I took a while to get going on this one, but it all came out nicely in the end, with Paul’s usual wit and some quirky clues. Thanks to him for the entertainment.
| Across | ||||||||
| 1. | BACKWATER | Remote location in loop, might you say? (9) Reversing “loop” gives us “pool”, so it’s “BACK WATER” |
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| 9. | QUEEN | Piece, central to, or on the far side of, banner (5) The word “banner” has ANNE in the middle and ER at the end: both queens |
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| 10. | DESPERADO | Time of special power, perhaps, in recollection of deviant criminal (9) ESP ERA (“time of special power”) in reverse of ODD |
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| 11. | EEK | Time has no beginning — whoops! (3) [W]EEK |
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| 12. | COWBOY BOOTS | Pair seen in Texas, perhaps — unqualified drug dealers? (6,5) COWBOY (unqualified, as in cowboy builders) + BOOTS (chemists, drug dealers) |
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| 14. | TANNERY | Aim to impress girl in skin-treatment establishment (7) ANNE “impressed by” TRY (aim). A shame we had a reference to ANNE so close to this in 9 |
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| 15. | APLENTY | To spare a net breaking, fold round it (7) A + NET* in PLY |
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| 16. | FROST UP | Fur tops taken off, freeze (5,2) (FUR TOPS)* |
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| 19,6. | STUFFED SHIRT | Pompous type, why the overweight appearance? (7,5) Havig a stuffed shirt might give you an overweight appearance |
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| 22. | REVERSE GEAR | Is one’s engagement a head-turner? (7,4) Cryptic definition: you might have to turn your head when reversing, i.e. after engaging reverse gear |
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| 23. | RUN | Be in charge of career (3) Double definition |
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| 24. | STAYSAILS | Canvas items. I say, with salts at sea (9) (I SAY SALTS)* |
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| 26. | GUILT | Shame only valuable on the surface, we hear? (5) Homophone of “gilt” (covered in gold, so only valuable on the surface – depending on what’s underneath, of course) |
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| 27. | EVERT | Turn out, on being missed by team (5) EVERTON (football team) less ON |
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| 28. | MONETISED | After conversion, 1 x 500 turned into currency (9) Anagram of ONE TIMES D |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 1. | BEQUEST | One’s left foot in bathtub, ask to remove right (7) Last letter or “foot” ot bathtuB + [R]EQUEST |
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| 2. | CHECK IN | Read aloud Prague’s hotel register? (5,2) Homophone of “Czech inn” |
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| 3. | WINDCHEATER | Cold in head spreading in January, perhaps — something needed to keep warm? (11) C in HEAD*, all in WINTER (January, perhaps). Windcheater was what we called anorak-type jackets when I were a lad, but I don’t think the word is used much nowadays |
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| 4. | TIDEWAY | Moisture beneath one in river channel (7) I + DEW in TAY |
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| 5. | ROSEOLA | Rash came up on legs and heads (7) ROSE (came up) + first letters of On Legs And |
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| 6. | SHE | Novel abandoned, unfinished (3) SHE[D] – novel by H Rider Haggard |
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| 7. | IDAHOAN | American English lacking in proposal, zilch in shorthand? (7) IDEA (proposal) less E + 0 in HAN[D] |
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| 8. | TROTSKY | Wrong coming up with blue for red (7) Reverse of TORT (a civil wrong) + SKY (blue) |
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| 13. | BOLT UPRIGHT | Place throw vertically over fitting, very straight (4,7) Reverse of PUT LOB (place throw) + RIGHT (fitting) |
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| 16. | FORESEE | Expect number and letter on the phone? (7) Homophone of “four C” |
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| 17. | OBVIATE | Do away with cracks above it (7) (ABOVE IT)* |
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| 18. | PREMIUM | Excellent injecting iodine in the months of pregnancy? (7) I in PRE-MUM (as a pregnant woman might be described) |
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| 19. | STETSON | Hat collections being worn, including first of trilbies (7) T[rilbies] in SETS ON (collections being worn) |
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| 20. | FORTIES | Time of life devoted to bonding? (7) FOR TIES |
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| 21. | DENOTED | Loading heavy weight up, something to sign, marked (7) Reverse of TON in DEED (legal document, something to sign) |
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| 25. | SIT | Appearing in dungarees, Italian model (3) Hidden in dungareeS ITalian |
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