Cyclops often creates puzzles with clues that range over 2 or more lights in different parts of the grid. I like the way this gives the puzzle a more three dimensional feel and provides openings into unsolved chunks.
As has become the norm for these few months there is a deal of Trumpery scattered across the clues. Let’s hope it doesn’t have to be like this for the next 4 years. (Ditto Boris.)
Solving was quite fast.: Most of the grid was in place on the first pass, and only 7 clues unsolved. These were mostly in the bottom right hand corner, and one of those was the wide ranging 10/25. So when that fell it provided an “in” into that corner.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7 | PROPAGANDA | Broadcast ‘right look’ for Kim Jong-un’s idea of news? (10) Homophone “Proper gander”. Homophone indicator: broadcast. |
| 8 | MILD | Not very clever, getting upset over Labour leader’s slight (4) L[abour] inside DIM< (not very clever, upset) First One In. |
| 10/25 | TWITTER ACCOUNT | Dope on sources of the Economic Reform Bill, put to great use by Trump (7,7) TWIT (dope), then first letters (sources) of T[he] E[conomic] R[eform], then ACCOUNT (bill) |
| 11 | RIGHT | Proper clever, ignoring Boris’s lead (5) BRIGHT ( clever) minus B[oris] |
| 12 | SIGHT | Pissed after change of leader – frightful mess (5) TIGHT (pissed) change first letter to S. No specific reason to choose S in the wordplay except it fits the crossing letter |
| 13 | TACTLESS | Rude – time to cut down on Streep-like stuff (8) T[ime], ACT LESS (cut down on Streep-like stuff) |
| 15 | MASCARA | State gets Mark ace Eye application (7) MA (state, MA = Massachusetts) SCAR(mark) A[ce]. The eye make-up originated from the lees of wine produced from the Algerian Mascara region. Many years ago I tried some Mascara wine, it was a very thick deep red as you might imagine. |
| 17 | CHORTLE | Snort cocaine right inside sleazy hotel (7) C[ocaine] then R[ight] inside HOTEL* AInd: sleazy. |
| 20 | STOCKTON | Northern town has goods on Blair? Almost (8) STOCK (goods) TON[y] (Blair almost) Is this wishful thinking from Cyclops. How accurate that clue’s surface reading? After all, Stockton borders Blair’s erstwhile constituency of Sedgefield |
| 22 | MOTET | Blemish on Theresa’s no. 1, as heard in church? (5) MOTE (blemish) T[heresa] |
| 24 | BLAIR | Would-be elder statesman‘s second-rate retreat (5) B-LAIR second-rate retreat |
| 26/21 | IDLE THREAT | Boris-style warning? “One gets rattled,” he snapped (4,6) I (one) then (RATTLED HE)* AInd: snapped. I would prefer it if Boris was more idle, he’s certainly threatening |
| 27 | ASPIDISTRA | Piss? Drat, I suspect a plant! (10) (PISS DRAT I )* AInd: suspect. That answer just flew in. |
| Down | ||
| 1 | PROTESTANT | Strangely non-American POTUS, Net star of religion (10) (POTUS NET STAR – USA)* AInd: strangely |
| 2 | SPYING | Own up about “heartless Piccadilly”, being an agent? (6) P[iccadill]Y inside SING (own up) |
| 3 | AGITATOR | A bastard overturned schedule – troublemaker (8) A GIT (a bastard) ROTA< (schedule, overturned) |
| 4 | UNTRUTH | Trump, dismissing politician: “hunt out fake news!” (7) TRUMP – MP inside HUNT* AInd: out |
| 5 | FABRIC | Stuff bra out, stuck into French chip (6) BRA* AInd: out, inside F[rench] and IC (chip: Integrated Circuit) |
| 6 | SMUGGLER | Boris ultimately left in clutches of assailant – mule! (8) [bori]S, then L[eft] inside MUGGER (assailant) |
| 14 | SALUTATORY | “Welcoming transformed USA with a lot less love” – politician (10) (USA A LOT – O)* AInd: transformed, giving SALUTA, then TORY |
| 16 | CYCLADES | Takes Tebbit’s advice, seizing commercial holiday islands (8) AD (commercial) inside CYCLES (takes Tebbit’s advice) Ref Norman ‘Onyerbike’ Tebbit’s famous “He got on his bike and looked for work” outburst |
| 18 | HOMICIDE | “One force in the House – topping!” (8) I (one) CID (force) inside HOME (house). Last One In, though it was pretty obvious when all the crossing letters were in place. |
| 19 | UNHAPPY | Uranium poo container takes hospital down (7) U[ranium] then H[ospital] inside NAPPY (poo container) |
| 23 | TRUISM | There’s no denying that much of Donald is malice primarily (6) TRU[mp] (much of Donald) IS M[alice] |
| 24/9 | BAD LOT | Unsavoury bunch of banker types starts importing dodgy load (3,3) LOAD* AInd: dodgy, giving ADLO, inside B T from B[anker] T[ypes] |
New slang being used for the new £5 note: A “Slippery Winston”