Redshank serves up a gentle challenge this Friday morning. Thanks Redshank.
FF: 8 DD: 8
| Across | ||
| 1 | FIREFIGHTING | Harry Griffith in eg dowser’s job (12) |
| GRIFFITH IN EG* | ||
| 8 | IN VITRO | Briefly ask men to retire somewhere for experiment? (2,5) |
| INVITe (ask, briefly) RO (reverse of OR, men) | ||
| 9 | SURINAM | South American tours wee limited country there (7) |
| [S (south) AM (american)] around URINe (wee, limited); does this qualify for a semi &lit? | ||
| 11 | TOURIST | Solicitor tackles teacher about visiting team player (7) |
| TOUT (solicitor) containing reverse of SIR (teacher) | ||
| 12 | OCARINA | Old empress ignores Zulu instrument (7) |
| O (old) CzARINA (empress, without Z – zulu) | ||
| 13 | RISER | Republican is beside monarch for part of flight (5) |
| R (republican) IS ER (monarch) | ||
| 14 | OBVIOUSLY | Old boy cruelly abandoned in charge of course (9) |
| O (old) B (boy) VicIOUSLY (cruelly, without IC – in charge) | ||
| 16 | FAMILY MAN | Admirer receiving my mail turned out a devoted father (6,3) |
| FAN (admirer) containing MY MAIL* | ||
| 19 | VIDEO | Director engaged in battle over film (5) |
| D (director) in [ VIE (battle) O (over) ] | ||
| 21 | ALUMNUS | Case of slander dropped by American graduate (7) |
| cALUMNy (slander, without case i.e. without end letters) US (american) | ||
| 23 | ACROBAT | Tumbler a European filled with beer initially (7) |
| [ A CROAT (european) ] containing B (Beer, initially) | ||
| 24 | ENLARGE | Spain and Holland are importing German wax (7) |
| E (spain, Espana) NL (holland, NetherLands) [ ARE containing G (german) ] | ||
| 25 | IMITATE | Independent couple accommodate Italian parrot (7) |
| [ I (independent) MATE (couple) ] containing IT (italian) | ||
| 26 | UNINTERESTED | Apathetic ally relaxed about start of negotiations (12) |
| [UNITE (ally) RESTED (relaxed)] about N (start of Negotiations) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | FAVOURS | Prefers a very old coat’s buttons (7) |
| [ A V (very) O (old) ] in FUR’S (coat’s) | ||
| 2 | RITZIER | More classy unknown quantity in Irish back row (7) |
| Z (unknown quantity) in RI (reverse of IR, irish) TIER (row) | ||
| 3 | FRONT ROOM | Theatre bouncer comes in from parlour (5,4) |
| [ NT (theatre) ROO (bouncer) ] in FROM | ||
| 4 | GUSTO | Enthusiasm’s helping in keeping us together (5) |
| hidden in “..keepinG US TOgether” | ||
| 5 | TORNADO | Rent-a-party twister (7) |
| TORN (rent) A DO (party) | ||
| 6 | NANNIES | Poles nurse orphan goats (7) |
| NS (poles, North South) containing ANNIE (orphan, from the comic strip by harold gray) | ||
| 7 | PICTURE FRAME | Imagine iron covering stuff in case of oil maybe (7,5) |
| PICTURE (imagine) [ FE (iron) covering RAM (stuff) ] | ||
| 10 | MEALY-MOUTHED | Left inside, you made them upset, afraid to speak out (5-7) |
| L (left) in YOU MADE THEM* | ||
| 15 | VANDALISE | V & A lies compounded damage (9) |
| V AND(&) A [LIES]* | ||
| 17 | MAUDLIN | Soppy inconclusive former chancellor (7) |
| MAUDLINg (former chancellor, reginald) | ||
| 18 | LONG RUN | Perhaps marathon feature of hit show? (4,3) |
| double def | ||
| 19 | VERDICT | Possibly guilty barman caught on vacation (7) |
| VERDI (barman, composer) CT (CaughT, on vacation, without inner letters) | ||
| 20 | DAB HAND | Fish harbour with expert (3,4) |
| DAB (fish) H (harbour) AND (with) | ||
| 22 | SIEGE | Blockade is over, say, by end of June (5) |
| SI (reverse of IS) EG (say) E (end of junE) | ||
*anagram
Thanks, Turbolegs.
I really enjoyed this puzzle – lots of ingenious constructions and lovely [often misleading] story-telling surfaces. I particularly liked FIREFIGHTING, IN VITRO, OBVIOUSLY, ALUMNUS, ACROBAT, ENLARGE, IMITATE, RITZIER and VERDICT.
Many thanks to Redshank for the fun.
Surprisingly doable for a bear of little brain
What was it called when Reggie Maudling was around. Common Market?
I must check the Yes (Prime?) Minister take on Europe[“-The Foreign Office is pro Europe because it is anti Europe…..Now we can get in there and make a complete pig’s breakfast of it…”
and so on.
2d buttons?
Otherwise no quibbles with a good puzzle
Contrapunctus @3 – if I read your query correctly, it’s FUR’S round [button[s] – Chambers: ‘to fasten, to close up tightly’ A V O a very old].
I thought 18d was very nice; although, or because, a hit is the opposite of something long
Thanks Redshank and Turbolegs
Was at the easier end of the spectrum for this setter, but still a most enjoyable solve. No real standouts, although the parsing of OCARiNA (with the tricky empress) and MAUDLIN (because of the unknown Chancellor of the Exchequer) took some working through.
Finished in the NE corner with SURINAM and TORNADO the last couple in.