First of all apologies from all for the extreme lateness of this blog.
I have knocked this blog together at lunchtime after finding that no blog appeared on Monday and that jetdoc was indisposed, and rashly agreeing to put out a blog today.
I do remember solving this a couple of weeks ago and noted that I got up to 14 answers in on the first pass so there were some easy-ish clues to get going. A few clues were fun (and a couple were old chestnuts but hey). I had a couple of clues unanswered the first day but got them on a later session.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | POT | Substance? Ex-leader’s lost half (3) [pol] POT. Def. from the legalistic phrase “Controlled Substance” This was the first answer read but Last one solved. I wrote down all of PAT, PET, PIT etc. and opted for POT initially thinking of “tinpot” before remembering the Kampuchean bastard |
| 9 | EMPOWERMENT | Deputation from English politician that hurt Brenda – intended, it’s said (11) E[nglish] MP (politician) OW (that hurt) ER (Brenda) then Homophone “Meant” (intended, it’s said) First one in. |
| 12/20/11 | GUN CONTROL LEGISLATION | “Diffusing continental gigolo slur”: Obama’s big frustration? (3,7,11) (CONTINENTAL GIGOLO SLUR)* AInd: Diffusing |
| 13 | CANCAN | Tin Tin’s suggestive high kicks, etc. (6) CAN (Tin) twice. One that had be foxed for a surprisingly long time. |
| 15 | DEBATER | Parliamentarian getting sack over poor rate? BED< (Sack, over), then RATE* AInd: poor |
| 16 | BITER | Piece about repulsive Tyson? (5) BIT (piece) RE< (about, repulsive) Def. Ref. boxer Mike Tyson’s appalling cannibalistic tendencies |
| 17/27 | NAPPY RASH | Shag extremely playfully, reckless – a minor irritation (5,4) NAP (Shag?) P[layfull]Y RASH (reckless) – when infants get bad nappy rash it is far from minor! Not sure how Nap and Shag are synonymous |
| 21 | TURF OUT | Chuck: clod, openly gay (4,3) TURF (clod) OUT (openly gay) |
| 23 | ON HEAT | Randy‘s working ex-PM (not hard) (2,4) ON (working) HEAT[h] |
| 26 | COUNTERFEIT | Temperature taken after energy-charged, wild erotic fun – not for real (11) (E[nergy] EROTIC FUN)* AInd Wild, then T[emperature] |
| 28 | BLASPHEMOUS | Swearing hapless bum is buggered without love (11) (HAPLESS BUM O (love))* AInd is buggered. I had to fiddle with pencil and paper to get that anagram |
| 29/1 | WET SPELL | Hardly Thatcher’s type (though having charm) – “holiday-wrecker” (3,5) WET (hardly Thatcher’s type) SPELL (charm) |
| Down | ||
| 2 | STAGNANT | Foul Boris’s ultimate title: “New TV Celeb” (8) [bori]S TAG (title) N[ew] ANT (TV Celeb – usually seen next to Dec) Penultimate clue solved |
| 3/25 | LETS RIP | Doesn’t hold back, tries pathetically to break record (4,3) TRIES* AInd: pathetically, inside LP (record) |
| 4 | SPRAINS | Downfall after political leader, embraced by Nazis, turns (7) P[olitical] RAIN (downfall) inside SS (Nazis). Def. Turns as in turns your ankle (ouch) |
| 5 | FRONT BENCH | Prominent row in Commons about not taking Brexit lead (tearing into foreigners) (5,5) NOT* AInd: about, and B[rexit], all inside FRENCH (foreigners) |
| 6 | WEIGHT | Load of women rowers (6) W[omen] EIGHT (rowers) This wordplay has been seen many times now |
| 7 | STINGRAY | Pop star: flash, fishy thing (8) STING (pop star) RAY (flash) |
| 10 | WEIRDO | Wire-tapped party oddball (6) WIRE* AInd: tapped (?) DO (party). Not sure about that Anagram Indicator |
| 14 | CARBON COPY | Nick involved in broadcast of a Corbyn clone (6,4) COP (Nick – as in arrest) inside (A CORBYN)* AInd: broadcast |
| 16 | BATHROBE | Slip on this after having wet yourself? (8) Crypic Def. being a play on “slip on” something snug misleading you to think about something soapy |
| 18 | PHASE TWO | Follow-on from preliminary stage: stuffing knocked out of Trump – ah, woes afresh! (5,3) (T[rum]P AH WOES)* AInd: afresh Enjoyably tricky clue |
| 19 | ATTUNE | Knocked back about a barrel “to get accustomed” (6) ATE (knocked back) around TUN (a barrel) |
| 22 | REPEAL | Right and Left hold record each for withdrawal (6) EP (record) EA[ch], all inside R[ight] and L[eft] |
| 24 | STATE | Panic? Brenda’s over it (5) Double Def. |
Also sorry for the lack of joke and terseness of the initial chat. I’m supposed to be at work.
(That ain’t no joke)
Thanks BM, much appreciated. Take the next couple of days off!
Many thanks for filling in. I hope all will be well with jetdoc.
17/27 Babies are minors too, of course. Nap and shag — carpet pile.
I think I was happy with “tapped” as an anagram indicator in 10dn. You don’t always need to shake. Tapping a kaleidoscope, for example, usually does the trick.
Do people really talk about knocking back food (clue for 19dn)? They are much more likely to knock back a drink or two after wolfing down their food.
All the best to jetdoc.
POT was my last one in too until my reprobate neighbour pointed out what “substance” could mean.
Many apologies from me — demands on my time and attention were multiple, and I am ashamed to say that this slipped my mind until too late to make alternative arrangements.
I am ashamed to say that I was away with ‘shag’ as a dirty word and completely missed it in relation to carpet. Too much expectation, I fear!!!