The usual thing: such straightforward clear clues that there are no problems with any of this. But just as good as ever and all perfectly constructed. How Dac goes on with word after word producing transparent and utterly sound clues is amazing. The word “clunky” is less appropriate with him than with anyone.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DOCTORAL | Announced shortened examination to do with post-graduate award (8) |
| “docked” oral | ||
| 5 | CLASS | College girl in student group (5) |
| c lass | ||
| 9 | BENGALI | Asian girl visiting African country, avoiding furthest part (7) |
| Ben(gal)i{n} | ||
| 10 | IDEALLY | In a perfect world, I would start to embrace mate (7) |
| I’d e{mbrace} ally | ||
| 11 | IMPROVING | I’m turning out to be getting better (9) |
| I’m proving | ||
| 12 | SCION | Child care originally introduced in Israel (5) |
| S(c{are})ion | ||
| 13 | HEAD TEACHER | School principal right to pursue source of trouble, around half term (4,7) |
| head((te{rm})ache r | ||
| 17 | ENTERTAINER | Internet era ruined comic, perhaps (11) |
| (Internet era)* | ||
| 20 | TYROL | Mountainous area recalled in Malory Towers (5) |
| Hidden reversed in MaLORY Towers | ||
| 21 | STANCHION | Supporter wildly chants 1-0: it’s the end for London… (9) |
| (chants i o)* {Londo}n | ||
| 23 | ARSENAL | … team that’s left after arena’s erupted (7) |
| (arena’s)* l — and the ellipsis sends the definition over into the previous clue, Arsenal being a London team | ||
| 24 | ACONITE | Plant: it is hidden by part of a pine? (7) |
| a con(it)e — not quite sure why there’s a question mark here: everything seems to be quite definite | ||
| 25 | DONUT | Make fruit cake (5) |
| do nut — doughnut or donut? | ||
| 26 | MEASURED | Leisurely drink safe for consumption (8) |
| mea(sure)d | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | DUBBIN | Givin’ name to waxy substance (6) |
| dubbin’ | ||
| 2 | CANAPE | Appetiser from tin – look – with top removed (6) |
| can {g}ape | ||
| 3 | ON ANOTHER PLANET | Martians are crazy (2,7,6) |
| Martians are on another planet | ||
| 4 | ALIBI | A politician, one giving evidence in court (5) |
| a Lib 1 | ||
| 5 | CHELSEA TRACTORS | SUVs? For a start criminals deviously steal other cars (7,8) |
| c{riminals} (steal other cars)* — in the unlikely event that you do not know what a Chelsea tractor is, it’s this | ||
| 6 | ALL RIGHT | OK to get off bus, say, holding hands (3,5) |
| al(LR)ight | ||
| 7 | SAYONARA | Cuddling Nora sadly, utter a word of farewell (8) |
| say ((Nora)*) a — Japanese goodbye | ||
| 8 | KINGSTON | Family’s not circling round entrance to Greater London borough (8) |
| (Kin’s (not)rev.) round G{reater} | ||
| 14 | ADAMS ALE | A lady drinking endless salt water (5,3) |
| a dam(sal{t})e | ||
| 15 | WESTWARD | We’ll join crew member leaving European capital, bound for America? (8) |
| We st{e}ward. the e being E{uropean} | ||
| 16 | STARTS ON | Picks quarrel with boy eating pastries (6,2) |
| s(tarts)on — “don’t start on me!” | ||
| 18 | TINIER | Hold it up – it’s not so big (6) |
| (rein it)rev. | ||
| 19 | INTEND | Popular nurse’s plan (6) |
| in tend | ||
| 22 | ADAGE | Proverb from the Christian era (5) |
| AD age | ||
*anagram
Lovely. Thanks Dac and John. 1dn brought back memories of colour, odour and texture! Not totally convinced by 12ac. “Sion” is fine as an alternative to Zion, but surely not as a synonym for Israel. Zion is Jerusalem or, at least, a part of it.
H W Messenger
Under Zion (or Sion) the online Oxford has:
3 A land of future promise or return from exile.
3.1 (among Jews) Israel.
3.2 (among Rastafarians) Africa.
and the online Collins gives:
2. Judaism
a. the ancient Israelites of the Bible
b. the modern Jewish nation
c. Israel as the national home of the Jewish people
Nice puzzle which I solved for the most part very quickly, though took a while to get my L3I (9a, 24a & 1d). Fave clues 3d & 18d so thanks to Dac for the crossie and to John for the blog.
Nice one again from Dac. The only ones that gave me any slight problems were DOCTORAL (my LOI) and its checking CANAPÉ. With D, O and A as checking letters I got fixated on DIPLOMAS despite not being able to parse it. Then I twigged CANAPÉ and it clicked.
Incidentally, and with tongue in cheek, re 12ac I always thought SION was a town in Switzerland.
Thanks, Dac and John