I found this one of the most tricky Eye puzzles for a while. Looking back at it I can’t quite put my finger on why.
From the off I had trouble, reading through at least half a dozen clues before getting an obvious one at 14 CELEB.
Both clues that would deliver a clutch of first letters, 1d and 15d, proved resilient till I had a large number of those crossing letters and there were scant few other crossing first letters to be had in this grid design.
It took several passes to complete, and I left a scattering on question marks in my notes before starting this blog. One of which I now realise I had completely wrong: At 21d I wrote in HATTER thinking he was the “half nuts” leader of the tea party, rather than the psychopathic leader who was deficient to the tune of 1 in the nuts department.
And there is still one I’m not sure about 25a: Is Corbyn out of favour now?
So, for all that, one of the most enjoyable Eye puzzles for a while!
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6 | CANING | A bit of S and M makes very old PM lose nerve initially? (6) CAN[n]ING George Canning was PM for a very short time a very long time ago |
| 8 | SHREDDER | Stripper about right as destroyer of evidence (8) SHEDDER around R[ight] |
| 13 | MERCENARY | Gay taking cane out, is doing it for materialistic reasons (9) CANE* AInd: out, inside MERRY (gay) |
| 14 | CELEB | Tabloid target Corbyn especially loves exasperating business heads (5) First letters (heads) of the rest of the clue. First one in after a barren start |
| 17/11 | HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT | The moon, say, is what Theresa May presented to certain immigrants (7,11) Double Definition. Second definition is understatement: The Maybot didn’t just purposefully create a hostile environment for certain immigrants but for many British people too. |
| 19 | TOT UP | Reckon May supporter only half put off? (3,2) TO[ry], PUT< I’m not sure why “put off” is used, implying an anagram of PUT, “put back” would suffice. (I know a reversal is technically an anagram, but …) |
| 21 | HAPPINESS | Being content to have Home Secretary holding used nappies (9) NAPPIES* AInd: Used, inside H[ome] S[ecretary] |
| 24/12/15 | ORB AND SCEPTRE | “One’s part bred, prepared to seize crown initially” – Brenda’s pompous combination (3,3,7) (ONE’S PART BRED C[rown])* AInd: prepared. |
| 25 | OUT OF FAVOUR | Arising from a good turn, does this sum up Corbyn’s position now? (3,2,6) OUT OF (arising from ) FAVOUR (a good turn). For a long time I though the last word was going to be Labour |
| 26 | THATCHED | House may be so rusticated, ex-leader has to ditch Republican for Democrat (8) THATCHER [-R +D] |
| 27 | STOLEN | Hot woman’s wear, the ultimate for Johnson (6) STOLE (woman’s wear) [johnso]N |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SCREAM | Taking Ed’s lead, piss off and cry (6) E[d] inside SCRAM (piss off) |
| 2 | UNIVERSE | “Nurse, I’ve orgasmed.” “Is that all there is?” (8) (NURSE I’VE)* AInd: orgasmed. Reminds me of some creation myth from the South Seas |
| 3 | CHEEKY | Audacious as an arse (6) Double Definition. Last one in. |
| 4 | LETTUCES | Healthy food obstruction day – carbon introduced (8) LET (obstruction) C[arbon] inside TUES (day) For “healthy food” after kale I thought of lettuce, but couldn’t justify it without some crossing letters |
| 5 | CREDIBLE | Credit OK for consumers – honest (8) CR[edit] EDIBLE |
| 7 | NERVE | Skinner very full of impudence (5) Hidden inside skinNER VEry |
| 9 | DRAWL | Pull out before Labour leader’s slow, boring speech (5) DRAW (pull out) L[abour] |
| 10 | INMATE | Familiar but not getting it up? Con! (6) IN[TI]MATE. TI to remove from IT< (it up) |
| 15 | SET FORTH | Declare “Mid-section of gusset for thong” (3,5) Well hidden in gusSET FOR THong. This had me trying to do something with the SS from gusset |
| 16 | TOP NOTCH | Put an end to Nick? Admirable! (3-5) TOP (put an end to – i.e. kill) NOTCH (nick) |
| 17 | HOP OFF | What to do at end of shuttle bus trip: make a toady departure? (3,3) Double Def. But I can hear the pens scratching green ink letters to pedants’ corner already – toads don’t really hop they crawl |
| 18 | ICE LOLLY | Collie pissed over large yard, getting treat (3,5) COLLIE* AInd: pissed, L[arge] Y[ard] |
| 20 | TIBIA | Not much taken up to cover one’s bony element of member (5) I (one) inside A BIT (not much) reversed |
| 21 | HITLER | Half nuts, this leader? (6) All together now: ? “Hitler, has only got one ball. The other, is in the Albert Hall” ? |
| 22 | INAPT | A pint drunk – that’s out of order (5) (A PINT)* AInd: drunk |
| 23 | SHRINK | Freud, the first to lose erection? (6) Double Def. Not sure about “the first” – Was Freud really the first psychoanalyst? |
I hear this has been widely nicked so let’s credit the progenitor.
Move over Paul the octopus, here comes Phlegm Clandango ( @cain_unable on twitter ) with his Quarter Finals Day Prayer published well before the match.
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