Eccles on a Wednesday when we are blogging so no complaints from us.
The usual smooth surfaces and smiles (13ac, 11ac and 14ac for example) while we were unpicking the clues. A few tricky ones to sort out. Just the sort of puzzle we enjoy. Keep ’em coming Eccles.
Sounds like (‘dictator’) of PALACE AID (equerry)
Middle letters (‘essentially’) of adAPts igLOos and baMBoo
Double definition – the first a reference to eye LINER
– GATE is often attached to a word to denote a scandal. In this case it is added to VAR (used in refereeing) with IE (that is) inside or ‘boring’
An anagram (‘affected’) of SOON + a reversal (‘returning’) of DEREK (as in Bo Derek, the American actress)
fART (trump) without first letter or ‘beginning to be rejected’ by US (America) all reversed or ‘over’
INCAsE (on the off-chance) with ‘s’ (first letter or ‘leader’ of Senate ) replaced or ‘kicked out’ by R (Republican)
masTER RACE (the Nazis according to Hitler) without or ‘hiding’ MA’S (mother’s)
MARGE (spread) around AilmenT (first and last letters only or ‘on vacation’)
A reversal (‘rolling’) of STEER (bullock) ’round’ S (last letter of fields)
pARSON (priest) missing ‘p’ (pence) or ‘penniless’
BEAGLE (dog) around or ‘eating’ A L (large) D (dead)
RAD (slang for fine) ART RAP (crime)
Even letters only (‘oddly ignored’) in mIsS jAmAiCa
Someone who makes a loud noise (DIN) could fancifully be called a DINNER
Hidden (‘ringed’) in frieD EIGHT ONion
Double definition – Szczecin is in Poland – we had to check this as we have never heard of the place before
LANE (street) R (last or ‘ultimate’ letter in vendor) around or ‘protecting’ DOWN (miserable)
STRIVE (labour) around or ‘admitting’ an anagram (‘stirred’) of WE ARE RANK
Eccles is asking us to imagine the ‘term’ (end) of a relationship (endearment) – which may well end in DIVORCE
PEEKING (taking a look) around LEAS (fields) URE (river) and S (last letter or ‘close’ to Hawes)
O (love) and PART (break up)
BEEfEATER (guard in London) without ‘f’ (following)
C (caught) REDdIT (a network of on-line communities) missing one of the middle letters or ‘half-hearted’
Sounds like (‘auditor’s’) AUTOGRAPHED (signed)
I (current) AIRED (broadcast) ‘about’ MP (politician)
A reversal (‘recalled’) of GREBE (diver) around or ‘welcoming’ D (Dutch)
An anagram (‘kinky’) of PLEASuRE without ‘u’ (suitable for everyone)
A request to support the Tories might fancifully come over as BE A CON(servative)
An anagram (‘drunk’) of NADS around or ‘downing’ of E (last letter or ‘drop’ of absinthe)
AUTOGRAFT is nho but gettable from the clue. However, I was beaten by the certainly-heard-of DIVORCE where I confess to never being close to what the setter had in mind. Entirely my bad but pure cryptic clues are all about wavelength and, despite having the V, I was not thinking in the right way. Everything else solved and parsed in a typically fun-filled Eccles puzzle.
APLOMB, SNOOKERED, TERRACE, ISAAC, DEIGHTON, LANDOWNER and RELAPSE were my favourites today – and, to show I don’t bear a grudge (!) – I’ll include DIVORCE as nomination-worthy too!
Thanks Eccles and B&J
I had ticks galore for this relatively light but massively enjoyable compilation from one of my favourite setters. I haven’t got time to list them.
Many thanks to Eccles and to B&J.
@2 – I meant the ticks not the setters!
25a RADAR TRAP – I can see how RAP can mean charge, blame or punishment, but not “crime”. Of course “It’s in Chambers“: ‘…; a crime or criminal charge (slang).’
So that’s all right then, isn’t it? [No, it isn’t] (…Of course it could be Eccles’s opinion of the music genre).
Thanks E & B&J
I enjoyed this a lot, and only came unstuck on a couple at the top. I too failed to get DIVORCE – I was barking up the wrong tree, thinking a term of endearment it might be a period of inflation! And SUTRA escaped me.
When I only had the lowest checkers, I thought IMPAIRED might be HAMPERED what with that Ampere there… that’s surely crying out to be clued!
I’ve nho striking a nerve; for me it’s always been touching one instead. But it didn’t create a problem.
I liked the surface of the kinky pleasure, and I enjoyed working out BALD EAGLE only from the crossing E thanks to the nice clear clueing. I also liked the dictator and the auditor as homophone indicators.. they shouldn’t mislead me but the usually do. Spent a moment try to fit POL or POT into the palisade!
Tx all
DNF for me as I couldn’t see the linked 15A and 9D. Never heard of Reddit, there are so many online communities these days. Never heard ‘rad’ either but 25A had to be RADAR TRAP. Oh well, one does learn a lot from the Indie cryptics. Thanks Eccles and B&J.
I do like Eccles puzzles but short of time to do this one today, so had a look at the blog, anyway, because that’s always enjoyable in itself.
Some really super clues but I just must highlight the wonderful 6dn: the River Ure actually flows through Hawes, in Wensleydale.
From aplomb to poise and hence to balance/stability, hmm, or is there less of a stretch that I’m missing … wouldn’t be surprised. But yes nice puzzle, thanks Eccles and B&J, and nicely spotted bit of geog gk, Eileen, well beyond this antipodean 🙂 .
Palisade has to be one of my favourite sound-alikes.
Thanks Eccles and Bert&Joyce
Not just ‘a bit of gk’, grant @8: Wensleydale is one of my favourite places on earth – we used to have a mobile home there, as I’ve mentioned more than once here. 😉
I had to do a ‘guess and look up’ where the online community was concerned and wasn’t too keen on the dinner clue but everything else was as perfect as ever from this setter. Particular favourites were PALISADE, SNOOKERED, BALD EAGLE & BEE EATER.
Thanks to Eccles and to B&J for the review.
I took a punt on DIVORCE with only the R so felt pretty smug when it paid off. Thought that and TERRACE were funny.
Thanks both
Great puzzle and all those hoping for a Wimbledon champion other than Ashe finally got their way.
Ah yes, those family hols, Eileen @10. (The cheese is nice too 🙂 )
First rate puzzle-thanks.