[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here
Goliath is on top form with this puzzle.
Fabulous fun.
ACROSS
1. Clever bit is to drink whisky (6)
SHREWD
SHRED (bit) is to drink W (whisky, NATO alphabet)
4. State of wordplay just as bad to begin with (6)
PUNJAB
PUN (wordplay) + J[ust] A[s] B[ad] (to begin with)
8. Say why following pointer is not thorough (7)
CURSORY
“Y” (why, “say”) following CURSOR (pointer)
9. My kind of moulding (7)
CORNICE
11. Regulator’s improper threat to incarcerate the majority (10)
THERMOSTAT
THREAT* (*improper) to incarcerate MOST (the majority)
12. On the way back, touch brass (4)
TUBA
ABUT< (touch, <on the way back)
13. A hundred bullets ricocheted, (5)
COMMA
C (a hundred, Roman) + AMMO< (bullets, <ricocheted)
14. Jagger, say, welcomed as a nonconformist (8)
MAVERICK
MICK (Jagger); AVER (say) welcomed
16. What tyre can be indeed (8)
DEFLATED
FLAT (what tyre can be) in DEED – &lit
18. Gangster hiding ale? That’s chicken (5)
CAPON
[al] CAPON[e] (gangster, hiding ALE)
20. Prison coverage not over (4)
CAGE
21. Proposal includes one barrel as incentive (10)
MOTIVATION
MOTION (proposal) includes 1 VAT (one barrel)
23. Some thought it a nice ship (7)
TITANIC
[though]T IT A NIC[e] (some)
24. Distillery discarding DIY dodgy framework (7)
TRELLIS
[di]STILLER[y]* (*dodgy, discarding DIY)
25. Modern song on the radio lacking coverage (6)
NUDITY
“NEW DITTY” (modern song, “on the radio”)
26. Starter is able to mimic (6)
CANAPE
CAN (is able to) + APE (mimic)
DOWN
1. Be quiet! Be quiet! Be quiet! That includes you at the back! (5)
SHUSH
SH (be quiet) + SH (be quiet) that includes [yo]U (at the back)
2. Sort out unusual platform (7)
ROSTRUM
SORT* (*out) + RUM (unusual)
3. Fine argument over wind installation (4,2,3)
WORK OF ART
(OK (fine) + ROW< (argument))< (<over) + FART (wind)
5. Vessel about to change course (1-4)
U-BOAT
ABOUT* (*to change course)
6. Start of year with rising rubbish? He’ll clear it up (7)
JANITOR
JAN 1 (start of year) with ROT< (rubbish, <rising) – semi &lit
7. Support artist getting some breakfast (4,5)
BACK BACON
BACK (support) + BACON (artist)
Referring to Francis Bacon, famous 20th century painter
10. Thanks politician involved in study to reform tax (5,4)
STAMP DUTY
(TA (thanks) + MP (politician)) involved in STUDY* (*to reform)
13. Woman’s heart in the beginning of it all, and the end for some (9)
CREMATION
[wo]M[an] (heart) in CREATION (the beginning of it all)
15. Wild raves after debauchery? The other way round (4,5)
VICE VERSA
RAVES* (*wild) after VICE (debauchery?)
17. Small rise in fat downwind (7)
LEEWARD
WEE< (small, <rise) in LARD (fat)
19. Start to tuck into Spanish dish to find a bone (7)
PATELLA
T[uck] (start) to tuck into PAELLA (Spanish dish)
21. Communist not a wet (5)
MOIST
M[a]OIST (communist, not A)
22. One out of six is sheepish (5)
OVINE
ONE out of VI (six, Roman)
The sun is sparkling on the sea as I take the ferry to a waterfront cafe: the perfect setting for completing a typically playful – and gleefully silly – puzzle from Goliath.
All’s well with the world!
Ticks: CURSORY, WORK OF ART, COMMA (almost missed it), TITANIC, BACK BACON, VICE VERSA and that novel tune at 25A!
Great stuff.
Thanks to Goliath and Oriel (didn’t think you’d tarry long with the blog as it was short and very sweet).
Superb puzzle. No gripes at all and plenty of laugh out loud moments. Loved capon, cage, nudity, vice versa, but most of all, moist.
I completed it clockwise, working from PUNJAB down the right, got stuck on NUDITY for a while (I was sure it was something to do with radio lacking coverage, -adi-) and finished with SHREWD.
Do I see a slight alcohol theme? Whisky, vat, distillery, ale? Any more?
Never heard of BACK BACON. Google tells me it’s a UK thing. I didn’t like the clue for DEFLATED, although I can see why some might think it’s clever. Otherwise most enjoyable.
What a delightful romp! More clues left unticked than ticked and at least half a dozen raised more than a smile – certainly too many to list.
Huge thanks to Goliath and lucky Oriel for a splendid start to the day.
Most enjoyable with lots of lovely puns.
The answer to 19d is an old favourite,once memorably clued as « two girls , one on each knee ».
Thanks Goliath and Oriel.
Liked DEFLATED, SHUSH, WORK OF ART, VICE VERSA and OVINE.
COMMA
Does the surface demand a COMMA there?
Liked the clue, though.
Thanks Goliath and Oriel.
GDU@4: I’m with you on DEFLATED. A lot of people like this so-called lift-and-separate device, but not me. You have to rewrite the clue to arrive at what the setter really means. Mind you, when I see ‘indeed’ in a clue these days I’m alert to what it might signify.