Crosophile returns for the first time since January
Crosophile usually has themes and Ninas but I can’t see anything here, but I’m sure some Toms, Dicks and Harrys might see something. Thanks Crosophile and over to you.
| ACROSS | ||
| 8 | OPEN-AIR |
Alfresco or outside exercises in a broadcast (4-3)
|
| PE – exercise + [IN A]* broadcast all in OR | ||
| 9 | RUN-DOWN |
Dilapidated ruin, one abandoned on an upland (3-4)
|
| I removed from RU(i)N & oddly named DOWN which is actually a hill or upland, Stupid language at times. | ||
| 11 | TIARA |
A crown regularly seen in this abroad (5)
|
| Alternate letters of ThUs AbRoAd | ||
| 12 | IDEALISTS |
The output of brainstorming dreamers? (9)
|
| It would produce a list of ideas | ||
| 13 | RHINOCEROS |
Big beast runs wild – no heroics! (10)
|
| R(uns) & a wild [NO HEROICS]* | ||
| 14 | HILL |
Higher land might be cold without a coat (4)
|
| Missing outletters or “coat”” in (c)HILL(y) | ||
| 16 | TOM DICK AND HARRY |
Any old people: Crazy, Cranky, Dotard and him (3,4,3,5)
|
| A crazy [CRANKY DOTARD HIM]* No, not Donald although… | ||
| 19 | RACE |
Electric vehicle reversing in hurry (4)
|
| E & CAR all reversed | ||
| 21 | ANESTHETIC |
Inside airplanes, the tickets for a number of Americans (10)
|
| US spelling for painkiller – hidden in airplANES THE TICkets | ||
| 25 | DASTARDLY |
Wicked criminal lady pinching sparkler diamonds (9)
|
| STAR – sparkler & D(iamonds) all in – pinched by a criminal LADY* | ||
| 26 | ABODE |
Song of a sailor’s gaff (5)
|
| ABs (sailor’s) & ODE – poem, song | ||
| 27 | SUNBEAM |
Ray and Mark well captivated by a muse dancing (7)
|
| NB “mark well” in a dancing [A MUSE]* | ||
| 28 | EDUCATE |
School’s study holding a hundred back (7)
|
| A &C – hundred al in ETUDE – study all reversed | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | POTTER |
Planner has no latitude – he shouldn’t throw a wobbly (6)
|
| Well you wouldn’t want a wobbly vase or bowl if the potter threw a duff one. L(atitude removed from P(l)OTTER | ||
| 2 | GERANIUM |
Plant scratching marks in semiconductor element (8)
|
| M(arks) removed from GER(m)ANIUM. I assume it’s Deutsch Marks but how long ago did they disappear? | ||
| 3 | PARABOLIC |
Cops almost trapping racehorse linked with cone section (9)
|
| ARAB – racehorse inside most of POLIC(e) | ||
| 4 | CRUISE |
Marine personnel reported for sea trip (6)
|
| Sounds like CREWS | ||
| 5 | FREEBORN |
Not originally bound for Norway after drinking ale up (8)
|
| Anyone else look for a word for “bound” without the first letter solving this? just me then. BEER for ale reversed in FOR & N(orway) | ||
| 6 | UNCLE |
Relative is most confused when not having a rest (5)
|
| UNCLEAREST without A REST | ||
| 7 | BONSAI |
Cut down tree? (6)
|
| Cryptic def | ||
| 10 | NASALLY |
North American sons all finally pay through the nose (7)
|
| N(orth) A(merican) S(ons) & ALL & (pa)Y | ||
| 15 | CHIHUAHUA |
Chic couple of humans (neither male) all stopping short for a dog (9)
|
| With all bits without their endings CHI(c) & 2x without the M(ale) – HU(m)A(ns), not sure quite how fair this is regarding the removal of the Ns. | ||
| 16 | TIRADES |
Equatorial winds gripping island in storms (7)
|
| TRADE windS with I(sland) inserted | ||
| 17 | KINGDOMS |
Mink, sod and golf ground – animal, vegetable and mineral? (8)
|
| A ground up [MINK SOD G(olf)]* | ||
| 18 | RATIONAL |
Deserter left to hang around island is sensible (8)
|
| The Island IONA in RAT – deserter & L(eft) | ||
| 20 | CASINO |
A lot of money put on one number here? (6)
|
| Pretty much an &lit but someone will disagree, most of CAS(h) & I – one & NO – number | ||
| 22 | STYLES |
Some nasty lessons, each connected with stigma (6)
|
| Hidden in naSTY LESsons | ||
| 23 | CLEVER |
Conservative crank, for instance, is cunning (6)
|
| C(onservative) & LEVER – crank | ||
| 24 | BAKER |
Breadmaker? Not half (5)
|
| If you take half of it from B(readm)AKER |
Well there is HARRY HILL, DICK DASTARDLY, HARRY POTTER, TOM CRUISE, UNCLE TOM, TOM BAKER, HARRY STYLES, CLEVER DICK. May have missed some. In 15d, take humans as HUMAN HUMAN.
CHIHUAHUA
Took the ‘couple of humans’ as ‘HUmAn+HUmAn.
CASINO
Yes the blogger that everyone may not agree that it’s an &lit clue. The ‘here’ in the clue is not part of the wordplay.
There was a pianist called Steve RACE who regularly appeared on radio and TV in the 60s to 80s, but maybe doesn’t fit this theme. Excellent puzzle, so thanks Crosophile, good to see you back, and to Flashling too of course.
Spotted, as Hovis@1, 3 TOMs, 3 HARRYs, but only 2 DICKs. Here’s an !rish playground rhyme, remembered from childhood, to even things up:
‘Mammy Daddy UNCLE DICK | Went to London on a stick | The stick broke | What a joke | Mammy Daddy UNCLE DICK’
[Alternatively, there’s DICK & DOM (in KINGDOMS)]
Thanks C&F
Much better today, no footy to distract, only Aunty in the background, but spelt the big beast with two esses, careless. Noticed some names without taking much notice. Had to remember gaff = pad = abode. Who would say gaff, Terry McCann? Enjoyable, cheers C and f.
Uncle Dick? (Sick). DASTARDLY was my favourite.
This was fun – I felt like I was clinging on quite a bit, but it all went in fairly quickly in the end. I completely missed the theme, of course.
Thanks both.
Thanks, Flashling, for the blog, and thanks for the various comments.
I was sorry not to get a third Dick to match the Toms and Harries. I thought about Emery but he wouldn’t fit anywhere.
Looking at the clues again, I see that the clue to UNCLE is uncomfortably autobiographical these days! 😀