Crossword for Nottingham S&B by Exit

This is Exit’s puzzle for the Nottingham S&B at Broadway.

Thanks to Exit for compiling this puzzle with a couple of local references as highlighted in the solution:

ACROSS

7. Certain constraints for sponsors (8)

SURETIES

SURE (certain) TIES (constraints)

9. It’s a leg-pull? Close! (4-2)

WIND-UP

Double definition

10. Pile, meaning mine, of a sort (5)

DRIFT

Triple definition

11. Bird churned up lawn with pig (7)

LAPWING

An anagram (‘churned up’) of LAWN and PIG

12. Was Emily hiding in a house? On the contrary (4)

SEMI

SEMI is hidden in waS EMIly – as opposed to (‘on the contrary’) SEMI hiding ‘was emily’

13. Away from home, it’s said, Graham (not artist) found in this city (10)

NOTTINGHAM

A homophone (‘it’s said’) of NOT IN (away from home) + GraHAM missing ‘ra’ (artist)

15. Frolic in small recreational vehicle (7)

SCAMPER

S (small) CAMPER (recreational vehicle)

18. Oval otherwise encloses rim (7)

ELLIPSE

ELSE (otherwise) round or ‘enclosing’ LIP (rim)

21. Scar after Spike encounters alien in this area of 13 (4,6)

LACE MARKET

MARK (scar) after LACE (spike) + ET (alien)

24. Cardiff and Luxembourg together welcoming change (4)

FLUX

Hidden in or ‘welcomed by’ CardifF LUXembourg when joined together

26. Plant listening device to follow felines (4-3)

CATS-EAR

EAR (‘listening device’) following CATS (felines)

28. Fine old copper earrings ultimately the centre of attention (5)

FOCUS

F (fine) O (old) CU (copper) S (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of earrings)

29. Ringo loses nothing, covering current activity at Epsom, say (6)

RACING

RINGo missing the ‘o’ (nothing) round or ‘covering’ AC (alternating ‘current’)

30. Not sleek – could be a bundle of bones? (8)

SKELETON

An anagram (‘could be’) of NOT SLEEK

DOWN

1. Cross about theologian’s confusion (6)

MUDDLE

MULE (cross) round DD (Doctor of Divinity – ‘theologian’)

2. Shop leading one into strange lightheadedness (8)

DELIRIUM

DELI (shop) + I (one) in RUM (strange)

3. Drunk reportedly working part of engine (6)

PISTON

A homophone (‘reportedly’) of PISSED (drunk) + ON (working)

4. Hands back in exchange (4)

SWAP

A reversal (‘back’) of PAWS (hands)

5. Finishing as it does (6)

ENDING

‘Finishing’ does END IN G

6. Thieves return food city rector stole at first (8)

BURGLARS

A reversal (‘return’) of GRUB (food) + LA (Los Angeles – ‘city’) R (rector) S (first letter of stole)

8. Tulsa base finally tidied up to show respect to officer (6)

SALUTE

An anagram (‘tidied up’) of TULSA and E (last or ‘final’ letter of base)

14. Ms Black stripped – not good (3)

ILL

cILLa (Cilla Black) missing the first and last letters or ‘stripped’

16. Cleaner fuel – for a barbecue? (8)

CHARCOAL

A clue-as-definition: CHAR (cleaner) COAL (fuel)

17. Rubber half rubbed away in time (3)

ERA

ERA~~ser~~ (rubber) with the latter half missing or ‘rubbed away’

19. 14 fenced it off (8)

INFECTED

An anagram (‘off’) of FENCED IT – 14d being ‘ill’

20. Goes round, strikes back without enthusiasm initially (6)

SKIRTS

A reversal (‘back’) of STRIKeS without the ‘e’ (first or ‘initial’ letter or enthusiasm)

22. Involve ten cycling over a central hill (6)

ENTAIL

TEN with the first letter moved to the end or ‘cycling’ + A hILl (middle or ‘central’ letters only)

23. Hot drink? Tango for Charlie, and something chewy? (6)

TOFFEE

cOFFEE (hot drink) with the ‘c’ (Charlie in the phonetic alphabet) changed to T (tango, ditto)

25. NHS duo running barefoot (6)

UNSHOD

An anagram (‘running’) of NHS DUO

27. Don’t start to prevaricate – it’s an advantage (4)

EDGE

hEDGE (prevaricate) missing the first letter or ‘not starting’