Private Eye (Cyclops / 723) Amoral Standards

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Cyclops in typical mode with a bunch of profane and politically cynical clues and answers, though perhaps not as downright rude as has been known.

Yet again there is no quibble with any of the wordplay here.  As solid clues as you could wish for.

I made hard work of the start by misspelling the first thing I wrote in at 9A: I could have sworn there was an “H” in Emmental  – Ementhal – it looks totally wrong now, and of course doesn’t fit the wordplay if I’d bothered to check.  I even hung STAR at 5D which again, of course, doesn’t fit the wordplay.  And it was a surprisingly long time before I realised what the problem was in that corner.
I think I was trying to do the puzzle too quickly and let my fingers do the spelling.  In future I had better allow time for my brain to catch up with my fingers and check what they’re doing. That will probably save time in the long run.  Yes, I generally do puzzles on the computer these days.  In the past bad spelling could be blamed on the pen, or the ink.

Favourite clue: There were a few to choose from here but in the end I’m picking 26A VITALS.  As someone with a son now aiming to become a daughter this cut me to the quick.

Across
7 TOSSER Pitcher piss-artist overturned on Sun and Express reporters’ heads (6)
SOT< (piss-artist, overturned) S[un] E[xpress] R[eporters]
9 EMMENTAL Lament rashly consuming Cyclops’ dairy produce (8)
(LAMENT)* AInd: rashly, making EM..NTAL around (consuming) ME (Cyclops)
First answer entered – incorrectly
10 STRAY CAT Alley resident, star act off Broadway, finally accepted? (5,3)
(STAR ACT)* AInd: off, around (accepted, accepting) [broadwa]Y
11 RASCAL Rogue artist’s diminished state (6)
RA’S (artist’s, Royal Academician’s) CAL (diminished state, California short form)
12/3 ACID TEST Ace detectives’ examination? The ultimate check (4,4)
A[ce] CID (detectives) TEST (examination)
13 OSCULATION ‘Love time’ involved with unsocial kissing (10)
O (love) (T[ime] + UNSOCIAL)* AInd: involved.
16/8 PARLIAMENTARY STANDARDS Westminster flags? They’re not up to much presently (13,9)
PARLIAMENTARY (Westminster) STANDARDS (flags)
18 PROSPECTUS Outline plan for suspect movement (10)
PRO (for) (SUSPECT)* AInd: movement.
20 SASS Squeamishly opening arse cheek (4)
S[queamishly] ASS (arse)
22 ON EDGE Single on date with gorgeous escort starts to get tense (2,4)
ONE (single) D[ate] G[orgeous] E[scort]
24 SUDDENLY All at once, sadly, nude chucks one out (8)
(SADLY NUDE – A)* AInd: out.
25 DISCIPLE Mark to pass round cold Pils brew? (8)
DIE (to pass) around (C[old] PILS)* AInd: brew.
26 VITALS Essential organs, testicles originally stored in small bottes (6)
T[esticles] inside (stored in) VIALS (small bottles)
Down
1 POETIC Dylan-like ice and pot exploitation (6)
(ICE + POT)* AInd: exploitation.
2 BROCCOLI Film producer‘s outrageous crib – cool! (8)
(CRIB COOL)* AInd: outrageous.
4 AMORAL Male engaged in a form of sex without regard to ethics (6)
M[ale] inside (engaged in) A ORAL (a form of sex)
5 ANUS A tabloid backing arsehole (4)
(A SUN)<
I originally wrote in STAR for tabloid because I had a crossing T.
6 LAVATORY Hot stuff associated with politician John (8)
LAVA (Hot stuff) TORY (politician)
14 COMET Climax on model’s heavenly body (5)
COME (climax) T (model)
15 TRANSIENT Entrant is groomed for passing (9)
(ENTRANT IS)* AInd: groomed.
16 PARANOID Overly suspicious Celine needs a hit to come up (8)
DION A RAP all reversed < (Celine a hit, to come up)
17 NOSE-DIVE Nuzzled Cyclops has to go down quickly (4-4)
NOSED (nuzzled) I’VE (Cyclops has)
19 EXEMPT Free time with Boris and former lover – ultimately feeble erection (6)
T[ime] PM (Boris) EX (former lover) [feebl]E all reversed
21 SOLELY Just lose out with sexual partner dropping one (6)
(LOSE)* AInd: out, L[a]Y
23 DICK Member, Conservative, involved in raising child (4)
C[onservative] inside KID< (child, raised)
Last one in.  No good reason
24 SEEP Leak: corrupt peers right to go (4)
(PEE[r]S)* AInd: corrupt. I nearly put this as a reversal but corrupt is better as an anagram indicator

I expect some of you will think I’m showing off, but I work bloody hard for the money I earn so I reckon I deserved to treat myself and the family.
White was the only colour they had, I would have preferred green but it doesn’t matter.

So I went for it and bought these four garden chairs.
I can’t wait for summer sitting on them on the back lawn!

13 comments on “Private Eye (Cyclops / 723) Amoral Standards”

  1. Thanks for the blog, it is strange how we put in words without thinking and continue to twist other answers to fit our mistake, it happens with pen and paper making a real mess of the grid.
    I agree about the solid clues , everything seems to work smoothly, SUDDENLY was my favourite out of many good clues.

  4. Not an argument, but the Cheese Shop sketch maybe?… Chambers has “Emmental or Emmenthal , also Emmentaler or Emmenthaler”, and I have seen both the first two versions in recent puzzles…made me feel a little esurient…

  6. Thanks beermagnet and Cyclops. I like the four chairs gag, most amusing. I had marked 5 and 6 down as my favourites. I think that means I’m a ‘closet’ toilet humour fan. Mc_rapper67 @4, esurient is a new word to me that’s bound to pop up at some point in a cyclops puzzle. Thanks

  7. Thanks beermagnet and commiserations over the false start – we had a discussion elsewhere not so long ago but Switzerland officially changed “Thal” to “Tal” for valley a while back – towns and villages (eg Thalwil) kept their old spelling but products and valleys generally have not so it is rare to spot any reference to Emmenthal in the ‘real world’ these days. At least you will have your nice chairs to sit on, if they haven’t blown away in a storm by then. This was another good one, I agree.

  8. I also raised an eyebrow at ‘arse’ as a synonym for ASS in 20ac. They’re different spellings of the same word aren’t they? Not sure it’s possible to open a single are cheek anyway (but please, let’s not discuss that here).

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