at 23 & 24 I thought WERE &lits! But I see now what you mean. They need some sort of a nudge from the definition part, even if it’s just a ‘what may be’ or something. Both very nice.
Commiserations re EU. I’m usually a Belgian these days, mercifully. I thought Cameron was an idiot to expose himself to exactly this result in exchange for a few votes (that would have gone to UKIP) at the time of the last election. What a ninnie! And now you have the Tory right in the ascendancy good and proper. UK is in such a mess now.
Thanks B&J and the commenters.
Yes, EU, well. What a palaver. But ‘our NHS’, you see, will now get that extra £350m per week that greedy EU politicians and bureaucrats have been thieving from us. Not. And all the other ‘promises’ will now be broken as we crash back towards fascism. Actually, the best article was by George Monbiot about the farming subsidies which UK farmers will now lose. Here it is:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jun/21/waste-cash-leavers-in-out-land-subsidie
Re 23 and 34 across, yep, they are extended defs cos they wouldn’t quite stand alone. I love &lits, but probably haven’t ever managed to do a really good one. Interesting debate, for which thanks.
Still never mind. England could be out of Europe on Monday in another incredibly ignominious but undoubtedly close-run contest.
Tees-Tees-F-N.
Another 20 years – maybe 10 or even 5, and what’s left of the UK could be knocking on Europe’s door begging to be let back in – on whatever terms they choose to impose. Meanwhile it’s back to the ‘fog in the channel – continent cut off’ mentality.
Re 20ac – ‘lop’ for ‘hang’ as in lop-eared rabbits etc.
Thanks, Tees and B&J