A fun challenge from MUDD to finish my last blog for 2022.
FF: 9 DD: 8
Wish you all a fantastic New Year 2023.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | FRIGHT |
Horror doubly fine? (6)
|
| F ( fine ) RIGHT ( fine ) | ||
| 5 | TAHITIAN |
Islander a sensation I put in the shade (8)
|
| [ A HIT ( sensation ) I ] in TAN ( shade ) | ||
| 9 | AT LAST |
World views beginning to transform, finally (2,4)
|
| ATLAS ( world views ) T ( Transform, first letter ) | ||
| 10 | PENDULAR |
Swinging up, land here after he’s dropped off (8)
|
| [ UP LAND heRE ( without HE ) ]* | ||
| 11 | LONE WOLF |
Hermit, fellow failing to bandage leg (4,4)
|
| [ FELLOW ]* containing ON ( leg, from the game of cricket ) | ||
| 12 | SEESAW |
Plaything that might fancifully cut through water, did you say? (6)
|
| cryptic def; SAW ( that might cut ) through SEA ( water; sounds like SEE ) | ||
| 1 | IDEA |
3 Observe Bambi caught in thought (4)
|
| sounds like EYE ( observe ) DEER ( bambi ) | ||
| 15 | HUMPBACK |
With great effort, lift second cetacean (8)
|
| HUMP ( lift with great effort ) BACK ( second ) | ||
| 18 | ESCAPISM |
Space is foggy, male daydreaming (8)
|
| [ SPACE IS ]* M ( male ) | ||
| 19 | LIED |
Song told a story (4)
|
| double def | ||
| 21 | COGNAC |
Revolutionary has permission to leave cold drink (6)
|
| CAN GO ( has permission to leave ) C ( cold ) , all reversed | ||
| 2 | ROCK POOL |
3 Sticky confection followed by game in children’s seaside attraction? (4,4)
|
| ROCK ( sticky confection ) POOL ( game ) | ||
| 2 | CONFETTI |
5 A union’s downfall? (8)
|
| cryptic def | ||
| 26 | ALIGHT |
Burning land (6)
|
| double def | ||
| 2 | GRAYLING |
7 Fish left in trap, good swimmer (8)
|
| { [ RAY ( fish ) L ( left ) ] in GIN ( trap ) } G ( good ) | ||
| 28 | ENTIRE |
Edges on Estonian flag intact (6)
|
| EN ( EstoniaN, edges i.e. end characters ) TIRE ( flag ) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | RATIO |
Proportion of unlimited speech (5)
|
| oRATIOn ( speech, unlimited i.e. without end characters ) | ||
| 3 | GUATEMALA |
A pathetic boat capsized defending a country (9)
|
| [ A LAME ( pathetic ) TUG ( boat ) ] all reversed, containing A | ||
| 4 | TATTOO |
Design Scottish display? (6)
|
| cryptic def; referring to the royal edinburgh military tattoo ( had to google to get the reference ) | ||
| 5 | TOP OF THE MORNING |
Greeting from poet nothing special (3,2,3,7)
|
| [ FROM POET NOTHING ]* | ||
| 6 | HANDSOME |
Significant knockout (8)
|
| double def | ||
| 7 | TAUPE |
Brownish-grey uniform in video (5)
|
| U ( uniform ) in TAPE ( video ) | ||
| 8 | AVALANCHE |
Snowdrop, might you say, seen in the fall? (9)
|
| cryptic def | ||
| 14 | DISHONOUR |
Shame on his ground that fills grave (9)
|
| [ ON HIS ]* in DOUR ( grave ) | ||
| 16 | BALLPOINT |
Writer gathering purpose (9)
|
| BALL ( gathering ) POINT ( purpose ) | ||
| 17 | BISCOTTI |
Italian treats, black dog almost scoffing one (8)
|
| [ B ( black ) SCOTTIe ( dog, almost ) ] containing I ( one ) | ||
| 20 | SCRAPE |
Jam spread on toast, possibly? (6)
|
| double def | ||
| 22 | NIFTY |
Smart having two newspapers in place of Times? (5)
|
| [ I FT ( two newspapers ) ] in NY ( place of times square, new york ) | ||
| 24 | OTHER |
Second native shaving head (5)
|
| mOTHER ( native , without starting letter ) – this is the best i could come up with and not sure if its right |
Only one problem today: I didn’t know a rock was a sticky confection. Is it a British thing?
Everything else fell into place and was most enjoyable, with nothing too obscure. My favourites were AT LAST & AVALANCHE.
Thank you Mudd & Turbolegs.
Yes, Geoff, lurid pink sticks of tooth-rotting rock!
That’s how I parsed OTHER, Turbolegs, (mother/native tongue).
I liked CONFETTI best but thought the definition for AVALANCHE could have been ‘fall’ or ‘snowdrop’.
Good fun from Mudd, as usual. Thanks to Turbolegs and Happy New Year to all.
Thanks for the blog and all the others this year.
Geoff@1 see Diane@2 , a stick of rock was a seaside resort “treat ” . Often the name of the resort embossed throughout. Blackpool rock immortalised by George Formby , Brighton Rock from Graham Greene .
I thought GUATEMALA was a very clever reversal .
I think snowdrop is the plant , misleading, and sounds like snow drop ( 2 words) so the definition is fall .
I too was puzzled by OTHER , great idea from Diane for (M)other tongue.
Yes, GUATEMALA very good reversal, also COGNAC. Enjoyed it all, in fact. Thanks, Paul.
Count me another who was slightly puzzled by OTHER. I ran through the alphabet to consider all the possibilities and also thought mother had to be the best option but couldn’t quite see why. Seems obvious now, of course.
Thanks for the blog, Turbolegs. Happy 2023 to you too.
As in Brighton Rock-I remember a very young Dicky Attenborough-great book and film
I meant Mudd, obviously, not Paul. This is definitely not a Paul puzzle. As someone observed about Picaroon/Buccaneer the other day, it’s interesting that the setter’s style should be so different depending on which hat is being worn. I assume a lot of this is down to the editing.
Maybe Mudd is just a different mindset , certainly easier than Paul and not as risque, I can imagine HUMPBACK being a very different clue for Paul,
It is a bit like Brummie/Cyclops .
Clearly, next time I visit the UK, I must try a Brighton rock. 😉
Or, Geoff Down Under should you find yourself North of the border tuck into Edinburgh rock. Soft as against the hardness of Southern rock but pretty much the same in terms of pouring a bucket of sugar down your throat.
Thanks to Mudd and Turbolegs for the fun and learned exposition throughout the year.
GDU – not if you value your teeth…
Thank you Mudd & Turbolegs. And happy new year to all.
Somehow thought cognac was fanatic for a bit.
But I will be a fanatic for cognac and confetti the entire night at with an idea for escapism on new years eve at last.