Independent 11,914 by Hoskins

by

Harry returns…

If you’re expecting sex, drugs, booze and rock n roll, well I only see plenty of booze and drugs today. For some reason which eludes me there’s IS GOD on the LHS and OFF ON on the RHS and LEAVE in the middle, why beats me. Thanks Hoskins

picture of the completed grid

ACROSS
1. Police unit will be involved in action for certain (7)
DECIDED

C.I.D. – Criminal Investigation Department – inside DEED – action

5. Religious basket case? (5)
MOSES

Moses was found in a basket

8. Terribly solemn pair might be frigid (10)
IMPERSONAL

[SOLEMN PAIR]* terribly

9. Hoskins must tuck into a shot for a fee (4)
AGIO

The fee for converting currencies, I – Hoskins in A GO – shot

10. One who purposely wrecks boat sure must change (8)
SABOTEUR

[BOAT SURE]* changed

12. Flips out, inhaling fourth of puffs from this? (6)
SPLIFF

Fourth letter of pufFs in FLIPS* out

13. American husband hugged by short relative is a dish (5)
SUSHI

US & H(usband) all in a short SI(ster)

15. Gloomy and down about female being beastly! (4,4)
GREY WOLF

GREY – gloomy & LOW – down – reversed & F(emale)

17. Returned mutt with odd flaw that’s bitten you? Terrible! (3-5)
GOD AWFUL

DOG – mutt – reversed & U – you – in an odd FLAW*

19. Those starting on good religious evangelists seem monsters (5)
OGRES

Primary letters of On Good Religious Evangelists Seem

21. Old Republican leader with inflated self-worth ultimately in state (6)
OREGON

O(ld) & EGO & end of (i)N

23. Liqueur excessive queen and a mother knocked back (8)
AMARETTO

OTT – over the top, excessive & (late) queen ER & A & MA – mother – all reversed

25. Bolt double? That’s what one might be aiming for! (4)
DART

You could aim for a double with a dart

26. Make neat gin hatter will mix with drop of soda (10)
STRAIGHTEN

A mixed up [GIN HATTER S(oda)]* as opposed to the other anagram SHATTERING which means rather the opposite

28. Operative retreating around soldiers in battle (5)
YPRES

RE soldiers in SPY reversed

29. Perhaps pine to get to end of a popular racecourse (7)
AINTREE

A & IN – popular & TREE – pine say

DOWN
1. Beer with dirt tossed on top is well stupid (4-3)
DUMB ASS

MUD – dirt – reversed & beer brand BASS

2. Socialist that’s firm about statement of principles (5)
CREDO

RED – socialist inside CO – company, firm

3. Insult 51 in complaint is ‘an inability to accept the truth‘ (9)
DISBELIEF

DIS – insult and LI – 51 in BEEF – complaint

4. Oxbridge professor is a gentleman from Spain (3)
DON

Double def

5. Maiden getting beers for blokes (5)
MALES

Maiden & ALES – beers

6. One who’d accept everything was well or fantastic (9)
SWALLOWER

A fantastic [WAS WELL OR]*

7. Enough drink to get drunk is wrong in God’s eyes, king held (7)
SKINFUL

K(ing) inside SINFUL

11. Special gear and excellent beer from the rear (7)
REGALIA

AI – excellent & LAGER – beer all reversed

14. Totally demolish small Snickers? (9)
SLAUGHTER

S(mall) & LAUGHTER – snicker

16. Online career for life in induction (9)
EVOCATION

E – on line version & VOCATION – chosen career

18. Your lad cycling as the Virgin Mary (3,4)
OUR LADY

Cycling YOUR LAD with the Y moving to the end

20. Drunk now and you can’t do anything about it! (2,5)
SO THERE

SOT – a drunk & HERE – now

22. Ultimate of owl- haters in People Against Hooters (5)
NOSES

End of (owl-hater)S in NOES – those against

24. Old head of state will cuddle tense man? Heavens! (5)
ETHER

T(ense) & HE – man both in ER – the late queen

27. Coastal inlet found in Cagliari area (3)
RIA

Hidden in cagliaRI Area

Well that’s it for me this year, merry Christmas and happy new year to you all.

8 comments on “Independent 11,914 by Hoskins”

  1. I think the Nina is meant to be the question “Is God off on leave?”. Given my theology, the answer would be no.
    An interesting puzzle and my first exposure to Hoskins I think.

  2. Nice Monday morning breeze. Loi the nho Agio but well clued.

    I thought a certain racecourse was going to appear in G and I cryptics, in the same place, on the same day, and similarly clued; then realised enumeration was wrong for that mad coincidence

    Thanks Hoskins and flashling

    Thanks

  3. Also column 9 reading up says “I am Ra” – any connection? Beats me! Great puzzle so thanks Hoskins and Flashling.

  4. Great fun as ever from Hoskins with an enigmatic Nina to boot.

    9a was a new word for me but fairly clued so no problem.

    Many thanks to Harry and to flashling.

  5. I might be digging too deep, but a good puzzle does that. For 25A, BOLT is a synonym for DART as both noun and verb, so that’s a double double definition. Minimal knowledge of cricket or footballers from the 1990’s needed today, so I did well and enjoyed getting there.

  6. Always a joy to solve a Hoskins. I had SINKFUL instead of SKINFUL, which made a whole lot more sense to me as a sinkful would definitely get you drunk…but it made AGIO tough to see. Thanks so much to Harry and to Flashling for setting me straight.

  7. All the fun of the fair as usual from our ‘arry, with a cheeky Nina to boot. Tops for me were the clues leading to MOSES & SO THERE with a grin for GOD AWFUL.

    Thanks to Hoskins and to flashling for the review – enjoy your festive break.

  8. Oh dear, hadn’t twigged Hoskins was the setter which made me waste a lot of time trying to fit Bob to 9a. Otherwise a fun and challenging in parts solve. 1d, 23a favourites.

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