I enjoyed this, interesting and varied all the way through. Thank you Aardark.
The PDF version has a number of letter counts missing from the clues. It would be intersting to know if they are missing form the print version too.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TROWEL | Gardener’s assistant allowed to turn over outside tier (6) |
| LET (allowed) reversed containing (outside) ROW (tiet) | ||
| 4 | SPEAK FOR | Represent top Foreign Office in summer, after vacation (5,3) |
| PEAK (top) FO (Foreign Office) all inside SummeR (after vacation, evacuated) | ||
| 10 | ROALD DAHL | Author’s line used in course had misdirected learner (5,4) |
| L (line) in ROAD (course) then amagram (misdirected) of HAD and L (learner) | ||
| 11 | CHILD | Youngster relaxed, with the Parisian gone (5) |
| CHILLED (relaxed) missing LE (the, in Paris) | ||
| 12 | ORGY | Major gymkhana involves exuberant festivity (4) |
| found inside (involved in) majOR GYmkhana | ||
| 13 | COACH PARTY | Group of travellers, some heading to York by train (5,5) |
| PART (some) with korK (heading to) following (by) COACH (train, as a verb) | ||
| 15 | SUMATRA | All regularly observing Easter Day in Asian island (7) |
| SUM (all) hen eAsTeR dAy (regularly observed, seeing every other letter) | ||
| 16 | TWINGE | Bit of pain in match, say, twisting (6) |
| TWIN (match) then EG (say) reversed (twisting) | ||
| 19 | SNOOPY | Animated dog, prying (6) |
| double definition | ||
| 21 | SUSTAIN | Bear from South America ain’t moving (7) |
| S (south) US (America) then anagram (moving) of AIN’T | ||
| 23 | LAKE GENEVA | European water – meeting place of Veronica, Vincent and Virginia? (4,6) |
| LAKE (actress Veronica Lake perhaps) meeting with GENE (singer Gene Vincent) and VA (Virginia, US state). I read in Wikipedia that Gene Vincent’s real name was Vincent Gene Craddock. Not surprising which of these monikers he chose to drop. | ||
| 25 | TYRO | Beginner at Ayr, so no first-places (4) |
| aT aYR sO missing first letters | ||
| 27 | OUNCE | Tiny quantity old relative left out (5) |
| O (old) and UNClE (relative) missing L (left) | ||
| 28 | INGLENOOK | Niche markets’ essential element? Go online to analyse first (9) |
| marKets (middle letter, essential element) following (with…first) anagram (to analyse??) of GO ONLINE | ||
| 29 | SHORTAGE | Want mum to get mineral – label’s described (8) |
| SH (mum, quiet!) with ORE (mineral) containing (describing, going around) TAG (label) | ||
| 30 | OYSTER | List of names initially dismissed when catching unknown shellfish (6) |
| rOSTER (list of names, missing initial letter) containing Y (unknown, in equations) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TORTOISE | Slow one is arriving in the end, after hill (8) |
| IS inside (arriving in) TOE (the end) following TOR (hill) | ||
| 2 | ORANGEMEN | Religious types called on energy to penetrate sign (9) |
| RANG (called) on E (energy) inside (to penetrate) OMEN (sign) – Protestants | ||
| 3 | EDDA | Newsman who presents case with ancient books (4) |
| ED (editor, newsman) and DA (District Attorney, one who presents a case) | ||
| 5 | POLECAT | Smelly animal’s head discussed – about time (7) |
| POLE sounds like “poll” (head) with CA (circa, about) and T (time). POLE also means “head” literally (eg pole position), which confused me for a while. | ||
| 6 | ARCH-PRIEST | Clergyman most cunning circling quiet religious class (4-6) |
| ARCHEST (most cunning) contains (circling) P (piano, quiet) and RI (religious class in school) | ||
| 7 | FLIER | Bill the postman might deliver this (5) |
| double definition – both definitions are very closely related | ||
| 8 | RED-EYE | Warning light by shutter showing photographic error (3-3) |
| RED (warning light) by EYE (something that shuts) | ||
| 9 | SAMOSA | Charity workers repeatedly grabbing instant spicy food (6) |
| SA SA (Salvation Army, repeatedly) contains (grabbing) MO (instant) | ||
| 14 | STRONG MEAT | Dicky endlessly tags monster that arouses fear (6,4) |
| anagram (dicky) of TAGs (endlessly) and MONSTER. This expression is new to me, my last one in. | ||
| 17 | GRAVY BOAT | Money packet, say, that’s seen on kitchen table? (5,4) |
| GRAVY (money) and BOAT ( a packet steamer perhaps) | ||
| 18 | ONLOOKER | Engaged pair of royals needing witness (8) |
| ON LOO (engaged, euphemism) with K and ER (king and The Queen, a pair for royals) | ||
| 20 | YANKING | Any crackers wanted by family, good for pulling? (7) |
| anagram (crackers) of ANY with KIN (family) and G (good) | ||
| 21 | SAVAGE | Primitive Bible kept by wise person (6) |
| AV (Authorised Version, Bible) inside (kept by) SAGE (wise person) | ||
| 22 | CLOOTS | Chris’s outside carrying stolen goods – the devil (6) |
| ChriS (outside letters of) contains (carrying) LOOT (stolen goods) – the devil, from cloot meaning a cloven hoof | ||
| 24 | KENDO | Armed combat has to finish in decisive blow (5) |
| END (to finish) in KO (decisive blow) – fighting with bamboo swords | ||
| 26 | DENY | Refuse centre in modern state (4) |
| moDErn (crntre of) and NY (a state) | ||
definitions are underlined
I write these posts to help people get started with cryptic crosswords. If there is something here you do not understand ask a question; there are probably others wondering the same thing.
1a 15a and 1d are missing from the print version. Nice and simple start to the day. Thanks for the blog.
Normal service resumed at the FT. Usual good stuff from Aardvark. FLIER did seem a bit weak but more than compensated for by the rest. Thanks PD & Aa
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee
Well … after the challenge that was Io, this came as a welcome and pleasant relief. Actually did the puzzle on Wednesday, but only got to check it off this morning.
The only self-induced holdups came from hasty entries with STAND FOR and writing PARTY in the first bit of 13a. Hence POLECAT, COACH PARTY and SAMOSA were my last few in.
A nice variety of devices and misdirection of the definitions to keep the interest levels up.
I found this one hard because I’m rubbish