Neo is today's setter.
This was as much a test of general knowledge as a crossword, with knowledge of Lord of the Flies being particularly important as some of the solutions were very difficult to parse. I think I'm happy with all of my parsing, except maybe for 1dn which seems a bit of a stretch. Being as avid a quizzer as a cruciverbalist, I like general knowledge, but it might not appeal to everyone,
Thanks, Neo.
ACROSS | ||
8 | INFERNO |
Conclude working when retired is hell (7)
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INFER ("conclude") + <=ON ("working", when retired) |
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10 | AIR TAXI |
Aviatrix not very mobile in transport (3,4)
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*(aiatrix) [anag:mobile] where AIATRIX is A(v)IATRIX without V (not very) |
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11 | ILL |
Tablet lacking power for sick (3)
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(p)ILL ("tablet") lacking P (power) |
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12 | EPHESUS |
Record man’s associated with US city (7)
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EP (extended play "record") + HE'S ("man's") associated with US Ephesus was an ancient settlement on the west coast of Turkey. |
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13 | YOKEL |
Couple with pound for peasant (5)
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YOKE ("couple") with L (pound) |
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14 | ETHOS |
Character finishes in farce caught with no trousers (5)
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[finishes in] (farc)E (caugh)T (wit)H (n)O (trouser)S |
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15 | REFUSAL |
Option in FA rules changing (7)
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*(fa rules) [anag:changing] |
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16 | INDRA |
God dressed as was La Rue often? Endlessly! (5)
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[endlessly] IN DRA(g) ("dressed as (Danny) La Rue often") Indra is the Hindu god of weather. |
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19 | DISPASSIONATE |
Unemotional lives progress: one about to break engagement (13)
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IS ("lives") + PASS ON ("progress") about I (one) to break DATE ("engagement") |
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23 | OASIS |
Nothing unaltered in Britpop band (5)
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O (nothing) + AS IS ("unaltered") |
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24 | ALPHEGE |
Old bishop having beer in pub say? On the contrary! (7)
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PH (public house, so "pub") + e.g. ("say") in ALE ("beer") Alphege was an 11th century Archbishop of Canterbury. |
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26 | SIMON |
Boy in 29 2: was he simply after a pie? (5)
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Refers to Simple SIMON in the classic English nursery rhyme. Simon was one of the principal characters in Lord of the Rings (answer to 29/2) |
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28 | DELAY |
Obstruct Democrat Ivy League uni backed (5)
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D (Democrat) + <=YALE ("Ivy League uni", backed) |
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30 | DOG BITE |
Rover’s attack d-damaged big toe? (3,4)
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D + *(big toe) [anag:damaged] |
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31 | TAO |
Rolling grass shows way to be followed (3)
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[rolling] <=OAT ("grass") |
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32 | NARRATE |
Finally in Coleridge, sailor hurried over to tell story (7)
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<=([finally in] (coleridg)E + TAR ("sailor") + RAN ("hurried"), over) |
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33 | LAYETTE |
Still wearing recent baby outfit (7)
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YET ("still") wearing LATE ("recent") |
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DOWN | ||
1 | BIG EARS |
Noddy’s friend twice a drugs mule? (3,4)
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BIS ("twice") carrying GEAR ("drugs") so "twice a drugs mule?" |
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3 | NOISELESS |
Lionesses, supple, silent (9)
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*(lionesses) [anag:supple] |
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4 | RALPH |
Sacred flower boy in 29 2 (5)
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The R(iver) ALPH is a sacred river in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Kubla Khan, and Ralph was a character in Lord of the Flies (29/2) |
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5 | GRAY’S INN |
Legal society elegist belongs to, note (5,3)
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(Thomas) GRAY's IN ("elegist belongs to") + N (note) |
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6 | JACK |
Ball bowlers aim at boy in 29 2 (4)
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Double definition, the first referring to the white ball in crown green bowling, and the second to a character in Lord of the Flies (29/2) |
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7/21 | WILLIAM GOLDING |
Writer’s pleasure: Neo’s away to consume lethal dosage (7,7)
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WILL ("pleasure") + I AM GOING ("Neo's away") to consume LD (lethal dosage) |
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9 | ROSES |
Flowers from Poldark securing Demelza’s heart? (5)
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ROSS (Poldark) securing (Dem)E(lza) ['s heart] Ross Poldark and his wife appear in the Poldark series of books by WInston Graham, set in Cornwall between 1781 and 1799. |
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17 | DO THE DIRTY |
Little Mark Dyer hit criminal cheat (2,3,5)
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DOT ("little mark") + *(dyer hit) [anag:criminal] |
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18 | GIRANDOLE |
Magnificent cheer welcomes one rotating firework (9)
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GRAND ("magnificent") + OLE ("cheer") welcomes I (one) |
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20 | PUSSYCAT |
Weak fellow raised up as cyst exploded (8)
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[raised] <=UP + *(as cyst) [anag:exploded] |
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22 | BEDEWED |
Wet monk got married (7)
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BEDE (a medieval "monk") + WED ("got married") |
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25 | PIGGY |
Boy in 29 2 like Chester White? (5)
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Double definition, the first being a character in Lord of the Flies (29/2) and the second referring to a breed of pig. |
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27 | MATER |
Mum to public schoolboys: one breeding? (5)
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Double definition |
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29/2 | LORD OF THE FLIES |
Feel for this old lunatic in 21 novel? (4,2,3,5)
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*(feel for this old) [anag:lunatic] as written by William Golding (the solution to 21) |