Vlad is today's Guardian setter.
This was on the easier side of the Vlad spectrum, but it was very enjoyable nonetheless. I gave a double tick to WOMBLES, but I also gave ticks to most of the other clues. I normally have to go through mental contortions to complete a Vlad, but getting the four long perimeter answers certainly helped. My LOI was EELIKE.
Thanks Vlad.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | WHATABOUTERY |
Changing the subject, that was a great fight (extremely late starting) (12)
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WHAT A BOUT ("that was a great fight") + (v)ERY ("extremely", late starting) |
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| 8 | DEMOTES |
Puts down protest – determined to make comeback (7)
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DEMO ("protest") + <=SET ("determined", to make a comeback) |
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| 9 | CHIMER A |
Fancy that’s first bell? (7)
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In a sequence of bells (chimers), the first one would be CHIMER A, then chimer B, etc… |
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| 11 | EELLIKE |
Point to butcher briefly close to bridge going round Serpentine (7)
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<=(E (East, so "point") + KILLE(r) ("butcher", briefly") + [close to] (bridg)E, going round) |
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| 12 | SET SAIL |
Trouble to follow – bands start on the drink (3,4)
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AIL ("trouble") to follow SETS ("bands") |
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| 13 | SISAL |
Part of crust contains special fibre (5)
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SIAL (the upper "part of the Earth's "crust") contains S (special) |
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| 14 | INHERITOR |
He succeeds becoming hornier – it’s fantastic! (9)
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*(hornier it) [anag:'s fantastic] |
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| 16 | OUTPLAYED |
Heartless puzzle today unfortunately – comprehensively beaten (9)
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*(pule today) [anag:unfortunately] where PULE is [heartless] PU(zz)LE |
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| 19 | RETRO |
In short, era itself deliberately old-fashioned (5)
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Hidden backwards [in] "shORT ERa" I assume that the "itself" in the clue refers to RETRO, telling us to look for the word backwards. |
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| 21 | GEORGIA |
State what’s on my mind? (7)
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Refers to the Hoagy Carmichael song, "Georgia on My Mind", which has been recoded by various artist since, including Ray Charles, Elle Fitzgerals and Sillie Nelson. |
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| 23 | ABOLISH |
A throwback is hard to get rid of (7)
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A + <=LOB ("throw", back) + IS + H (hard) |
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| 24 | ETHICAL |
Hello, Charlie – visiting in retrospect dead right (7)
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HI ("hello") + C (Charlie, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) visiting <=LATE ("dead", in retrospect) |
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| 25 | GOING ON |
Almost happening (5,2)
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Double definition |
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| 26 | YELLOWHAMMER |
Bird or tool (12)
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YELLOW ("or", as in gold) + HAMMER ("tool") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | WOMBLES |
Largely unable to bear Commoners? (7)
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[largely] WOMBLES(s) ("unable to carry") The Wombles were fictional characters who lived on Wimbledon Common, so could have been described as "Commoners". |
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| 2 | ANTHILL |
Rise for workers? (7)
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Cryptic definition |
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| 3 | AUSTERITY |
In most of country, English ultimately thought, ‘Why this Tory policy?’ (9)
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E (English) in [most of] AUSTRI(a) ("country") + [ultimately] (though)T (wh)Y |
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| 4 | ORCAS |
Killers deeply sceptical at first, following men around (5)
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S(ceptical) [at first] following OR (other ranks, so "men") + Ca. (circa, so "around") |
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| 5 | TWISTER |
Dangerous wind; might its outcome be ‘concerning’? (7)
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If you TWIST ER, the outcome would be RE ("concerning") |
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| 6 | REENACT |
Green’s naked – can’t possibly perform again (7)
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(g)REE(n) ['s naked] + *(cant) [anag:possibly] |
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| 7 | ADDER’S-TONGUE |
Ted meddling with dangerous plant (6-6)
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*(ted dangerous) [anag:meddling] Adder's-tongue is a fern whose spore cases grow on a spike that looks like a snake's tongue. |
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| 10 | ALL OR NOTHING |
No compromise in Parliament (abandoned by Opposition leader) (3,2,7)
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LORN ("abandoned") by O(pposition) [leader] in ALTHING (the Icelandic "parliament") |
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| 15 | HYDRANGEA |
One may be in bed, commando, under cover (reportedly) (9)
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Homophone [reportedly] of RANGER ("commando") under HIDE ("cover") |
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| 17 | TROCHEE |
Originally came here to get treatment for foot (7)
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*(c here to) [anag:to get treatment] where C is [originally] C(ame) |
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| 18 | LOGICAL |
Joe is stopping nearby – it’s only to be expected (7)
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GI (Joe) is stopping LOCAL ("nearby") |
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| 19 | RHODIUM |
Metal band’s employee listening, I think (7)
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Homophone [listening] of ROADIE ("band's employee") + UM ("I think", or more exactly, something I's say while tring to think) |
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| 20 | TRIGGER |
Set off from Thailand by ship (7)
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T (Thailand) by RIGGER ("ship") |
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| 22 | ALLOW |
Admit leaving College Green (5)
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C (college) leaving (c)ALLOW ("green") |
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