Another Monday MOO to start the week…
This is the second MOO I’ve blogged, and, as with the first, it was very enjoyable. The Dolly and Paris references in 10 and 22 took a while to click, but 1a and 1d were my last ones in (kicked myself for 1d since I’m sure I’ve seen something similar before – very good clue though).
Thanks MOO!
1. Lazy woman, 50: someone like Priti Patel? (8)
DILATORY
DI (woman) + L (50) + A TORY (someone like Priti Patel)
5. Complains husband’s into Bollinger and Krug (6)
WHINES
H (husband) into WINES (Bollinger and Krug)
9. Psychiatric unit wolfed down rodent, Spooner says (8)
MADHOUSE
“had mouse” (wolfed down rodent, “Spooner says”)
10. No gin brought back for Dolly? (6)
PARTON
(NO + TRAP (gin))< (<brought back)
12. State aides in on corruption (9)
INDONESIA
(AIDES ON IN)* (*corruption)
13. Polish Catholic visiting very old city (5)
SCOUR
C (catholic) visiting SO (very) + UR (old city)
14. Times of confusion, they say (4)
DAYS
“daze” (confusion, “they say”)
16. Speech in citadel misinterpreted (7)
DIALECT
(CITADEL)* (*misinterpreted)
19. Cruciverbalist’s host left suddenly (4,3)
SHOT OFF
Double (cryptic) definition
SHOT OFF being a cryptic clue for HOST
21. Poet’s booted Democrat out before (4)
ANTE
[d]ANTE (poet, D (democrat) booted out)
24. Lament case of envy holding posh girl back (5)
ELEGY
E[nv]Y (case of) holding (GEL)< (posh girl, <back)
25. Politician who’s left party first (9)
SOCIALIST
SOCIAL (party) + IST (first)
27. Dresses made skimpier? I disapprove (3- 3) (6)
TUT-TUT
TUT[u] TUT[u] (dresses, made skimpier)
28. Curiously, Charlie isn’t her name (8)
CHRISTEN
(C (charlie) + ISNT HER)* (*curiously)
29. Weak policeman found with stolen goods, I hear (6)
DILUTE
DI (policeman) found with “loot” (stolen goods, “I hear”)
30. Daughter abandoning affair? It might mean marriage (8)
ALLIANCE
[d]ALLIANCE (affair, D (daughter) abandoning)
1. Kill old woman – for her estate perhaps? (6)
DOMAIN
DO MA IN (kill old woman)
2. Posh boy gets the girl (2-2-2)
LA-DI-DA
LAD (boy) gets IDA (girl)
3. In two minds about Henry, a prickly customer (5)
THORN
TORN (in two minds) about H (Henry)
4. Her Majesty upset by MI6? Time son fights back (7)
RESISTS
(ER)< (Her Majesty, <upset) + SIS (MI6, Special Intelligence Service) + T (time) + S (son)
6. Advantage enjoyed by president’s floozie? (4,5)
HEAD START
HEADS (presidents) + TART (floozie)
7. Gas that appears first in Newcastle (8)
NITROGEN
N[ewcastle] (first in)
N being the chemical symbol for Nitrogen
8. Address for girl in Barcelona? (8)
SENORITA
11. Revolutionary sketch is Guardian’s responsibility (4)
WARD
(DRAW)< (sketch, <revolutionary)
15. Nato guy an awful problem-solver (5,4)
AGONY AUNT
17. Idiot went in without hesitation? That’s agreed (8)
ASSENTED
ASS (idiot) + ENT[er]ED (went in, without ER (hesitation))
18. Some Chicago men talking lose their heads (2,6)
GO MENTAL
[chica]GO MEN TAL[king] (some)
20. Quickly getting stuck? (4)
FAST
21. Other half in local, drunk? Blame this (7)
ALCOHOL
OH (other half) in (LOCAL)* (*drunk)
22. Where you might stay in Paris? (6)
HILTON
Double definition
Referring to Paris Hilton
23. Agreed about copyright straight away (2,4)
AT ONCE
AT ONE (agreed) about C (copyright)
26. Waylaid occasionally by bishop, one making an excuse (5)
ALIBI
[w]A[y]L[a]I[d] (occasionally) by B (bishop) + I (one)
I enjoyed this offering from Moo with its risqué cluing. I was slow getting off my mark but once 7d was in, I picked up momentum.
Favourites today included DOMAIN, TUT TUT and AGONY AUNT. It was the SE corner which held me up in the end though looking back, it’s hard to see why.
Thanks Moo and Teacow.
Good way to start the week without too many hold-ups along the way. I did wonder for 8d if the word for ‘girl’ is the same in Catalan, as it is in Castilian Spanish.
I liked the surfaces for ALCOHOL and HILTON, taking a while to twig to the latter.
Yes, DOMAIN was very good too. It has appeared before: Region advocating matricide? A real classic.
Thanks to Moo and Teacow
Thanks Moo — this was enjoyable. Favourites included LA-DI-DA, WHINES, and SHOT OFF; after I understood the wordplay (thanks, Teacow) I’ll have to add DOMAIN as a favourite. I was unfamiliar with AGONY AUNT but it was the only answer that fit with the crossings.
Very enjoyable while sitting in the sunshine this afternoon. Thanks, Moo and Teacow
Thanks Moo and Teacow
Very pleasant solve to start off the week which didn’t take too long.
Didn’t realise that MI6 was also known as SIS. Have seen both 1d and 2d before but think that 1d is one to be repeated.
Finished in the NE corner with the clever NITROGEN, SCOUR and DIALECT the last few in.