The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29857.
Pangakupu continues to produce inventive and amusing clues, with the now well-known Maori Nna in the grid. Here we have in row 8 HOA – friend – and in row 10 KOIORA – life. This is his 42nd. Cryptic,and the reference is to the answer to the question of Life, the Universe and Everything.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PALACE |
Step out of line going behind a bishop’s residence (6)
|
| An envelope (‘out of’) of ‘a’ plus L (‘line’), with ‘going behind’ indicting the order of these two elements, in PACE (‘step’). | ||
| 4 | SPECIE |
Change that is following description of requirements (6)
|
| A charade of SPEC (‘description of requirements’) plus I.E. (‘that is’); ‘change’ as small change, coins. | ||
| 9 | ATOM |
Source of cash containing nothing? A tiny amount (4)
|
| An envelope (‘containing’) of O (‘nothing’) in ATM (Automated Teller Machine, ‘source of cash’). | ||
| 10 | TUNING FORK |
One car’s last away from two junctions – take note from this (6,4)
|
| TU[r]NING and FORK (‘two junctions’) minus an R (‘one caR‘s last away’). | ||
| 11 | TATTOO |
Military display that’s equally rubbish? (6)
|
| TAT TOO. | ||
| 12 | MANTEGNA |
Bloke, uncommon gent, foremost in art? (8)
|
| A charade of MAN (‘bloke’) plus TEGN, an anagram (‘uncommon’) of ‘gent’, plus A (‘foremost in Art’),; with an &lit definition for Joe Mantegna, the American actor. | ||
| 13 | ELUCIDATE |
Clarify cryptic clue I’d put away (9)
|
| A charade of ELUC, an anagram (‘cryptic’) of ‘clue’ plus ‘I’d’ plus ATE (‘put away’). | ||
| 15 | IDLY |
Clearly losing verses about Italy without much effort (4)
|
| A subtraction: [viv]IDLY (‘clearly’) minus VIV, an envelope (‘about’) of I (‘Italy’) in VV (‘verses’). | ||
| 16 | SKOL |
Hail beauty, without one love recalled (4)
|
| A reversal (‘recalled’) of LO[o]KS (‘beauty’) minus an O (‘without one love’). | ||
| 17 | SPEARMINT |
Southern fruit not used for flavouring (9)
|
| A charade of S (‘southern’) plus PEAR (‘fruit’) plus MINT (‘not used’ in philately). | ||
| 21 | LAUSANNE |
European city with way to keep America neutralised at outset (8)
|
| An envelope (‘to keep’) of USA (‘America’) plus N (‘Neutralised at outset’) in LANE (‘way’). | ||
| 22 | MERINO |
Sheep farmer not distant in ring (6)
|
| A charade of ‘[far]mer’ minus FAR (‘not distant’) plus ‘in’ plus O (‘ring’). | ||
| 24 | REPERTOIRE |
Report unbridled passion about English pieces to be played? (10)
|
| An envelope (‘about’) of E (‘English’) in REPRTO (or RPERTO), an anagram (‘unbridled’) of ‘report’ plus IRE (‘passion’) | ||
| 25 | PLEA |
Excuse to jump quietly to the front (4)
|
| LEAP (‘jump’) with the P moved to the head (‘quietly to the front’). | ||
| 26 | SUTURE |
Stitch up second person in France, certain to accept that (6)
|
| An envelope (‘to accept that’) of TU (‘second person in France’; French for you, singular and intimate) in SURE (‘certain’). | ||
| 27 | STOLEN |
Snatched look in practice area when coming round (6)
|
| A reversal (‘when coming round’) of an envelope (‘in’) of LO (‘look’) in NETS (‘practice area’, cricket). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PITFALL |
Unexpected difficulty in autumn match at the outset (7)
|
| A charade of PIT (‘match’, as in “pit your wits”) plus FALL (‘autumn’) | ||
| 2 | LIMIT |
Extreme source of loving? That’s me! (5)
|
| A charade of L (‘source of Loving’) plus I’M IT (‘that’s me’). | ||
| 3 | CAT FOOD |
Fish will encompass article frequently upheld … as this? (3,4)
|
| An envelope (‘will encompass’) of A (indefinite ‘article’) plus TFO, a reversal (‘upheld’ in a down light) of OFT (‘frequently’) in COD (‘fish’); with an extended definition. | ||
| 5 | PENANG |
A note kept in seventh enclosure in part of Malaysia (6)
|
| An envelope (‘kept in’) of ‘a’ plus N (‘note’) in PEN G (‘seventh enclosure’, starting with PEN A). | ||
| 6 | COFFERDAM |
Underwater work environment? Department supporting bid to block river (9)
|
| An envelope (‘to block’) of OFFER (‘bid’) plus D (‘department’, with ‘supporting’ in a down light indicating the order of the particles) in CAM (‘river’, perhaps the one flowing through Cambridge). | ||
| 7 | ERRANCY |
Old Queen number in risqué setting? It’s going wrong (7)
|
| A charade of ER (‘old Queen’) plus RANCY, an envelope (‘in … setting’) of N (‘number’) in RACY (‘risqué’). | ||
| 8 | ONOMATOPOETIC |
‘Coo’ and ‘moo’ with patient working out may be considered thus? (13)
|
| An anagram (‘working out’) of ‘coo’ plus ‘moo’ plus ‘patient’. with an extended definition. | ||
| 14 | CHOOSIEST |
So over getting upset amidst dubious ethics, becoming selective in the extreme (9)
|
| An envelope (‘amidst’) of OOS, a reversal (‘getting upset’ in a down light) of ‘so’ plus O (‘over’) in CHIEST, an anagram (‘dubious’) of ‘ethics’. | ||
| 16 | SKATERS |
Forerunner of reggae insufficiently succinct for ice dancers? (7)
|
| A charade of SKA (‘forerunner of reggae’) plus TERS[e] (‘succinct’) minus its last letter (‘insufficiently’). An indication by example. | ||
| 18 | ARMREST |
Police action limiting my support for member (7)
|
| An envelope (‘limiting’) of M (‘my’, at least in the contraction “not guilty, m’lud” which is in Chambers) in ARREST (‘police action’). | ||
| 19 | NANKEEN |
Knight’s article penetrating cloth (7)
|
| A charade of N (‘knight’, chess notation) plus AN (indefinite ‘article’) plus KEEN (‘penetrating’ as in “a keen wind”). | ||
| 20 | INSTAR |
Ant, sir, represented insect form (6)
|
| An anagram (‘re-presented’) of ‘ant sir’. | ||
| 23 | REPEL |
Unpleasant look climbing round top of peak? Turn back (5)
|
| An envelope (’round’) of P (‘top of Peak’) in REEL, a reversal (‘climbing’ in a down light) of LEER (‘unpleasant look’). |
Nice puzzle.
I thought up INSTAR and then had to look it up to see what it was.
I think 12a makes more sense as an &lit. if the MANTEGNA concerned is Andrea, the Italian Renaissance painter.
Ao Tukupu means the Universe. A lovely crossword though the spelling of 8 down was a challenge.
Nho either the actor or the artist, cofferdam was a total jorum, and dnk that 8d could have a -poetic ending. Always a new thing or two, thanks P and P.
All done except SKOL.
Never heard of it except as a nasty foreign beer substitute. I couldn’t actually find any definition of it which equated to “hail”, but thus crumbleth the cookie.
Enjoyed all the rest.
I liked SPEARMINT and REPERTOIRE.
Thanks to Pangapuku and PeterO.
Thanks P & P. Just to add the right-column nina: KATOA = “everything”.