Some traditional establishment targets, some smutty references…it is a Cyclops, it does what it says on the tin…
The surface readings at 8A and 11A don’t bear too much thinking, and 10A is a nice dig at the tax ‘avoision’ of too many multi-nationals…
15A is a particularly poignant commentary on inner city KNIFE CRIME, while 13A is a flashback to the original purpose/usage of Go-ogle, and 9D with ENNUI as part of the anagram indicator for EUROPEAN UNION is very indicative of the current Brexit impasse…
A nice ‘box-standard?’ Cyclops, and I hope I have it all explained below..
| Clue No | Solution | Clue | Definition (with occasional embellishments) / Logic/parsing |
|
| 6A | ON SALE | Available for a price, Noel’s touring round the country shortly (2,4) | available for a price / ON _LE (anag, i.e. touring, of NOEL) around SA (South Africa, country, shortly) |
|
| 8A | THE RANKS | In gratitude, Brenda reveals privates (3,5) | privates (soldiers) / TH_ANKS (gratitude) around ER (Elizabeth Regina, Brenda to Private Eye) |
|
| 10A | TAX RETURN | Not much of a declaration by the typical multinational? Result of extra chicanery and deviation (3,6) | not much of a declaration by the typical multinational / TAX RE (anag, i.e. chicanery, of EXTRA) + TURN (deviation) |
|
| 11A | SKODA | It was much maligned once, dipping end of prick in drink (5) | it (a car make that) was much maligned once / S_ODA (drink) around (dipped into by) K (end letter of pricK) |
|
| 12A | ROOMY | Native Aussie, well on the large side (5) | on the large side / ROO (kangaroo, native Australian mammal) + MY (well, interjection expressing surprise) |
|
| 13A | ONE-HANDED | United, Hearts, plus journalist, wanker-fashion? (3-6) | wanker-fashion! / ONE (united) + H (hearts) + AND (plus) + ED (editor, journalist) |
|
| 15A | KNIFE | & 20 Mick in free production, alarmingly on the rise in our cities (5,5) | (something that is) alarmingly on the rise in our cities / anag, i.e. production, of MICK IN FREE |
|
| 17A | THIEF | Uncommonly fit, eh? What one does is appropriate (5) | what one (of these) does is appropriate (usually other people’s belongings!) / anag, i.e. uncommonly, of FIT EH |
|
| 19A | PARTHENON | Role: female affectionately working to produce a splendid erection (9) | splendid (ancient Greek) erection / PART (role) + HEN (female, affectionately) + ON (working) |
|
| 20A | CRIME | See 15ac. (5) | see 15A / see 15A |
|
| 21A | BEGUM | A high-ranked Muslim, say, tucked into loaf (5) | a high-ranked Muslim / B_UM (loaf around) around (tucked in to by) EG (say, for example) |
|
| 23A | NEEDS MUST | Sensed tum rumbled … when driven by Nick? (5,4) | when driven by Nick (..when the Devil drives…) / anag, i.e. rumbled, of SENSED TUM |
|
| 24A | INVENTOR | Who makes things up about Niven, the “almost” politician (8) | who makes things up / INVEN (anag, i.e. about, of NIVEN) + TOR(Y) (almost all of a politician) |
|
| 25A | SLATED | Salted nuts panned (6) | panned / anag, i.e. nuts, of SALTED |
|
| Down | ||||
| Clue No | Solution | Clue | Definition (with occasional embellishments) / Logic/parsing |
|
| 1D | SLEEPY | Tending to leak over top of ledge, being ready to drop off (6) | being ready to drop off / S_EEPY (tending to leak) around L (top letter of Ledge) |
|
| 2D | CHANNEL TUNNEL | Dig after broadcaster shows how we can access EU countries (7,6) | how we can access EU countries / CHANNEL (broadcaster) + TUNNEL (dig) |
|
| 3D | FRASCATI | Overturning fast car with one shows your bottle, maybe (8) | bottle, maybe / FRASCAT (anag, i.e. overturning, of FAST CAR) + I (one) |
|
| 4D | IN TO | See 22dn. (2,2) | see 22D / see 22D |
|
| 5D | ISLAND | Britain in a mess, slain, dead? (6) | Britain / ISLAN (anag, i.e. in a mess, of SLAIN) + D (dead) |
|
| 6D | OUTCRY | See 19dn. (6) | see 19D / see 19D |
|
| 7D | SEX WORKER | Pro forming union with Ant? (3,6) | pro(stitute) / SEX (union) + WORKER (ant) |
|
| 9D | EUROPEAN UNION | It’s forever being discussed, producing ennui – pour one a bubbly! (8,5) | it’s forever being discussed / anag, i.e. bubbly, of ENNUI POUR ONE A |
|
| 14D | DIFFICULT | Date: if taken both ways, an obsession involving Labour? (9) | involving labour / D (date) + IF + FI (if, taken both ways) + CULT (obsession) |
|
| 16D | INHUMANE | Elected, being ultimately dense and unfeeling (8) | unfeeling / IN (elected) + HUMAN (being) + E (ultimate letter of densE) |
|
| 18D | SEATED | Not standing for drink with Cruz? (6) | not standing / SEA (the drink) + TED (Ted Cruz – US politician?) |
|
| 19D | PUBLIC | & 6 People’s Protest: “Break up Tory club protecting incompetent Conservative leaders!” (6,6) | people’s protest / PUBL_ OUTCRY (anag, i.e. break, of UP TORY CLUB) around (protecting) IC (leading letters of ‘Incompetent Conservative’) |
|
| 20D | COSTLY | Dear, gutless Corby, on the outside of lost movement (6) | dear / C_Y (CorbY, gutless) around (on the outside of) OSTL (anag, i.e. movement, of LOST) |
|
| 22D | GIVE | & 4 Admit defeat, i.e. voting “Out” (4,2,2) | admit defeat / anag, i.e. out, of IE VOTING |
|
Thanks mc_rapper67. Re 23a, I did not know the full expression when the devil drives needs must. Although I had needs must.as the solution. I wonder if others had difficulty with this one
Same here.
I very much enjoyed the apparent smuttiness of 8A and 19A that contrasted with the ordinariness of 19A that had a really smutty answer.
“Needs must when the devil drives” was well-known to me. Not sure where I heard it but it seems to have been with me all my life.