Sorry to say, this will be my final regular Cyclops — what with sporadic and unpredictable demands on my time, I’ve decided that I can’t commit to delivering every blog on time, so I am handing over my slot to a new blogger. Thanks to all for the supportive comments over the years. I may do the occasional stand-in if required.
Cyclops has provided me with a good swansong, with an excellent puzzle — some lovely clues, of which 19a probably has to come top. Thanks to him, too — Cyclops, I may have given up blogging them, but I haven’t given up solving them.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | CHAMOIS | Leather makes me pretentious when Prince is about MOI = me, pretentiously; in CHAS = one abbreviated name for Prince Charles |
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| 9 | EYELASH | Blow on right of organ’s blinking hair EYE = organ; LASH = blow |
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| 10 | ETHOS | Moral significance confuses the Tories — no tie, right? *(the); |
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| 11 | BARNSTORM | Veto Johnson’s last outburst to go after voters BAR = veto; N = Johnson’s last; STORM = outburst To tour usually country areas, giving theatrical performances; to travel about speaking at meetings; to give a highly energetic performance. Etymology: 1815, in reference to a theatrical troupe’s performances in upstate New York barns (usually featuring short action pieces to suit vulgar tastes); extended 1896 to electioneering, 1928 to itinerant airplane pilots who performed stunts at fairs and races. So there you have it. |
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| 12 | TONY BLAIR | Brainy lot spun for him! *(brainy lot). Clever clue — in its entirety, a cryptic definition (I wasn’t sure whether to underline the whole clue); and using ‘spun’ (a word we strongly associate with the Blair era) as an anagram indicator |
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| 14 | STARCH | Stiffen when arse’s flipped with chain RAT’S = arse’s, reversed; CH = chain (linear measure) |
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| 15 | BIKINI | Not much concealed by this nuclear test site Double definition Bikini Atoll |
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| 18 | RANDY | Eager to screw top off drink |
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| 19 | VOLUNTEER | Helping hand from wanton true love gripping middle of penis N = middle of penis; in *(true love), with ‘wanton’ as the anagram indicator Cyclops at his best — devising a risqué clue for a completely innocent solution. |
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| 20 | DUTY BOUND | Job by Spring? Much obliged! DUTY = job; BOUND = Spring |
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| 22/4 | NASTY MESS | Amnesty deflected by Nazi force’s shit *(amnesty); SS = Waffen-SS |
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| 23 | CATARRH | Pussy … a vicar briefly gets hard producing sticky discharge CAT = pussy; RR = Right Reverend = a vicar (actually, a bishop) briefly; H = hard |
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| 24 | GET OVER | Poor Gove, tense inside — er, put it behind you! T = tense; in *(Gove), with ‘poor’ as the anagram indicator; ER> |
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| Down | |||
| 1 | ACCENTS | Highlights Bill and his money AC = bill (account); CENTS = US money |
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| 2 | WASHINGTON STATE | President Trump’s inauguration covered by “overfill” — it would take place here WASHINGTON = President; T = Trump’s inauguration (first letter); in SATE = overfill Presidential inauguration takes place at the Capitol Building in Washington DC… which, as pointed out below, is not in Washington State. |
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| 3 | GOOSEBERRY | ‘Touch up Chuck’, played by unwelcome company GOOSE = touch up; Chuck BERRY A third person in the company of two people, especially lovers, who would prefer to be alone. The etymology seems obscure. |
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| 5 | LABOUR INTENSIVE | Needing a lot of workers, party, deeply emotional, recruits … four LABOUR = party; IV = four; in (‘recruited by’) INTENSE = deeply emotional |
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| 6 | SHAMPOO | Start to stroke thigh — shit, it’ll get you in a lather S = start to stroke; HAM = thigh; POO = shit |
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| 8 | SABBATH | It’s not observed much now, Bab’s fancy new hat *(Babs); *(hat); with ‘fancy’ and ‘new’ as the anagram indicators |
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| 9 | ERROR | Boner shown by topless rogue |
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| 13 | TAKING NOTE | Observing: “Grasping Tone’s worried” TAKING = grasping; *(Tone) |
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| 15 | BULLDOG | Bollocks trail after symbolic animal BULL[shit] = bollocks; DOG = trail after British Bulldog |
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| 16 | PRODUCE | Show for Mussolini? PRO = for; Il DUCE |
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| 17 | GRUYERE | University adversary finally interrupts Greer broadcast — “it’s cheesy” U = university; Y = adversary finally; in *(Greer) |
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| 19 | VOUCH | Support produces very painful outburst V = very; OUCH = painful outburst. To support by evidence |
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| 21/13 | BARE TORSO | Vocal symbol of Russia, balls up — therefore often flaunted by Putin BARE = sounds like ‘bear’, the symbol of Russia; ROT, reversed = ‘balls’, up; SO = therefore Putin’s macho image — yuck! |
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white
white
A few jokes for you, then:
TOP TIP: ALWAYS get two baskets when entering the supermarket in case you need to buy some eggs. (Think about it.)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Come, friendly bombs, and fall on Slough. That way I can make a fortune repairing everyone’s roofing” – Sir John Bitumen
And this piece of exquisite good taste, which was shared on Facebook this very day:
Thanks for the blog Jetdoc, and for all your previous contributions over the past months/years.
Just a small point re 2dn: Surely Washington State is over on the West Coast, and Washington DC is not in a state at all. What am I missing here?
Re. 2dn: I assumed that we were intended to confer de facto statehood on the District of Columbia for the purpose of parsing this clue.
I’ve no idea — maybe Cyclops can elucidate?
Sorry – I goofed. Below is my response to an Eye reader’s email (only one? I don’t believe it)
“A late change to the clue (when I realised I could get in a reference to Trump) led me to forget that Washington state is on the other side of USA from Washington DC. Sorry about the Trump-like ignorance of another country’s geography – or maybe it was a subconscious wish to place a ‘President’ Trump 2000-plus miles away from the seat of government?”
Thank you for all your blogs jetdoc.
That piece of exquisite good taste incidentally, being American is in the turned-on position.
Thanks for your kind remarks, jetdoc – and my thanks, too, to you for your blogs – and great parting shots, like this time’s ‘exquisite good taste’ one!
Hope your rest from blogging will give you a bit more time to enjoy beautiful York.
Jetdoc, Can I, too, add my grateful thanks. You have been a source of enlightenment and satisfaction on many occasions! Satisfaction, that is, in the Cyclops sense!
As night follows day, your blog is my first port of call after submitting my fortnightly attempt. Excellent and interesting site.
Btw, exactly what does “alnd” mean?
AInd = A[nagram] Ind[icator], a.k.a. anagrind.
I’d like to add my thanks to jetdoc for all the blogs, and also to Cyclops for providing the grist.
Thanks jetdoc for your explanations and guidance.
I didn’t get the “ALWAYS get two baskets” joke above – any help out there?
Franko @ 11
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket
Thanks. Not a lotta people know that!
Thank you Simon S….seems obvious now
Doesn’t bode well for me solving Cyclops 580
Goofed?
I assumed the clue was “IT would take place here” as in IT, Information Technology, so Washington State, home of Microsoft.
…too tenuous I guess.
Thanks for all the analytical help , and humour.