We are currently on holiday – if there are any errors, omissions or anything else that needs a reply we are afraid that we may not be able to deal with it until later in the day. It’s Friday 13th, so there must be a gremlin somewhere!
Thankfully, given the fact that we are away, we found this fairly straightforward to solve. Even 30ac was retrieved from the grey cells – we must have come across it in other crosswords or codewords where a Z is required. As usual, we cannot find a nina or a theme. If there is we are sure someone else will help out.
Thanks Phi.
| Across | ||
| 1 | A Parisienne, when meeting unknown quantity, is disturbed (6) | |
| UNEASY | UN (a in French) AS (when) Y (unknown quantity) | |
| 4 | Axes taken to tree brought about zero fury (8) | |
| APOPLEXY | XY (axes) after or ‘taken to’ APPLE (tree) around O (zero). We were not that happy about after = taken to – perhaps someone can help here. | |
| 10 | Messenger forgetting nothing about unfashionable designer (9) | |
| COUTURIER | C |
|
| 11 | Complex case involving university’s sharp language (5) | |
| SAUCE | An anagram of CASE – anagrind is ‘complex’ around or ‘involving U (university) | |
| 12 | Early indication of result: former head will accept it (4,4) | |
| EXIT POLL | EX (former) POLL (head) around or ‘accepting’ IT | |
| 13 | American counsel backed American lawyer to express anger about crashed semi (10) | |
| ADVISEMENT | DA (American lawyer reversed or ‘backed’) VENT (express anger) about an anagram of SEMI – anagrind is ‘crashed’ | |
| 15/16 | Bahrain giants rampaging in the local fairytales? (7,6) | |
| ARABIAN NIGHTS | An anagram of BAHRAIN GIANTS – anagrind is ‘rampaging’ | |
| 19/21 | Race vehicle very overlooked by current bulk transport (6,7) | |
| PEOPLE CARRIER | PEOPLE (race) CAR (vehicle) RI |
|
| 23 | Desk I found in various rectories (10) | |
| ESCRITOIRE | An anagram of RECTORIES around I – anagrind is ‘various’ | |
| 25 | See 12 | |
| 27 | 11, excellent, not entirely smelly (5) | |
| AIOLI | AI (excellent) OLI |
|
| 28 | Choice to limit time working (9) | |
| OPERATION | OPTION (choice) around or ‘limiting’ ERA (time) | |
| 29 | Observer editor in Kenya misrepresented English (5,3) | |
| NAKED EYE | ED (editor) in an anagram of KENYA – anagrind is ‘misrepresented’ E (English) | |
| 30 | Leader of gods mostly game, mostly game for figure of speech (6) | |
| ZEUGMA | ZEU |
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | America mostly confused about introduction of Soviet money (5,3) | |
| UNCLE SAM | UNCLEA |
|
| 2 | Explain start of essay, badly articulated without skill (9) | |
| ELUCIDATE | E (first letter or ‘start’ of essay) and an anagram of |
|
| 3/26 | Great friend very much the greatest (though without it being put about) (4,4) | |
| SOUL MATE | SO (very much) UL |
|
| 5/21 | Painter’s caper ruined item of decor (7,6) | |
| PERSIAN CARPET | An anagram of PAINTER’S CAPER – anagrind is ‘ruined’ | |
| 6 | US soldier brought in after mistake over large iconic figure (6,4) | |
| POSTER GIRL | GI (US soldier) brought into POST (after) ERR (mistake) and L (large) | |
| 7 | Expected to absorb time picking up Satie’s last study (5) | |
| ETUDE | DUE (expected) around or ‘absorbing’ T (time) reversed or ‘picking up’ (as it is a down clue) E (last letter of Satie) | |
| 8 | Yard almost checked security clearance of Frenchwoman? (6) | |
| YVETTE | Y (yard) VETTE |
|
| 9/20 | Henry coined money irregularly, involving daughter in this? (6,7) | |
| HIDDEN ECONOMY | H (Henry) and an anagram of COINED MONEY – anagrind is ‘irregularly’ around or ‘involving’ D (daughter) | |
| 14 | Easier source of servicing suggested around motor-racing? (10) | |
| SIMPLIFIED | S (first letter or ‘source’ of servicing) IMPLIED (suggested) around FI (motor racing) | |
| 17 | Making clothes for dog and seal (9) | |
| TAILORING | TAIL (dog) O-RING (seal – used in plumbing) | |
| 18 | Country atmosphere’s inverted, with flaccid content (3,5) | |
| SRI LANKA | AIR’S (atmosphere’s) reversed or ‘inverted’ around or ‘containing’ LANK (flaccid) | |
| 20 | See 9 | |
| 21 | See 5 | |
| 22 | Stop mother being in control (6) | |
| REMAIN | MA (mother) in REIN (control) | |
| 24 | Striker caught forward (5) | |
| CLOCK | C (caught) LOCK (forward – in Rugby) | |
| 25 | See 3 | |
30a. Dost sometimes counsel take—and sometimes tea. – Pope
Slight error in 1a. A Parisienne indicates feminine form ‘une’.
Thanks for blog B&J (apart from 1a)
ZEUGMA was difficult to suss and easy to parse!
Reliable as ever from Phi-havent looked for a theme or any other extras yet.
The best example of zeugma that I know is from Flanders and Swann: “…she made no reply, up her mind and a dash for the door”. (Have Some Madeira, M’Dear)
No theme or anything here – just playing around with two-word phrases.
The weather forecast was for an afternoon of showers and thunderstorms – but instead we sat on the sunny patio taking lemon tea and delight in a crossword from Phi.
Having got k, v, x, y and z in various answers, as well as u in a few places where it might follow q,we began to think we might have a pangram, but in the end j, q and w were missing.
All good stuff, though, so no real favourites. Thanks, Phi and B&J.