A puzzle based on the “I had a job …” joke. “It was ….” being the punchline. Also extra letters in the down clues spell out a further job, with its punchline to be highlighted in the final grid.
An excellent fun crossword on the easier scale of this series of puzzles, in my opinion anyway.
Any fans of inoffensive humour would like some of these.
Thematic clues
I had a job …
* as a sewage worker It was DRAINING
* as a shipbuilder It was RIVETING
* as an undertaker It was DEADLY
* as a man with a van It was MOVING
* as a bomb-disposal expert (two words) It was A BLAST
* as an oil-worker It was BORING
* as a barista (two words) It was A GRIND
* repairing punctures on cars It was TIRING
The extra letters gave :
* Making Porridge. It was GRUELLING to be found in the lower part of the NW to SE diagonal.
All in all a fun crossword, highly enjoyable and accessible to many who may not do this puzzle regularly. Thanks Samuel.
Key
* Anagram; DD Double definition; Rev. reverse; Underline definition
Across
6 Painting to include One Direction, the Scottish version (4)
Art (Painting) around I (one) = AIRT
9 Weak must agree to follow motorway (6)
M (motorway) + (agree)* = MEAGRE (see must4 in Chambers as to why this is the anagram indicator)
10 Seize field surgeon (6)
Area (Field) + CH (surgeon) = AREACH
11 Laugh and groan endlessly, right? (4)
Groan – g – n (endlessly) + r (right) = ROAR
12 Empty decanter? Turn over that woman’s coaster! (7)
Dr (Empty decanter) + Rev. go (turn) + her (that woman) = DROGHER
13 Evil detective, Asian (5)
Sin (Evil) + DI (Detective) = SINDI
14 Nearly bar old dear (4)
Lever (bar) – r = LEVE
15 What might indicate 00 12? (7)
Think clock faces = MIDNOON
17 Like water in significant quantities? Not I (6)
Serious (in significant quantities) – I = SEROUS
20 Give up tripe and trotters, ultimately – as these might? (6)
(give)* + e + s (tripe and trotters, ultimately) = VEGIES
21 Strange, like a retired policeman? (7)
DD OFF-BEAT
22 Some struggling with this speaker could become comatose (4)
(comatose – some)* = CATO
23 Eastern European returns to claim iodine bottles (5)
Rev. Slav (Eastern European) around I (Iodine) = VIALS
25 Burn damaged elm rods (7)
(elm rods)* = SMOLDER
26 Trendy call to Scottish language (4)
In (Trendy) + ca (Scottish call) = INCA
27 Tune carried by half-collapsed Irish guy (6)
Ruined (collapsed) – ned around air (tune) = RUAIRI
29 Leave claim to reward (6)
DD DESERT
30 Relish section in draw (4)
s (section) in gut (draw) GUST
Down
| M | 1 Copy plan by European (3)
Map + e (European) = APE |
| A | 2 Target mature profile (5)
Aim (target) + age (mature) = IMAGE |
| K | 3 Steal hospital more remoulded alloy (8)
Nick (Steal) + (h + more)* = NICHROME |
| I | 4 Bill is inclusive of inferior empty skin (6)
Neb (Bill) + ir (inferior empty) + is = NEBRIS |
| N | 5 Silences groups (4)
DD Gangs (Groups) = GAGS |
| G | 7 Press slaughter source of not? so-heavy metal? (7, two words)
Iron (Press) + gore (slaughter) = IRON ORE |
| P | 8 Will’s ready to support Arabian book (6)
Prest (Will’s ready) preceded by Ar (Arabian) = ARREST |
| O | 16 Parasite in flipping great lake and river (8)
Rev, Good (great) + l (lake) + Ouse (river) = DOGLOUSE |
| R | 18 Rule-keeper resists and cancels (7)
Ref (Rule-keeper) + faces (resists) = EFFACES |
| R | 19 Plant sailors behind (6)
Aster (plant) + RN (sailors) = ASTERN |
| I | 20 Four arias composed for painter (6)
IV (Four) + (Arias)* = VASARI |
| D | 22 Dirty and covered with rot, oddly (5)
Clad (covered) + RoT (oddly) = CLART |
| G | 24 Singer Bob’s weight (4)
DD Seger (Singer Bob) = SEER |
| E | 28 Tribe that is West Indian, originally (3)
IE (that is) + W I (West Indian, originally) = IWI |