Azed 2396

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This was a plain Azed with the usual mix of careful cluing and less frequently used words

 

 

 

I thought this was a fairly typical Azed in terms of difficulty, with over 50% solved without reference to Chambers.

As usual there were one or two parsins I had to think about before I could see how the wordplay worked.  BREWPUB as 2 down took a bit of time because ‘take’ for R was well disguised.  RETINULAE at 5 down also took a while before I spotted UNITE reversed (up) in the entry.

I liked the clue for ARALDITE with it’s novel use of indicating a contained element [used to join bits {of an anagram}]

Across
No. Clue Wordplay Entry
1 Court ban miss neglected, being opposed to inquiry (12)

Anagram of (neglected) COURT BAN MISS

OBSCURANTISM*

OBSCURANTISM (opposition to inquiry)

 

10

 

Did he creep about nefariously. in favour of breaking rule? (7)

 

PRO (in favour of) + an anagram of (breaking) RULE

PRO ULER*

 PROULER (early form of [hence the use of the past tense in the definition] PROWLER [one who moves stealthily in search of prey or plunder])
12 Somewhat blushful, but up for it, we hear (5)

REDDY (sounds like [we hear] READY [up for it])

REDDY

REDDY (somewhat red; somewhat blushful)

 

13

 

Comrade, frequently holding degree (6)

 

FR (frequently) containing (holding) RATE (extent; degree)

F (RATE) R

FRATER (comrade)

 
14 Prickly weed I slash back repeatedly (8)

([I RIP {slash}] reversed [back] + [I RIP {slash}] reversed [back] to appear repeatedly)

(PIR I)<- (PIR I)<

PIRI-PIRI (New Zealand weed with prickly burrs)

16

 

Scots get used to new food in foreign country (5)

 

SPAIN (Scottish word for wean [accustom to nourishment other than mother’s milk; get used to new food])

SPAIN

SPAIN (foreign country)  double definition

 

18

 

The old man’s returned formerly clean plate (5)

 

PA (father; old man) + NET (obsolete [formerly] word for clean) reversed (returned)

PA TEN<

PATEN (plate)

 
19 Convert. dusky? One whirls noisily (7)

TURN (convert) + DUN (dusky)

TURN DUN

TURNDUN (Australian bull-roarer [oblong slip of wood, whirled at the end of a string to give a loud whirring noise])
20 First off, smashed back hardball (4)

DRUNK (smashed) excluding the first letter [first off] D reversed (back)

KNUR<

KNUR (hard ball or knot of wood)

 
22 Overseer identifying sounds from the flock (4)

BAAS (sounds made by sheep; sounds from the flock)

BAAS

BAAS (South African word for master or overseer)

 

24

 

Rascal that is after return passage, one sailor should ignore (7)

 

LOREL (rascal) + IE (id est; that is) reversed (after return passage)

LOREL EI<

LORELEI (in German legend, a siren of the Rhine who lured sailors to their death)

 

26

 

Loose cape that conceals Vestal maiden’s outer parts (5)

 

TALMA (hidden word in [conceals .. outer parts] VESTAL MAIDENs

TALMA

TALMA (loose cloak or cape)

 
28 Check start of sailing with tide (5)

S (first letter of [start of] SAILING) + NEAP (tide of smallest range)

S NEAP

SNEAP (check)

 
29

Blue or red replacing cross at end of hand on dial (8)

 

INDEX (hand on dial) with CENT (reference red CENT [coin of very small worth]) replacing (replacing) X (cross)

INDE CENT

INDECENT (obscene; blue)

 

32

 

Probable misprint in Shakespeare was exciting, endlessly (6)

 

STIRRED (was exciting) excluding the final letter (endlessly) D

STIRRE

STIRRE (thought to be a Shakespearean misprint for SPERRE)

 
33 Chenopod fungus, by the sound of it? (5)

BLITE (sounds like [by the sound of it] BLIGHT [fungus])

BLITE

BLITE (name for several plants of the goosefoot [chenopod] family)

 

34

 

Doctor, see, introduced to grass, struck off? (7)

 

(MO [medical officer’ doctor] + V [vide; Latin for see]) contained in (introduced to) REED (grass)

RE (MO V) ED

REMOVED (struck off)

 

35

 

Fruit and veg, dismal, dodgy eastern corner galleria initially got in (12)

 

Anagram of (dodgy) (E [eastern] and CORNER and G [first letter of {initially} GALLERIA]) contained in (got in) GREY (dismal)

GRE (ENGROCER*) Y

GREENGROCERY (fruit and vegetables)

 
Down
2 Take pewter’s half swirling in traditional strong drink – one serves one’s own ale (7)

(R [recipe [Latin]; take] + an anagram of [swirling] PEW [half the letters of PEWTER]) contained in (in) BUB (archaic [traditional] word for strong drink)

B (R EWP*) UB

BREWPUB (combined pub and small-scale brewery, serving its own real ale)

3

 

Help?  Bit of damp’s entered that material for new-laid pitch? (4)

 

D (first letter of [bit of] DAMP) contained in (entered) SOS (Save our Souls – call for help)

SO (D) S

SODS ( turf that could be used to create a new laid sports pitch)

 

4

 

Undersize coley racket – that’s something to chew on (6)

 

CUD (food brought back from the first stomach of a ruminating animal to be chewed again.) + DIN (racket)

CUD DIN

CUDDIN (young coalfish [coley]; undersized coley)

 
5 Fussy earl about to join up, requiring specialised cells (9)

An anagram of (fussy) EARL containing (about) (UNITE [join] reversed [up; down clue])

R (ETINU)< LAE*

RETINULAE (cells playing the part of a retina to an ommatidium [a simple element of a compound eye]; specialised cells))

 

6

 

Edible seaweed – me too? Certainly not (4)

 

NOR I (the opposite [certainly not] of ME TOO)

NOR I

NORI (a seaweed of the genus Porphyra used as a foodstuff in Japan in the form of dried sheets (for wrapping sushi) or as a paste)

 
7 Rattle inside bark?  Old-fashioned lure (6)

RAP (rattle) contained in (inside) TAN (spent bark)

T (RAP) AN

 TRAPAN (variant spelling of TREPAN [archaic [old-fashioned] word for a decoy or snare; lure)
8

Name: popular bulrush includes it (8)

 

IN (popular) + (TULE [large American bulrush] containing [includes] IT)

IN T (IT) ULE

INTITULE (same as ENTITLE, now used only to mean give a title to; name)

 

9

 

Partly administered quantity of deal say? (5)

 

STERE (hidden word in [partly] ADMINISTERED)

STERE

STERE (a timber measure,deal being a from of pine or other soft wood)

 
10 Glandular trouble, sort I’m past after treatment (10)

Anagram of (after treatment) SORT I’M PAST

PROSTATISM*

PROSTATISM (an illness or disorder associated with enlargement of the PROSTATE, a gland in males at the neck of the bladder)

 
11 Honourable priest in Jersey etc. as alleged in court (10)

PR (priest) + IN + CI (channel islands, of which Jersey is one + PLED (dialect form of PLEAD [alleged in court)]

PR IN CI PLED

PRINCIPLED (honourable)

 

15

 

Rising expert more than 50% doubtful – he gives up (9)

 

ONER (expert; reversed [rising ; down clue]) + UNCER (5 of the 9 letters [more than 50%] of UNCERTAIN (doubtful)

RENO< UNCER

RENOUNCER (one who disclaims; one who fives up)

 
17 What’s artist used to join bits of detail damaged? (8)

RA (Royal Academician; artist) contained in (to join bits of) an anagram of (damaged) DETAIL

A (RA) LDITE*

 

ARALDITE (brand name of an epoxy resin used as a strong glue which could help join bits of damaged sculpture detail for instance)

 

21

 

Make fresh changes to section of marmoreal terracing (7)

 

RE-ALTER (hidden word in [section of] MARMOREAL TERRACING)

RE-ALTER

RE-ALTER (make fresh changes to)

 

23

 

Fine college with a lake round it (6)

 

C (college) contained in (with … around it) (A + MERE [lake])

A MER (C) E

AMERCE (fine)

 

25

 

First of buildings in Lancs town erected as a unit (6, 2 words)

 

(B [first letter of {first of} BUILDINGS] contained in [in] COLNE [town in Lancashire]) all reversed (erected; down clue)

(EN (B) LOC)<

EN BLOC (as one unit or wholesale)

 
27 Caliban’s pad, say, made of woven ratan (5)

Anagram of (woven) RATAN

ANTAR*

 ANTAR (Shakespearean word for a cave.  Caliban, a character in The Tempest, at one point lived in a cave with Prospero and Miranda)

30

 

Part of trawler’s catch ending in larder, tinned? (4)

 

R (last letter of [ending in] LARDER contained in [tinned] CAN [tin])

C (R) AN

CRAN ( measure of capacity for herrings just landed in port; part of trawler’s catch)

 
31 Pungent herb to throw out mostly after pulling up (4)

EVICT (throw out) excluding the last letter (almost) T and reversed (pulling up; down)

CIVE<

CIVE (alternative spelling of CHIVE, a herb of the onion family; pungent herb)

 

 

 

4 comments on “Azed 2396”

  2. Azed is always fair, and I found this no exception. Was surprised to see Araldite in there, but as always, it’s in the BRB.

    Thanks to Azed and Duncan.

    P.S – I am also annoyed that the online link has been screwed up for what seems like the umpteenth time. Surely it’s not that difficult?

  3. On the ‘umpteenth time’ question… I see the website today displays an incorrect grid under the correct heading ‘Azed 2,397’, and gives incorrect instructions about submitting a clue, it not being one of those weeks. This week the regular, usually incorrect, advice about ‘one abbreviation’, happens to be right, but after all ‘a stopped clock is right twice a day’. These things don’t matter too much, in that when (if!) you click on and reach the ‘printable version’, instructions are (generally) accurate, but it’s sloppy, to say the least. Does anyone from the paper – admin or editorial – ever come on and explain, in the way setters are ready to do? Anyway, it’s a good testing ‘Give and Take’ special today, and I hope onliners get access before the weekend is over.

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