On the easier side of offerings that I have seen from Wanderer, thanks to whom for a gentle workout.
FF: 9 DD: 6
| Across | ||
| 7 | HOUSE-SAT | Provided home security for one away in Southsea, perhaps (5-3) |
| SOUTHSEA* | ||
| 8 | VARIED | Competed around a run that’s changed (6) |
| VIED (competed) around [ A R (run) ] | ||
| 11 | PASSE | Old man’s regularly seen in old hat (5) |
| PA’S (old man’s) SE (SeEn, regularly i.e. alternating letters) | ||
| 12 | RHAPSODIC | Lyrically romantic harp playing before disco dances (9) |
| HARP* DISCO* | ||
| 13 | ELITIST | Favouring upper class priest and model first (7) |
| ELI (priest) T (model, ford car) IST (first) | ||
| 14 | AFFAIRS | A couple of fellows feeling size initially matters (7) |
| A FF (couple of fellows) AIR (feeling) S (Size, initially) | ||
| 15 | SECONDARY MODERN | Short time before Ray moved to new school years ago (9,6) |
| SECOND (short time) [RAY]* MODERN (new) – as i learnt, a type of school in england and wales from the 1940’s to the 1970’s | ||
| 18 | ABOLISH | Get rid of a limitless role held by out-of-work clergyman (7) |
| A [ OL (rOLe, limitless) in BISHop (out-of-work, i.e. no OP) ] | ||
| 20 | SKID LID | Child wearing small hat as crash helmet (4,3) |
| KID (child) in [S (small) LID (hat) ] | ||
| 22 | PYORRHOEA | Extremely pussy ear – oh, or awfully pussy gums (9) |
| PY (PussY, extremely) [EAR OH OR]* | ||
| 23 | INDIA | I clearly said home help’s back (5) |
| IN (home) [ AID (help), reversed) ] – speaking over the phone, one might say india for I, nato phonetic alphabet | ||
| 24 | REDIAL | Once again call girl is in Brazilian capital (6) |
| DI (girl) in REAL (brazilian capital, currency) | ||
| 25 | EDGEWISE | Side uppermost in Nashville? Gee whiz, just the first side playing (8) |
| GEE W (Whiz, first letter) SIDE* – not sure what to do with nashville here, american connotation perhaps? | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | WHIPPERSNAPPER | Young rascal, one stealing fish (14) |
| WHPPER (one stealing) SNAPPER (fish) | ||
| 2 | MUESLI | Use milk that’s off? Not grand for this (6) |
| semi &lit-ish .. USE MILk* (without K – kilo, grand) | ||
| 3 | DELETION | Removal of line during one edit, possibly (8) |
| L (line) in ONE EDIT* | ||
| 4 | PARROT FASHION | Thoughtlessly spouted normal nonsense, if has broken leg (6-7) |
| PAR (normal) ROT (nonsense) [IF HAS]* ON (leg) | ||
| 5 | MASSIF | Following one’s bloke up mountainous area (6) |
| F (following) I’S (one’s) SAM (bloke), all reversed | ||
| 6 | WILDFIRE | Unrestrained shoot that spreads rapidly (8) |
| WILD (unrestrained) FIRE (shoot) | ||
| 9 | DUCKS AND DRAKES | Game birds, swimming in pairs (5,3,6) |
| (not very) cryptic def | ||
| 10 | CANARY ISLANDS | False rumours have inlays poorly fitted in Tenerife and the like (6,7) |
| CANARDS (false rumours) containing INLAYS* | ||
| 16 | CHOROIDS | Church put up note about a Christian involved in fashion sections of the Observer (8) |
| interesting clue this; CH (church) [ SO (note) containing DIOR (christian dior), all reversed) ] – pigmented vascular layer of the retina. didnt know this word before but was precisely clued. | ||
| 17 | OXIDISED | Having undergone chemical change made man moan? (8) |
| cryptic clue; man becomes moan with the infusion of O – oxygen => oxidised | ||
| 19 | INROAD | A Rodin sculpture excursion? Quite the opposite (6) |
| A RODIN* (= incursion) | ||
| 21 | LADDIE | Story about a big-chested northern boy (6) |
| LIE (story) about [ A DD (big-chested, cup size) ], scottish | ||
*anagram
Thanks to Wanderer and Turbolegs. Too tough for me. Two of the long answers (SECONDARY MODERN, PARROT FASHION) stumped me, and I did not know CHOROIDS and missed out on REDIAL.
You’re lonely today, TB.
I agree this was a bit easier than the usual Wanderer fare, still a good puzzle.
I didn’t know what PYORRHOEA actually is but was afraid that Wanderer was a bit naughty here …. he wasn’t.
I didn’t like the ‘clearly said’ bit in INDIA (23ac) but I saw why Wanderer had to do something like that.
There are a lot of setters less adventurous than Wanderer – good stuff!
ACD@1 – Similar to you, I didnt know a bunch of answers as well but managed to solve through a combination of solid cluing and some helpful crossers.
Sil@2 – Yes, Wanderer was a touch risque I thought. Good to see some deviation from the usual stuff …
Thanks for stopping by, both.
Cheers
TL
Thanks Wanderer & Turbolegs.
I think that EDGEWISE in 25 across relates to Welcome to the Edge, a talent showcase venue in Nashville.
Don’t get the Nashville reference in EDGEWISE.
Never heard of Welcome to the Edge. Grand Old Opry, yes. It sounds a bit tenuous to me.
Thanks Wanderer and Turbolegs. Coming to this late but re EDGEWISE I think you were correct in saying an american connotation and nothing specifically about Nashville. Whereas in the UK one might say: “I can’t get a word in edgeways…” in the US it would be “…edgewise.”
Any place in America would suffice to indicate the American spelling. The choice of Nashville and the use of playing as anagram indicator suggest a connection to Country Music. Welcome to the Edge is not as well known as Grand Ole Opry but it does link to Edgewise.
The link is https://www.nashvillescene.com/arts-culture/article/13003555/edgewise
Thanks Wanderer and Turbolegs
Good solid puzzle from Wanderer and enjoyed his longer clues here. Hadn’t heard of SECONDARY MODERN which sound like they’re equivalent to what we called ‘technical colleges’ down here. Sign of the times that they were phased out at about the same time!
Also had not heard of CHOROIDS which was my last one in.