A breezy challenge from LEONIDAS.
FF: 8 DD: 7
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BASE METAL |
Male beast struggling in lead? (4,5)
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[ MALE BEAST ]* |
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| 6 | COSEC |
Alternately choose each function (5)
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alternate letters of "..ChOoSe EaCh.."1 |
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| 9 | ALERT |
Consort dropping book on one’s toes (5)
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ALbERT ( consort, without B – book ) |
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| 10 | REQUISITE |
Needed on location around Queen Island (9)
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RE ( on ) QU ( queen ) I ( island ) SITE ( location ) |
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| 11 | TIEBREAKER |
Wave on heads of teams in exciting decider (10)
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TIE ( "..Teams In Exciting..", first letters of ) BREAKER ( wave ) |
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| 12 | KEEP |
Returned butcher’s stock (4)
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reverse of PEEK ( butcher's , cockney rhyming slang as i found out ) |
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| 14 | APOLOGY |
Excuse silver-plated car by yard (7)
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[ AG ( silver ) around POLO ( car ) ] Y ( yard ) |
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| 15 | RAREBIT |
River carrying artist back for light meal (7)
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TIBER ( river ) containing RA ( artist ), all reversed |
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| 17 | AVERTED |
Headed off promise to meet Edward casually (7)
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AVER ( promise ) TED ( edward, casually ) |
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| 19 | MAHATMA |
Sage’s covering pressed by baby’s mother (7)
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HAT ( covering ) contained in MAMA ( baby's mother ) |
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| 20 | APSE |
Announced programs in recess (4)
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sounds like APPS ( programs ) |
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| 22 | MUTTONHEAD |
Idiot dog working alongside nut (10)
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MUTT ( dog ) ON ( working ) HEAD ( nut ) |
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| 25 | CRUCIBLES |
Harsh tests of Rice Club’s cooking (9)
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[ RICE CLUBS ]* |
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| 26 | ISSUE |
Children exposed groups of cells (5)
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tISSUEs ( groups of cells, exposed i.e. without end letters ) |
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| 27 | ETHOS |
Old letters capturing Oscar’s spirit (5)
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ETHS ( old letters ) containing O ( oscar ) |
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| 28 | THEME PARK |
Funfair’s ‘2×2’ craft with politician aboard (5,4)
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THE ARK ( 2×2 craft, noah ) containing MEP ( politician ) |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BOAST |
Snake eviscerated scraggiest crow (5)
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BOA ( snake ) ST ( ScraggiesT, eviscerated i.e. without inner characters ) |
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| 2 | STEVEDORE |
Jobs maybe suffice ultimately for wee docker (9)
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STEVE ( jobs, maybe ) DO ( suffice ) RE ( "..foR weE..", ultimately ) |
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| 3 | MOTORMOUTH |
Master heated rum: too hot! He should give it a rest (10)
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M ( master ) [ RUM TOO HOT ]* |
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| 4 | TERNARY |
Visibly upset about sailors in threes (7)
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TEARY ( visibly upset ) around RN ( sailors ) |
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| 5 | LIQUEUR |
Left one brief line: run to get drink (7)
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L ( left ) I ( one ) QUEUe ( line, brief ) R ( run ) |
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| 6 | CAIN |
Picked up birch for shepherd’s brother (4)
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sounds like CANE ( birch ) |
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| 7 | SEIZE |
Grab Madame’s 4 and 12 (5)
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double def; latter referring to french for 16 ( 4 and 12 ) |
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| 8 | CLEOPATRA |
Pale actor played one mortally bitten (9)
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[ PALE ACTOR ]* |
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| 13 | PREHENSILE |
Able to grasp middle of free layers in heap (10)
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[ RE ( fREe, middle of ) HENS ( layers ) ] in PILE ( heap ) |
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| 14 | AVALANCHE |
Significant slip from satnav Alan checked (9)
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hidden in "..satnAV ALAN CHEcked.." |
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| 16 | BATTERSEA |
Coats bits of eel at Thames location (9)
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BATTERS ( coast ) EA ( "..Eel At..", first letters of ) |
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| 18 | DOUBLET |
Suspicion surrounds the Parisian garment (7)
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DOUBT ( suspicion ) around LE ( the, french ) |
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| 19 | MATISSE |
Some retired females sit amorously for artist (7)
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hidden, reversed in "..femalES SIT AMorously.." |
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| 21 | SHUSH |
Order given to 3’s husband loading most of rice cakes (5)
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H ( husband ) in SUSHi ( rice cakes, most of ) ; 3d is motormouth |
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| 23 | DRECK |
Rubbish diamonds wife nabbed from worn-out ship (5)
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D ( diamonds ) wRECK ( worn-out ship, without W – wife ) |
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| 24 | NIPS |
Pinches half of vegetables (4)
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parsNIPS ( vegetables, half of ) |
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