I thought I might get the whole thing done in one pass, but ran out of steam with 5 to go mainly in the top left.
Just as well really. When I got 3D I realised what I had written in for 9A must be wrong even though it fitted the crossing letters – it is very unlikely for a setter to cross the same word (Speed) like that.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PENSIVE | Reflective plastic penis – very English (7) (PENIS)* AInd: plastic, V[ery] E[nglish]. First read and first written in |
| 5 | Fool needs time back on social media (7) TWIT (fool) T[ime] RE< (on, back) |
|
| 9 | UPPER LIMIT | Turning purple, I’m having sex – the maximum! (5,5) (PURPLE)* AInd: turning, I’M IT (sex). Initially wrote in SPEED LIMIT, then when 3D crossed also with SPEED I thought – wait a minute … and realised I hadn’t properly considered the wordplay |
| 12 | CREDITOR | MASH director who’s after your money? (8) (DIRECTOR)* AInd: Mash. Last one solved. Completely over-thought and mislead myself by thinking about Robert Altman, the famous director who famously directed M.A.S.H |
| 13 | RESENT | Trump, ultimately missing out on award: “Feel bitter” (6) PRESENT (award) – P from [trum]P |
| 14/18 | JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT | Trump’s recent political choice? Unstable eurosceptic (he met just four) … (7,2,3,7,5) (EUROSCEPTIC HE MET JUST FOUR)* AInd: Unstable. This is a reference to Trump’s most divisive outgoing action: Putting Amy Coney Barrett into Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s vacant seat on the US Supreme Court. Someone who has only been a judge since 2017. Elevated to that role with very little legal experience: She has never argued a case, or an appeal, in any court, nor has she ever performed any pro bono work. At 48 she has been given a lifetime role. A purely politcal appointment. Let’s hope we hang onto the separation of judiciary from the executive in this country, though it is being starved of funds and vilified by the current government |
| 20 | WEALTH | … means the law is compromised (6) (THE LAW)* AInd: Compromised |
| 22 | UNOPENED | End up screwing with one still intact (8) (END UP … ONE)* AInd: screwing |
| 24/23/11 | A BIT ON THE SIDE | Short time away from the centre of things, taken by many an unfaithful politician? (1,3,2,3,4) Double Def |
| 25 | SWEAT IT OUT | Play a waiting game on developing Covid symptom? (5,2,3) Double Def |
| 26 | HYDRANT | Try stimulation with hand, as a means of quelling the fire (7) (TRY … HAND)* AInd: stimulation |
| 27 | REWRITE | In here, writ entails a ruthless edit (7) Hidden in heRE WRIT Entails |
| Down | ||
| 2 | EXPIRE | Lapse of Times power in Ireland (6) X (times) P[ower] inside EIRE (Ireland) |
| 3 | SPEED HUMP | A quick bonk – but slow to get over it (5,4) SPEED (quick) HUMP (bonk). I pondered BUMP instead of HUMP: I would more likely call a “sleeping policeman” a Speed Bump, but Hump fits the bonk wordplay better. Frankly either could do. |
| 4 | VALET | Man turned up TV, taking the piss (5) ALE (piss) inside TV< |
| 6 | WATER POLO | Game with wank initially (tool pear shaped) (5,4) W[ank] (TOOL PEAR)* AInd: shaped |
| 7 | TESTS | Tries made when England’s number one leaves balls (5) TESTES – E[ngland] |
| 8 | ENDANGER | Tip: bad blood hazard (8) END (tip) ANGER (bad blood) |
| 10 | MIRACLE CURE | Wonder about Midge as possibly the only means of getting rid of Covid? (7,4) MIRACLE (wonder) C (about) URE (Midge, pop star) |
| 15 | THE CHOSEN | In faith, echo senatorial elite (3,6) Hidden in faiTH ECHO SENatorial |
| 16 | TORMENTOR | Pest gets balls hoisted by counsellor (9) ROT< (Balls, hoisted) MENTOR (Counsellor) |
| 17 | ASSEMBLY | Doctor may bless a load of parliamentarians? (8) (MAY BLESS A)* AInd: doctor |
| 19 | DEDUCT | Remove Davey – to be dumped in Channel (6) ED (Davey, Liberal leader) inside DUCT (channel) |
| 21 | LATER | Not now? Dead right! (5) LATE (dead) R[ight] |
This week, I cannot tell you how much pleasure it gave me when I discovered South Yorkshire Police HQ is in Letsby Avenue, Sheffield S9 1XX
I baulk at speed HUMP…….I’ve never heard the sleeping policeman called that….but I am happy to see bump as another word for bonking. What does the Eye solution say? I’m not getting mine these days. I started to blame coivid but just now think that closing a bank account might be the culprit…..the one with the automatic payment!!!
I don’t think we find out the official answers till the mag is published on Wednesday. It is quite likely I am wrong.
beermagnet @2 — I don’t think you’re wrong. I opted for bump when I solved this one, but I see now that hump is a much better synonym for bonk (a bump being a possible consequence of an unprotected hump). It’s been ages since Royal Mail last delivered my Eye on publication day…
Thanks beermagnet & Cyclops. 3d – I didn’t see hump alternative. Be interesting to see which one was used as both seem to work. Liked 12a,27a,3d & 21d.
John E @ 3 -consequence -that provoked a chuckle.
Many thanks to both. I m another who started with two speeds and wound up with the hump alternative. After all, this is the Private Eye crossword and such liberties are taken – expected even. Thoroughly enjoyable and thank you for filling in the Midge bit – I had no idea about the pop thing so that one was unparsed.
Re3d-Just checked the latest issue and the Humpers have won the day.
Congratulations humpers. Personally I think “bump” is just as legit if one’s mind is raised ever so slightly from the gutter (into which one might have fallen after suffering “a bonk on the head”), but I’m amused to see that the Chambers Thesaurus app finds “bonk” in about a dozen sex-related entries and only in one or two hit-related entries, so I suppose its non-smutty meaning is on the way out.
“1964: Labour voters are ‘bonkers’ says Hogg”