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We had a super Platinum Special Bumper issue this time – which gave the denizens of Carlisle Street an excuse for a week off – so we had to make this crossy last 3 weeks.
Of course, I didn’t notice that till after solving it – and doing most of this blog – which meant I stuck it on the back burner and forgot about it.
So what you see here is all I know from my scrappy notes.
Solving: All done in 35 mins
First pass: About half done. 14 clues answered, 15 to go.
First in: 28/7 Looking at 7 after failing to cold solve 1A and finding ARK = biblical craft easy enough
Last in: 20 A lovely clue which does not deserve to be considered difficult. GOK why I didn’t get it after having the leading O since half time.
Actually, there a few other good clues here but I’ll leave you to talk about them in the comments
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TRUMP TOWER | Top puller reveals bad loser’s vainglorious erection (5,5) TRUMP (top, i.e. surpass in card game sense) TOWER (puller) |
| 9 | SPIGOT | Plug from piss artist drinking stuff (6) PIG (stuff) inside SOT (piss artist) |
| 10 | FAKING IT | Not coming clean with your lover? (6,2) Cryptic Def. |
| 11 | PERSONAL | Er, my boy, being squeezed by mate is intimate (8) ER SON (my boy) inside PAL (mate) |
| 12 | ON HAND | Where a tosser came to be easily accessible? (2,4) Double Def. one of which is “in the best possible taste” |
| 13 | AIRLESS | Suffocating? Don’t broadcast so much (7) AIR (broadcast) LESS (not so much) |
| 15 | A FAR CRY | Carrie partying with Fay? That is out – quite a different matter (1,3,3) (CARRIE + FAY – IE)* AInd: partying. |
| 17 | THROATY | Mad hot party, leader not present – showing Covid symptom? (7) (HOT [p]ARTY)* AInd: mad. As I understand it just about anything might be a Covid symptom |
| 19 | CONTEST | Game Tory put on trial (7) CON (tory) TEST (trial) |
| 22 | ASLEEP | Being inactive like Labour leader, piss about (6) AS (like) L[abour] PEE< |
| 24 | ARTISTRY | Showing crafty skill, devious rat lives with loveless Tory (8) (RAT)* AInd: devious, IS (lives) T[o]RY |
| 26 | UNGAINLY | Large body associated with a lying bum – awkward (8) UN (large body, United Nations) (A LYING)* AInd: bum. |
| 27 | CAREER | Prudence has Brenda calling (6) CARE (prudence) ER (Brenda) |
| 28/7 | DARK SIDE | Evil aspect of Democrat party, confining biblical craft (4,4) ARK (biblical craft) inside D[emocrat] SIDE (party) |
| 29 | TANGLE WITH | To get involved in a fight – that’s Putin’s focus and view supporting (6,4) [pu]T[in] (Putin’s focus, middle of Putin) ANGLE (view) WITH (supporting) |
| Down | ||
| 2 | REPLENISH | Hard to escape HRH’s penile dysfunction – return to full capacity? (9) (HRH’S PENILE – H[ard])* AInd: dysfunction. |
| 3 | MAGUS | Brief version of Private Eye by American wise guy? (5) MAG[azine] (Private Eye, brief version) US (American) |
| 4 | TETANUS | Was a consumer about to be overwhelmed by ‘mangled nuts’ disease? (7) ATE< (was a consumer, about) inside (NUTS)* AInd: mangled. |
| 5 | WAFFLE | Words of question-avoiding politician that he might have to eat? (6) Double Def. |
| 6 | RAKE OFF | Degenerate Dicky’s share? (4-3) RAKE (degenerate) OFF (dicky) |
| 7 | SANDHURST | Start to squeeze nuts hard – terrible institution leading to a soldier’s passing out (9) (S[queeze] NUTS HARD)* AInd: terrible. |
| 8 | DEIGN | Be condescending, ending badly with name struck off (5) (ENDING -N[ame])* AInd: badly. |
| 14 | LOOSE TALK | Speaker’s indiscretion? Filling peer with false tales (5,4) (TALES)* AInd: false, inside LOOK (peer) |
| 16 | RESURRECT | Inject new life into Starmer’s ultimate barmy rest-cure (9) [starme]R inside (REST-CURE)* AInd: barmy. |
| 18 | TOPKNOT | Bump off granny? It would go to your head (7) TOP (bump off) KNOT (granny) |
| 20 | OPTICAL | Eye’s description of storming of Capitol (7) (CAPITOL)* AInd: storming. |
| 21 | CANYON | Gorge – no matter what – in study (6) ANY (no matter what) inside CON (study) |
| 23 | SANTA | Seasonal deliveryman, somewhat unpleasant (Amazon) (5) Hidden in unpleaSANT Amazon |
| 25 | SCREW | It could be a No.10 bonk (5) Duble Def. Wood screws come in standard sizes (defining width and thread) such as Number 6 8 10 12 etc., lengths are separately defined |
I hope you’re all enjoying Springwatch this time
Thanks for the blog, if I squint from a distance the dog looks just like a coot.
A lot to like in this, MAGUS for the wise guy, SCREW is so clever in many ways, TOPKNOT as well.
What dog?
You could also say that 20d is TOPICAL.
Much fun, as always. Thanks both.
I’m with beermagnet
Thanks beermagnet, looking back at my mag I seem to have completed this in pencil and then gone over in pen for the photo to send, so maybe I had some doubts about some of my entries, but can’t remember which. I did have a fair few ticks (eg 24A, 27A) and well spotted Mystogre: since the Brendan prize 28769 in the Guardian I have been keen to spot more possibilities but missed that one.
Can someone explain 21D please? In what sense is CON ‘study’?
Thanks,
Tony
Tony @6 — in an archaic sense.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/con
@Gazzh – Sorry if this has been discussed before, but can anyone confirm that a photo (jpg) is an acceptable way to submit a competition entry? I’ve seen it mentioned for other crosswords but never for Private Eye.
Verbal sorry for late reply, I have no idea what format is acceptable for the email entry, we have discussed here in the past with no conclusion and I think Cyclops himself was going to enquire but so far no answer. I try to do the oneacross app thing but do not have access at the moment so have resorted to a phone pic of my hardcopy. I have never won after a few years of mostly correct entries but maybe that’s just luck!
@7 thanks John
I just type out the answers – always assumed that’s how everybody did it.
@11 – Not that I’ve ever won, but I just send in the answers in more or less the same format as they publish them in the following issue. I tell myself that might make it easier for them to check it, and so might help mine to get into the ‘correct’ pile.