Only seems like yesterday I was doing a blog, oh it was, this time it’s Tees
Bit different in difficulty to some of last week’s puzzles, some intricate parsing but a fun solve to get the week rolling. A minor musical theme I note.
Just a cryptic def I guess, can’t see more to it
I – Tees, the setter & CON do – cheat.
John = toilet = CAN & IS & MINOR – child
Sounds like Knickerless – “going commando”
A reversed SUB MIN(ute) – I didn’t get the definition so had to look it up see here – Nimbus
FAN – admirer & (MAD ardent & AY – indeed) reversed in (N & S)
T(h)I(s) D(o)E(s)
Interesting def maybe. Most of DIVA(n)
YELLOW – weak, cowardly & CARD – comedian
A ridiculous [IN DUET]*
ROCKET – getting a carpeting & RY – railway line
ILL – rough inside a roaming [I LOVE US]*
End of challangeR & OUT – exposed
Double def or cryptic def depending on your point of view
MAC – Scotsman & most of HI(s) & NATION – people
Remove – eschew – both E(chos) from a played with [Y(e)S TH(e)N]* Yes are a 50+ year old Prog Rock group with more line up changes than proverbial hot dinners.
Subtraction anagram time – take letters in TOM from [R(om)AN(t)ICALLY]* involved
MEN with the E dropping down inside ASIA
End of guillotinE & NESS reversed – rolling
GIN inside ME – Tees all reversed & AT & I – one & C(lues)
TWO’s company etc – hidden answer
UNDER GROUND
N(ew) & EARTHING – possibly a conductor’s function in wiring
SCOTCH – drink & E.G. & G(ood) . The def with be obvious to Brits. See Covid-19: Drinkers in tier two ‘could order Scotch egg’ as substantial meal – BBC News Eustice is widely known via the moniker “Useless”
LORE – trad stories & LEI garland
V for 5 inside DUET a song for TWO – answer to 7d
E – head of Egg and O(ver) inside RRR – the 3 Rs
Ooh-er missus! Definite Hoskins territory. O – round & (w)I(l)L(y)
Well this was fun to encounter on a wet Monday morning. I’d agree the def for DIVA is somewhat less of a phrase these days, SCOTCH EGG and TIDE are both lovely CAD’s, I did smile at OIL and I haven’t visited one of crosswordland’s favourite cities for a while so it was nice to get to ESSEN again. YELLOW CARD, MACHINATION, UNITED, UNDERGROUND and LORELEI were other big ticks. SYNTH has a very appropriate surface. I was beaten by ROCKETRY though.
Thanks Tees and flashling
Nothing beat me here. That is to say, I failed on 13a.
A lovely fun crossword to start my Monday morning solving
Many thanks to Tees and Flashling
Apart from the “clouds” sense, I didn’t know what a NIMBUS was either, so this was my last in and entered from wordplay alone. The singer references in DIVA and LORELEI bought a smile.
I didn’t understand the surface meaning for 25d. Surely ‘willy’ should be both capitalised and have an “s” at the end to convey the presumably intended “Jeep” sense?
Thanks to Tees and flashling
WP @4: as you’ve no doubt, discovered a willy is both a wicker basket – which might need oil to keep the fibres supple – and a willowing-machine – used for cleaning paper, rag or wool – which, again, requires lubrication like any other machine. The surfaces make sense and capitalisation is unnecessary in either case so Tees is off the hook 😉
Of course, PM @5 – thanks for the explanation. How could I have not seen it. Crystal clear now.
I give you the 1966 World Cup mascot.
Many thanks all esp Flash.
Hugely enjoyed wrestling with this. Thank you, Tees, and flashling for the link to the other meaning of “nimbus”, which I hadn’t come across.
Tricky in places, put an enjoyable solve, with just a dash of sauciness. Nice one, Tees, thank you! And thanks to flashling, too.
Flash, if I ever use a baby phrase like willy in one of my crosswords for anything other than wordplay with a political twist you can shoot me. Seriously, Hoskins territory my arse! Still love you though flash even if you were wide of the mark on that one ??