… and the grim truth is – it isn’t all just a joke
This was solved at a rate of knots. Straight in with the unwelcome reminder of current government policy at 7A all the way through to the final grim 14D which was possibly the trickiest clue. It’s the truth.
Indeed at the “first pass” test there were only 3 unsolved clues which must be a record. In fact I will count that as 4 because I found that early on I had written Ivana at 24d so poorly the V looked like an N which is why 26A ended up being the penultimate clue solved.
Despite me making it sound so easy, there is one clue I cannot fathom: 13A For this I wrote in Sticky Bun from the crossing letters and presumed def., “a teatime treat”. I expect someone will tell me this is slang for a “Nearby arse cheek” but I haven’t fouond any corroborating internet evidence (and if I search any more for this I will probably be arrested).
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7 | HARD BREXIT | What Tory right-wingers want – dishing ‘rehab’ dirt (No. 10 involved)? (4,6) (REHAB DIRT + X(10))* AInd: dishing |
| 9 | CROP | Whip (Conservative) turned pro (4) C[onservative] PRO* AInd: turned |
| 10/6 | ECONOMIC DOWNTURN | In document row about political party’s gloomy prediction for UK? (8,8) (IN DOCUMENT ROW + CON)* AInd: about, doing double duty as Inclusion indicator for CON |
| 11 | INTONE | Chant without feeling “Popular, familiar Mr Blair” (6) IN (popular) TONE (Tony [Blair] colloquially) |
| 12/27/22 | BLESS THIS HOUSE | Britain’s leader, short of sordid shit on Commons, possibly produces a sentimental song (5,4,5) B[ritain], LESS (short), SHIT* AInd: sordid, HOUSE (Commons) |
| 13 | STICKY BUN | Close arse cheek as a teatime treat? (6,3) HELP NEEDED – Send three and fourpence! |
| 15 | LAWYER | Shagger hugging women’s silk? (6) W[oman] inside LAYER (shagger) |
| 17 | SPLINT | Divorce around noon: it gives member rigidity (6) SPLIT (divorce) around N[oon] |
| 20 | BLACKMAIL | Tabloid, following Boris’s leader deficiency – “Extortion!” (9) B[oris] LACK (deficiency) MAIL (tabloid) |
| 25 | MIRROR | Daily means of seeing yourself for what you are? (6) Double Def. Ref. Daily Mail |
| 26 | LOVEABLE | Taking off Eve ‘Bollard’ – way out (8) (EVE BOLLARD – RD (way))* AInd: off |
| 28 | TRAINED EYE | Series on “Balls and organ” gets expert visual equipment (7,3) TRAIN (series) ED [Balls] EYE (organ) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | RASCAL | Rogue Republican-like state (6) R[epublican] AS (like ) CAL[ifornia] (state) |
| 3 | EXECUTE | Ed’s head wedged into once appealing top (7) E[d] inside EX (once) CUTE (appealing) |
| 4 | STAIRCASE | As racist organised Pence’s ultimate way to the top? (9) (AS RACIST)* AInd: organised, [penc]E |
| 5 | SCATTY | Quite disorganised, like pussy after sex (6) S[ex], CATTY (like pussy) |
| 8 | DYNASTY | Royal house: dowdy, heartless and repellent (7) D[owd]Y NASTY (repellent) |
| 14 | GRIM TRUTH | Trump endlessly right about e.g. the fact that he really is president? (4,5) (TRUM[p] RIGHT)* AInd: about |
| 16 | ALL-NIGHT | Whole thing goes pear-shaped throughout the dark time (3-5) ALL (whole) THING* AInd: goes pear-shaped |
| 18 | LEOTARD | Toe tentatively dipped in fat – a revealing habit (7) TOE* AInd: tentatively, inside LARD (fat) |
| 19 | FIGLEAF | Eden-style cover-up? (7) Cryptic Def. |
| 21 | CORPSE | Laugh like a luvvie hot from new Porsche (6) (PORSCHE – H)* AInd: new. Def. Ref. an actor spoiling a take on the film set by getting the giggles |
| 23 | SPLAYS | Spreads legs to create sex stage productions? (6) S[ex] PLAYS (stage productions) |
| 24/2 | IVANA TRUMP | Donald’s first Putin arm-twisting, rounding up a victory (5,5) (PUTIN ARM + A V[ictory])* AInd: Twisting. |
26A. I could make “loveable” from the anagram “eve bolla” but don’t understand how “loveable” means “taking”.
13ac close surely in the climatic sense: ‘it feels close today’ = sticky atmosphere. And slang dictionaries confirm buns can = buttocks.
and @1 antti: ‘I was very taken by [or with] her/him’ i.e. found them likeable or loveable. Similar to ‘fetching’, though I don’t you can say ‘I was fetched by him/her’.
Those were my readings, anyway.
@2queenbarrow.
Ah! OK, thanks.
I agree with Antti, I’m familiar with ‘taken by’ meaning finding attractive but never seen it extended to ‘taking’. I left that clue until I had all the crossing letters.
26a I also had not heard of “taking” in that sense, but it is in my copy of the Oxford Dictionary of English.
…adjective dated (of a person)..captivating in manner; charming