Tees fills the Thursday spot this week.
Some fairly tricky clues here with several new words for us which is not surprising given that it is a Tees puzzle. 23ac could have been COSMOLOGY which we knew but Tees seems to like challenging the range of our vocabulary.
W (with) + an anagram (‘sinuous’) of SUE ON TOADSTOOL BOY and AGOg missing the the last letter or ‘endlessly’
PLUSh (luxurious) with the ‘h’ (hotel) removed
sTUDy fORm both missing the first and last letters or ‘disregarding all outsiders’
PAL (friend) PIT (hollow) ATE (scoffed)
DAN (Dan Dare, comic character) in N (northern) C (clubs) in or ‘entering’ BARE (undressed)
ALArM (strike with fear) missing or ‘losing’ ‘r’ (right) + O (old)
O (love) POSt (after) SUMo (wrestling) both missing the last letter or ‘shortly’
A reversal (‘revolutionary’) of RED (socialist) ROOT (cause)
OVER (up) AWE (Scottish loch)
CUP (‘footie tournament’) round or ‘investing’ LEAN (bank)
An anagram (‘potentially’) of RIGHT
MOG (cat) ON (just after) ‘occupying’ COSY (snug) – a new word for us
An anagram (‘when travelling’) of IAGO HOPES – shouldn’t there be an indication in the definition that this is a plural?
C (100 in roman numerals) in a reversal (‘backing’) of TIDE (current)
ELANd (antelope) missing the last letter or ‘minus tail’
RAINED (came down) after REST (siesta)
WEnT (left) missing or ‘expelling’ ‘n’ (name)
DER (‘the’ in German) in UNDONE (brought to nought)
D (daughter) + A fRiEnD (alternate or ‘regular’ letters)
TOM (male) round or ‘astride’ PONY (little horse) – another new word for us but this time it turned out to be a JORUM.
An anagram (‘dodgy’) of MEAL IN T (time)
HAS (fools – as a verb) in LA (‘the’ in French)
An anagram (‘needs a rewrite’) of HEY SONG PART
PINE (long) round or ‘covering’ A (first class) FOR (behind)
An anagram (‘redesigned’) of PHAETON’S
DUN (dusky) DON (fellow) IAN (Scotsman)
pENCE (coppers) missing the first letter or ‘leaderless’ round or ‘seizing’ LAV (throne)
CS (Civil Service) round or ‘touring’ A (ace) + UIST (Hebridean Islands – North and South Uist) – yet another new word for us but as we walked the Hebridean Way last year we were familiar with North and South Uist.
Hidden (‘coming in’) in foR A STArt – a reference to Bob Marley
O (duck – zero) MEGA (mammoth)
A reversal (‘rise’) of DOT (contracted form of Dorothy). We had to check the definition in Chambers. We did think there may be a film star called Tod Fox when we solved the clue. It is however an old English word for fox.
Found it tough. Enjoyed the challenge. Thanks Tees.
Great blog. Thanks B&J.
Liked many. Mentioning the top faves: BARN DANCE, OPOSSUM, COSMOGONY (had to Google) and LHASA.
I can’t say that I found many, ( if any ), clues that were “easy”. The grid itself seems to be a kindly one, because the crossers were my salvation; I managed to complete, but the last 5 or 6 solutions were grimly fiendish.
I didn’t know the STANHOPE, as a carriage: only as those antique “peephole” gadgets, like a tiny telescope through which the viewer can see famous views or photos.
Or, shall I say, slightly naughtier subject matter.
Presume the name comes from Stanhope, he of the lens fame.
A few whylist newcomers, for me ( CASUIST/ COSMOGONY/ TOPONYM) but they were do’able because the wordplays were fair.
One of those tough puzzles that was very satisfying, because it WAS tough. Many crafty clues, and clever surfaces.
Top stuff, TEES & BJ
Agree with ENB: quite hard but fairly clued, though Tees clearly on yellow sunshine for 1 across (where IS seems to be a link word btw).
Lots to like, and I really liked TOPONYM and STENOGRAPHY.
Thanks B&J and 😀
Have the faintest memory there’s been a toponym theme sometime in the past … maybe. Several other forgottens, like Dan Dare, tod for fox, and Uist, and nhos, like Loch Awe and Mr Stanhope’s carriage, made the going a little bumpy. Quite fun though, ta Tees and BandJ.
I enjoyed this, and was pleased that my “…well it’s where the wordplay takes me!” for COSMOGONY proved correct. I did spend a while trying to justify putting LO inside MOG for the more familiar word.
Thanks both.
Thanks both. Didn’t really get along with this, as too many unknowns combined, which then commonly distracts me from more straightforward solutions. CASUIST is the prime example, as I recognised neither the answer nor the definition, and Uist was somewhere broadly forgotten by my bombarded brain.
A Tees toughie which was a DNF for me. Still worthwhile for clues like PLUS, GIRTH, and ELAN. Thanks to all.
Thanks all for comments, thanks esp to B&J.
My test-solver, a well-known Bognor restaurant owner, informs me that Uist is comprised of not two but SIX islands. When the Uist-themed puzzle appears, wherever and whenever that may be, be sure to look out for North and South Uist, Benbecula, Berneray, Eriskay and Grimsay.
Tees