Gurney is today’s setter.
A comparatively straightforward puzzle that was mostly solved in a couple of passes, although a few answers in the southeast corner resisted for a while. I had a couple of quibbles. In the clue for GROTTO, having GOT TO in the clue made the solution too obvious, and I don’t like the clue for INTENSE as we count in ones, not tens, and I think the definition is at best dodgy. Otherwise, all good.
Thanks, Gurney
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CIRCUS |
Noisy behaviour where streets converge (6)
|
| Double definition. For the second, think Piccadilly CIRCUS, eg. | ||
| 4 | ESCARGOT |
Arranges cargo trip to import food (8)
|
| Hidden in [to import] “arrangES CARGO To” | ||
| 9 | ABSURD |
Preposterous, a changed bus route, detour primarily (6)
|
| A + *(bus) [anag:changed] + R(oute) D(etour) [primarily] | ||
| 10 | HAWTHORN |
Tree originally highly associated with north somehow (8)
|
| [originally] H(ighly) A(ssociated) W(ith) + *(north) [anag:somehow] | ||
| 12 | NORMALLY |
Central choice of letters supporter makes in usual way (8)
|
| N or M (“choice of letters, centrally” in alphabet) + ALLY (“supporter”) | ||
| 13 | BANTER |
Joking prohibition — note resistance follows (6)
|
| BAN (“prohibition”) + TE (musical “note”) + R (resistance) | ||
| 15 | SKIP |
Avoid captain (4)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 16 | STARTLE |
Surprise opening by the French (7)
|
| START (“opening”) by LE (“the” in “french”) | ||
| 20 | INTENSE |
How we count, ultimately reliable, having firm purpose (7)
|
| IN TENS (“how we count”) + [ultimately] (relaibl)E
I count in ones, personally. Also, “intent” would mean “having firm purpose”; “intense” is a bit different, in my opinion. |
||
| 21 | CLUE |
Provide with helpful information about sequel regularly on return (4)
|
| C (circa, so “about”) + <=(s)E(q)U(e)L [regularly, on return] | ||
| 25 | RENTER |
Tenant’s re-entry almost botched (6)
|
| *(reentr) [anag:botched] where REENTR is [almost] RE-ENTR(y) | ||
| 26 | ORNAMENT |
Love exotic remnant that’s nice to look at (8)
|
| O (love, in tennis) + *(remnant) [anag:exotic] | ||
| 28 | TIGHTWAD |
Strange tag with description at front makes one profligate? No (8)
|
| *(tag with) [anag:strange] + D(escription) [at front] | ||
| 29 | ADDICT |
Not entirely glad, dictionary user (6)
|
| Hidden in [not entirely] “glAD DICTionary” | ||
| 30 | LITERATE |
Well-educated, free, having time for book (8)
|
| LI(bERATE (“free”) with T (time) for (i.e. instead of) B (book) becomes LI(T)ERATE | ||
| 31 | MERGER |
Minor eyebrow raise at first German amalgamation (6)
|
| M(inor) E(yebrow) R(aise) [at first] + Ger. (German) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | CLANNISH |
Conflict about pub on the rise shunning outsiders? (8)
|
| CLASH (“conflict”) about <=INN (“pub”, on the rise) | ||
| 2 | RESTRAIN |
Check bucket after break (8)
|
| RAIN (“bucket”) after REST (“break”) | ||
| 3 | UNREAL |
Fantastic university, learn differently (6)
|
| U (university) + *(learn) [anag:differently] | ||
| 5 | SNAG |
Fall in value around November is drawback (4)
|
| SAG (“fall in value”) around N (November, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) | ||
| 6 | ACTUALLY |
A cold calculation impresses you? Really? (8)
|
| A + C (cold) + TALLY (“calculation”) impresses U (you) | ||
| 7 | GROTTO |
Having accepted recommendation at the outset, got to cave (6)
|
| GOT TO having accepted R(ecommmendation) [at the outset]
It’s disappointing that so much of the answer is in the clue. A synonym such as “reached” or “arrived at” might have made the solution a wee bit less obvious. |
||
| 8 | TENURE |
Clear up with head of union about right to remain in post (6)
|
| <=NET (“clear”, up) with [head of] U(nion) + RE (“about”) | ||
| 11 | CLUTTER |
100 left total mess (7)
|
| C (100, in Roman numerals) + L (left) + UTTER (“total”) | ||
| 14 | ERASURE |
Removal of reference to period? Indeed (7)
|
| ERA (“reference to period”) + SURE (“indeed”) | ||
| 17 | ANCESTOR |
Star once, lively forerunner (8)
|
| *(star once) [anag:lively] | ||
| 18 | FLEETING |
Spirited dance, event regularly seen inside, not taking long (8)
|
| E(v)E(n)T [regularly] seen inside FLING (“spirited dance”) | ||
| 19 | TESTATOR |
One leaves exam schedule on way up (8)
|
| TEST (“exam”) + <=ROTA (“schedule”, on the way up) | ||
| 22 | BRUTAL |
Dry and latterly initially cruel (6)
|
| BRUT (“dry”) + A(nd) L(atterly) [initially] | ||
| 23 | KNIGHT |
Broadcast dark piece (6)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [broadcast] of NIGHT (“dark”) | ||
| 24 | DAWDLE |
All inside having left wood in valley, lag behind (6)
|
| [all inside (letters) having left] W(oo)D in DALE (“valley”) | ||
| 27 | FACT |
Account in paper that’s true (4)
|
| Ac. (account) in FT (Financial Times, so “paper”) |