Special instructions for this puzzle were:
Each clue gives, in any order:
(i) definition of the entry;
(ii) definition of an anagram of the entry;
(iii) wordplay for that anagram
This may be the most fun I've had with a barred crossword for a while and I hope my parsings have done it justice. Apart from the comparatively weak BORROWERS, the rest of the crossword was a masterpiece in cryptic setting, even if you need to know a few obscure country IVRs and have access to Chambers to have any way of completing this. I have tried to explain the parsing of the ghost word that is the anagram of the actual solution, so I hope all is clear. Any failing is therefore mine if you read the bloig and don't understand a clue.
Thanks, Gemelo.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | ENIGMATIST |
I’m restricted by no longer devoting land to assessing sphinx (10)
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I'M restricted by ESTATING (an old term for leaving an estate to someone, so "no longer devoting land") = ESTIMATING ("assessing"), anagram of ENIGMATIST (think Riddle of the Sphinx) |
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| 10 | DURIANS |
Malayan fruit tree from S Asia to expose to light Indian millet (7)
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SUN ("to expose to light") + DARI ("Indian millet") = SUNDARI ("tree from S Asia"), anagram of DURIANS |
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| 11 | MOPEY |
Glum person struggling to see far-off setter’s desire for EastEnders (5)
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MY ("setter's") + 'OPE ("desire for Eastenders") = MYOPE ("person struggling to see far-off"), anagram of MOPEY |
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| 12 | AVERSE |
Plunders of a past age reluctant stewards announced (6)
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Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [announced] of REEVES ("stewards") = REAVES (an old word for plunders, so "plunders of a past age"), anagram of AVERSE |
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| 14 | HABITS |
Tasmania and Bosnia-Herzegovina monks wear these prayer beads (6)
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Tas. (Tasmania) + BIH (International Vehicle Registration code for Bosnia-Herzegovina) = TASBIH ("prayer beads"), anagram of HABITS |
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| 16 | SATI |
Largely excited widow who burned wine (4)
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[largely] ASTI(r) ("excited") = ASTI ("wine"), anagram of SATI ("an Indian woman who burned herself on her husband's funeral pyre") |
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| 17 | COUNTERSTAIN |
Add new colour to hard exterior in French vineyard headquarters (12)
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EN ("in" in "French") + CRU ("vineyard") + STATION ("headquarters") = ENCRUSTATION ("hard exterior"), anagram of COUNTERSTAIN |
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| 20 | UTERINE |
Regret hosting casual evening around suite with a common parent (7)
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RUE ("regret") hosting <=NITE ("casual" form of night, so "evening", around) = RETINUE, anagram of UTERINE |
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| 21 | CRUORES |
Special envoy ignoring one who cleanses masses of blood (7)
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S (special) + COUR(i)ER ("envoy", ignoring I (one)) = SCOURER ("who cleans"), anagram of CRUORES ("masses of (coagulated) blood") |
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| 24 | COALITIONIST |
Union member in due course allowed at institute on request (12)
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SO ("in due course") + LICIT ("allowed") + AT + I (Institute) + ON = SOLICITATION ("request"), anagram of COALITIONIST |
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| 25 | OWRE |
Exhausted Aberdonian’s over weak mineral (4)
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W (weak, in physics) + ORE ("mineral") = WORE ("exhausted"), anagram of OWRE (Scots version of "over") |
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| 29 | MENTEE |
One getting trained followers to go through content of steel shrines (6)
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MEN ("followers") to go through [content of] (s)TEE(l) = TEMENE ("shrines"), anagram of MENTEE |
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| 31 | MAILES |
Middle section of pantomimes – I allowed old bits (6)
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Hidden in [section of] "pantomiMES I ALlowed" = MESIAL ("middle"), anagram of MAILES ("old" helpennies, so "bits") |
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| 32 | PRAAM |
Lighter cheese is sourced from this city branch in Pennsylvania (5)
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ARM ("branch") in PA (Pennsylvania) = PARMA ("cheese is sourced from this city"), anagram of PRAAM |
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| 33 | RUINATE |
Bully, you might say, once destroyed much appreciated water (7)
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TA ("much appreciated") + URINE ("water") = TAURINE ("bully, you might say"). anagram of RUINATE ("once" a word for "destroyed") |
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| 34 | REASSIGNED |
Tropical plants reflecting Swaziland aura being e.g. moved to a new spot (10)
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[reflecting] <=(SD (Interbational Vehicle Registration code for "Swaziland") + AIR ("aura") + ENS ("being") + e.g.) = GESNERIADS ("tropical plants") |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | EDAM |
Furious about English tavern offering Dutch cheese (4)
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MAD ("furious") about E = MEAD ("tavern offering"), anagram of EDAM |
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| 2 | IREFUL |
More virus-ridden Angry Birds, maybe not finished outside of university (6)
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FLIER(s) ("birds, maybe", not finished) outside of U (university) = FLUIER ("more virus-ridden"), anagram of IREFUL |
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| 3 | GIRANDOLE |
Again charging relative on account of sound firework (9)
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Rel. (relative) + o/a (on account of) + DING ("sound") = RELOADING ("again charging"), anagram of GIRANDOLE |
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| 4 | ANEW |
Weaken Batman, perhaps losing heart again (4)
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(Bruce) WA(y)NE ("Batman, perhaps") = WANE ("weaken"), anagram of ANEW |
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| 5 | T-SHIRT |
Craving top US taxman to replace answer from whom? (1-5)
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IRS (Inland Revenue Service, so "US taxman") to replace A (answer) from TH(a)T = THIRST ("craving"), anagram of T-SHIRT |
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| 6 | IMAM |
Religious leader to make defective Mass end (4)
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M (Mass) + AIM ("end") = MAIM ("to make defective"), anagram of IMAM |
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| 7 | SOB |
American men cry “excellent!” endlessly (3)
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BOS(s) ("excellent", endlessly) = BOS, anagram of SOB |
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| 8 | PETTINESS |
Instruments clear of all charges amidst, say, CIA triviality (9)
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NETT ("clear of all charges") amidst SPIES ("say, CIA") = SPINETTES, anagram of PETTINESS |
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| 9 | LYSINES |
Cloths succeeded, right? Nothing repelled essential compounds (7)
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[repelled] <=(S (succeeded) + YES ("right?") + NIL) = LINSEYS (linen "cloths"), anagram of LYSINES |
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| 13 | SATORI |
Buddhist desires such relations to sing triumphant cries (6)
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RAT ("to sing") + IOS ("triumphant cries") = RATIOS ("relations"), anagram of SATORI ("a state of sudden enlightenment") |
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| 15 | BORROWERS |
Temporarily takes over banks after backing most of Bob Norton’s family? (9)
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ROWS ("banks") after [backing most of] <=ROBER(t) ("Bob") = REBORROWS ("temporarily takes over"), anagram of BORROWERS (fictional "family" created by Mary "Norton") |
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| 16 | STRANDING |
Abandoning support for bands outside, covering good Eminem song (9)
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RIND ("outside"), covering G (good) + STAN ("Eminem song") = RINGSTAND ("support for bands"), anagram of STRANDING |
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| 18 | SENORA |
Lady to argue about a child (6)
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RE ("about") + A + SON ("child") = REASON ("to argue"), anagram of SENORA |
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| 19 | ACCOMPT |
No longer value brief union (7)
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Double definition of COMPACT ("brief" and "union"), anagram of ACCOMPT (an old word for account, so "no longer value") |
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| 22 | ETHERS |
Hour in 5 seconds? Numbers, numbers (6)
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Hr (hour) in TEE (solution to "5" (t-shirt)) + S (seconds) = THREES ("numbers"), anagram of ETHERS (anaesthetic solutions, i.e. those that numb, so "numbers") |
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| 23 | HIELAN |
Do what Clinton didn’t because of sound of body from northern parts of Scotland (6)
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IN ("because of") + HALE ("sound of body") = INHALE ("do what (Bill) Clinton didn't") = INHALE, anagram of HIELAN' (Bill Clinton famously claimed to have smoked weed, but not to have inhaled it) |
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| 26 | BEMA |
Transmit live twice from where Demosthenes spoke (4)
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BE + AM ("live", twice) = BEAM ("transmit"), anagram of BEMA (a rostrum from which Greek orators, such as Demosthenes, spoke) |
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| 27 | EMUS |
Australian runners ponder escape through hedge? (4)
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Double definition of MUSE ("ponder" and a way of "escape through hedge"), anagram of EMUS |
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| 28 | USED |
Old god took action to return (4)
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<=SUED ("took action", to return) = DEUS ("god"), anagram of USED |
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| 30 | TAE |
Holyrood’s to feed Tanzania (3)
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Double definition, EAT ("feed") and EAT (International Vehicle Registration code for "Tanzania"), anagram of TAE (Scots version of "to") |
In my first pass through the across clues I entered only SUNDARI at 10 and TASBIH at 14. I couldn’t solve 1d, but I thought it must have something to do with EDAM and couldn’t see where the S was coming from, so I looked at the PDF and saw the instructions which didn’t appear in the interactive version until later. I really enjoyed the puzzle once I knew what I was supposed to be doing, and especially liked finding the long answers and their anagrams, but I agree that BORROWERS/REBORROWS was a little disappointing. I suppose it is quite hard to fill a grid using only words that have anagrams.
I was glad I managed to complete the grid and work out the anagrams without looking anything up, but I don’t think I would have been able to if I had never had access to Chambers, and I did have to look up GESNERIADS later to check I hadn’t invented it. I thought this was easier than the usual Azed Anagram puzzle, where one of the definition and wordplay leads to the entry and the other to an anagram of the entry and which is which depends of whether it is an across or down clue. I remember in one such puzzle not being able to work out a ‘rich chocolate cake’ that was an anagram of ORCHESTRATE.
The enumeration of 5d is (1-5) in the PDF and (1,5) in the interactive version, but I would have though it would normally just be (6).
Thanks, loonapick and Gemelo.
Loved this lots, not just because it’s one of the few gemelos I’ve ever fully finished without mistakes. Had the same trouble with borrowers/reborrows. Extremely forgiving given the triple chances. Genius Gemelo.