Plenty to get one’s teeth into today with Eccles’ latest puzzle, produced on a grid that accommodates a large number of clues.
I found this is be an enjoyable solve, with a good few write-ins to get me off to a good start, but which required a decent amount of effort to finish, especially in the NW quadrant of the grid. My next-to-last-one-in was 20, where I didn’t know this particular sense of the grid entry, but which was the only word in Chambers that fitted. The very last one in was 2, again the only word that fitted the space but which took me a long time to parse: I couldn’t decide where exactly the definition was to be found, and not knowing the Canadian actor didn’t help!
My favourite clues today were 10 and 13D, both for their unexpected definitions; 13A, for its sauciness; and, above all, 15, for its clever name device.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
*(CIVET); “wild” is anagram indicator
{HAM (=bad actor) in [A + OMEN (=warning sign)]} + T (=Tesla, i.e. SI unit)
TUR (RUT (=routine; “revolutionary” indicates reversal) + BANNED (=forbidden)
HIdden (“some”) in “faKE FIRewater”
G G (=Germans, i.e. 2 x G=German) in DOING (=working at, busy with); the definition refers saucily to the practice of having sexual relations in a public place, such as in a parked car.
L LANE (C Kent’s love interest, in Superman, i.e. Clark Kent and Lois Lane) + R (=runs, on cricket scorecard) + O (=over, on cricket scorecard); a llanero is an inhabitant of the plains in the northern part of S America
PINO<che>T (=South American dictator, i.e. Chilean General Augusto Pinochet (1915-2006); “expelling revolutionary (=”Che”, i.e. Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara (1928-67)” means letters “che” are dropped
Homophone (“report of”) of I (=imaginary number, in maths, the square root of -1)
<s>MOOCH (=kiss, pet; “son (=S) abandoning” means letter “s” is dropped); to mooch is to sponge off, cadge off
TOP<p>LES (=ousts, overthrows; “losing heart (=middle letter) means letter “p” is dropped) + S (=soprano)
*(REARING); “jockeys” is anagram indicator
PER (=for each) + I (=international) + L (=lecturer)
ORGAN (=maybe newspaper, i.e. vehicle of communication) + IS + ED (=editor)
SW (=south-west) + I (=India)’S + SPINE (=thorn, spike)
Homophone (“that’s picked up”) of “nose (=aroma, especially of wine)
DEF (FED; “up” indicates vertical reversal) + T (=Thailand, in IVR)
<mila>N (“ultimately” means last letter only) + IT (=Italian) + ROGEN (=actor Seth, from Canada); the lone N is thus the definition, the chemical symbol for nitrogen!
STOA<t> (=musteline animal; “with no tail” means last letter is dropped)
*(ANGER + ICE); “explosive” is anagram indicator; the reference is to the Scottish-born philanthropist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919)
[AND (=with) in HE (=man)] + L (=liberal); the reference is to the German-born composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
ROCKS (=rolls, sways) + ALMON<d> (=nut; “in the main” means all letters are needed bar the last one)
SELF (=ego) + I.E. (=that is, id est); a selfie is a shot, a photo of oneself
TSAR (=Russian leader; “promoting second (=S)” means letter “s” moves to a higher position in the word
TOPED (=regularly drank; “on return” indicates a reversal); an arsenal is a depot, a storehouse, not the football club in this definition!
*(HELEN + SHIFT); “changes” is anagram indicator; to be present means to be in person, in the flesh
<b>OTHER (=concern, worry; “when bishop (=B, in chess) excommunicated” means letter “b” is dropped
G<a>R<d>E<n> (“odd characters” means odd letters of word only are needed) in EARLY (=ahead of schedule); Earl Grey is a type of fragrant tea, hence “leaves”
O<mani> (“head of” means first letter only) + MISSION (=embassy)
PAR (=standard, level) + KIN (=family); parkin is a type of treacly gingerbread popular in the north of England
T (=temperature) in SOLID (=substantial figure, in geometry)
PUS (SUP=drink; “up” indicates vertical reversal) + S<troke> (“start to” means first letter only)
N (=Northern) + UKE (=music producer, i.e. a ukulele, colloquially); again colloquially, a nuke is a nuclear weapon
DAS (SAD=unhappy; “about” indicates reversal) + H (=husband)
The usual fine puzzle from this setter, which was challenging and great fun.
Today’s unknowns for me were 15a & 20a, and my favourite was 13a.
Many thanks to Eccles and to RR.