Imogen brings up the century
This was Imogen's 100th outing as a Guardian setter, and it was worthy of the occasion.
As a bibliophile, I loved this puzzle, which had references to Proust, Dickens and Rand among others.
I think I gave at least a tick to almost every clue, but double ticks were awarded to the clues for EPHEMERA, ODETTE, OOZING, NEGLIGIBLE, STAIRS, CAPTOR and (my favourite) DO-GOODER.
Thanks, Imogen – here's to a hundred more.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | DO-GOODER |
Mrs Jellyby, for one, should improve, speaking ungrammatically (2-6)
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DO GOODER ("improve", speaking ungrammatically) Mrs Jellbyby is a philanthropist in Dickens' Bleak House. |
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| 9 | PRESTO |
Fast direction out of city (6)
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N (north, so "direction") out of PRESTO(n) ("city") |
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| 10 | RAPT |
Made a sharp noise, talking in a trance (4)
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Homophone [talking] of RAPPED ("made a loud noise") |
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| 11 | TENDERLOIN |
Cut being painful, get on computer to cancel golf (10)
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TENDER ("painful") + LO(g) IN ("get on computer" to cancel G (golf, in the phonetic alphabet)) |
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| 12 | OTIOSE |
Superfluous measure, so I took some back (6)
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Hidden backwards in [some back] "measurE SO I TOok" |
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| 14 | ENERGISE |
Fill with enthusiasm to revolutionise green lives on Earth (8)
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*(green) [anag:to revolutionise] + IS ("lives") on E (earth) |
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| 15 | WEST HAM |
Club swam the Serpentine (4,3)
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*(swam the) [anag:serpentine] Refers to West Ham United, currently sitting in the top four of the Premier League in England. |
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| 17 | SABBATH |
Tenor joins singing group during quiet day off (7)
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T (tenor) joins ABBA (a "singing group") during SH ("quiet") |
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| 20 | SCIMITAR |
Appalling racism — it can be very wounding (8)
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*(racism it) [anag:appalling] |
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| 22 | APERCU |
Glimpse a drum kit, half missing (6)
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A + PERCU(ssion) ("drum kit", half missing) |
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| 23 | SPY STORIES |
Agent finally disowns politicians, a spooky set (3,7)
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SPY ("agent") + [finally] (disown)S + TORIES ("politicians") |
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| 24 | GOON |
Sellers say ‘Don’t stop’ (2,2)
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(Peter) Sellers was one of the GOONs in the radio show of that name. |
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| 25 | OOZING |
Drinking too much, bishop goes off dribbling (6)
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B (bishop) goes off (b)OOZING ("drinking too much") |
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| 26 | SHRUGGED |
Extremely selfish, muscular Atlas did (8)
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[extremely] S(elfis)H + RUGGED ("muscular") Atlas Shrugged is a dystopian (and rather depressing) novel by Ayn Rand |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | IOLANTHE |
I look up one article on another fairy tale (8)
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I + <=LO ("look" up) + AN on THE ("one article" on "another" (article)) In Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera, Iolanthe was a fairy, so Iolanthe could be described as a "fairy tale". |
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| 2, 24 | MORTGAGE |
Time to joke, entering into extra financial burden? (8)
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T (time) + GAG ("joke") into MORE ("extra") |
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| 3 | ODETTE |
A little poem for Proust’s girl? (6)
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If a small kitchen is a kitchenette, then "a little poem" or ode could conceivably be an ODETTE. Odette de Crécy is a character in A la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust. |
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| 4 | GRANDEE |
Noble rank open to knight: earl (7)
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GRADE ("rank") open to N (knight, in chess notation) + E (earl) |
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| 5 | EPHEMERA |
Strangely, a peer and me touring Hungary may fly together (8)
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*(a peer me) [anag:strangely] touring H (Hungary) For the definition, the setter instructs us to put "may and "fly" together to get "mayfly". |
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| 6 | NEGLIGIBLE |
One lawyer in casual dress beneath consideration (10)
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I (one) + BL (Bachelor of Law, so "lawyer") in NEGLIGÉ ("casual dress") |
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| 7 | STAIRS |
Looks for audience: they fit in well (6)
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Homophone [for audience] of STARES ("looks") For the definition, think "stairwells". |
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| 13 | OPTIMISTIC |
Confident visionary said alternative’s not on at first (10)
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Homophone [said] of MYSTIC ("visionary") with OPTI(on) ("alternative", not ON) at first |
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| 16 | ALTHOUGH |
Granted that a large idea may fall short (8)
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A + L (large) + THOUGH(t) ("idea", short) |
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| 18 | TICK OVER |
Be inactive, as old vein’s opening in heart (4,4)
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O(ld) V(ein) ['s opening] in TICKER ("heart") |
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| 19 | ORGIAST |
Goat is ready to start getting drunk, a debauchee (7)
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*(goat is r) [anag:getting drunk] where R is R(eady) [to start] |
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| 21 | CAPTOR |
Kidnapper‘s instruction to make a turn in vehicle (6)
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PTO (please turn over – an "instruction to make a turn") in CAR ("vehicle") |
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| 22 | ABSURD |
Ridiculous way muscles bend at the top (6)
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Rd. (road, so "way") with ABS ("muscles") + U (-bend) at the top |
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| 24 |
See 2
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