A rollicking entry from Slormgorm today . . .
. . . nothing too strenuous, and I did get a genuine chuckle out of several of the clues.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | COLONEL BLIMP |
Rigged poll, one with climb for Trump, say (7,5)
|
| Anagram of (rigged) {POLL + ONE + CLIMB}, here, I think, perhaps intended in the sense of “the honorary commander of a military corps,” although President Trump is in fact Commander-in-Chief, but perhaps also a reference to his jingoism. I am not sure I completely understand this one. | ||
| 10 | OPENING |
Jumbo pen in German stores or The Gap? (7)
|
| Hidden in (stores) [JUMB]O PEN IN G[ERMAN], with a capitalization misdirection | ||
| 11 | AMATEUR |
You punching a GM, perhaps, is unprofessional (7)
|
| U (you) inside (punching) {A + MATER (GM, perhaps, i.e., Grand Master, in chess)} | ||
| 12 | TARSI |
Structural supports built into altar sides (5)
|
| Hidden in (built into) [AL]TAR SI[DES]. Not the first definition that springs to mind, but . . . | ||
| 13 | UPHOLDER |
Excited by hot senior in Wonderbra, possibly (8)
|
| UP (excited) + H (hot) + OLDER (senior), speaking of structural supports . . . | ||
| 15 | ASHEN-FACED |
Front of aluminium fences had turned very pale (5-5)
|
| Anagram of (turned) {first letter of (front of) A[LUMINIUM] + FENCES HAD} | ||
| 16 | TRIP |
‘Take LSD’ is helpful advice, Republican admitted (4)
|
| R (Republican) inside (admitted) TIP (helpful advice) | ||
| 18 | IDLE |
Lazy person people greatly admire on radio (4)
|
| Homophone of (on radio) IDOL (person people greatly admire) | ||
| 20 | BARENTS SEA |
Wild beasts near wet patch of earth (7,3)
|
| Anagram of (wild) BEASTS NEAR | ||
| 22 | TURNCOAT |
Renegade performer with company a pest ultimately (8)
|
| TURN (performer) + CO. (company) + A + last letter of (ultimately) [PES]T | ||
| 24 | IDEAL |
Slormgorm had ecstasy together with a large model (5)
|
| I’D (Slormgorm had) + E (ecstasy) + A + L (large) | ||
| 26 | OPERATE |
Old judge getting to grips with training in work (7)
|
| {O (old) + RATE (judge)} around (getting to grips with) PE (training) | ||
| 27 | ASPHALT |
One by the kerbside idiot with vice picked up (7)
|
| Homophones of (picked up) ASS (idiot) + FAULT (vice) | ||
| 28 | SNOW LEOPARDS |
After swimming about, do prawns lose ounces? (4,8)
|
| Anagram of (after swimming about) DO PRAWNS LOSE | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | ON EARTH |
The devil is here! (2,5)
|
| Double/cryptic definition, the first equating a phrase such as “how on earth” with “how the devil.” Very clever | ||
| 3 | OPINIONS |
They can make people cry about religious beliefs (8)
|
| ONIONS (they can make people cry) around (about) PI (religious) | ||
| 4 | EDGE |
Border collie pulled dog sledge finally (4)
|
| Last letters of (finally) [COLLI]E + [PULLE]D + [DO]G + [SLEDG]E | ||
| 5 | BLASPHEMER |
One who swears bars help me to get drunk (10)
|
| Anagram of (to get drunk) BARS HELP ME | ||
| 6 | IDAHO |
I laugh, having got American lawyer in a state (5)
|
| {I + HO (laugh)} around (having got) DA (American lawyer) | ||
| 7 | PLEADER |
Advocate of premier with power going to head (7)
|
| P (power) + LEADER (premier) | ||
| 8 | CONTRADICTION |
Denial made by conservative in Tory convention (13)
|
| C (Conservative) inside (in) {CON. (Tory) + TRADITION (convention)} | ||
| 9 | PRE-RAPHAELITE |
Heartier apple crumbles for a painterly type (3-10)
|
| Anagram of (crumbles) HEARTIER APPLE | ||
| 14 | BANANA PEEL |
Yellow type that might give you the slip? (6,4)
|
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 17 | ETHIOPIA |
Heroin-packed opiate I shot being a state (8)
|
| H (heroin) inside (-packed) anagram of (shot) {OPIATE I} | ||
| 19 | LARKERS |
Singer with Queen and soprano can be mischief-makers (7)
|
| LARK (singer) + ER (Queen) + S (soprano) | ||
| 21 | STEWARD |
Cook will have way with a flight attendant (7)
|
| STEW (cook) + A + RD (way, i.e., road) | ||
| 23 | CHADŌ |
Tea ceremony in African country close to Morocco (5)
|
| CHAD (African country) + last letter of (close to) [MOROCC]O, specifically the Japanese tea ceremony. I do not see this listed in Chambers, but the wordplay is clear enough. | ||
| 25 | HALO |
Stop making primarily terrific love to get ring (4)
|
| HAL[T] (stop) exchanging (making) O (love) for first letter of (primarily) T[ERRIFIC] |
There seemed to be a lot of anagrams, reducing the variety and making it quite easy. But I love clever anagrams, and there were some amusing clues (as noted), so no complaints.
Best clues for me were SNOW LEOPARDS and ON EARTH.
LOI was TARSI as I am not familiar with the word, but it seemed blindingly obvious once I had solved it. I had the same question as the blog about COLONEL BLIMP. I am sure someone closer to the Col. will fill us in. Finally, I can confirm CHADO is in fact Japanese for tea ceremony whether it is in Chambers or not.
Thanks Slormgorm and Cineraria
I didn’t get ASPHALT as the homophone didnt work for me. I’ve always pronounced it ash felt, which I admit, bears little relationship to its spelling. I don’t understand turn/performer, nor the mater in AMATEUR. Couldn’t get HALO. Is there a reason for the “or” in the clue for OPENING?
It took me a while to understand ON EARTH, but when the penny dropped I rather liked it.
GDU@2: One definition of turn is “a performer’s act or the performer,” as on a stage.
A “mater” is a chess player who achieves a checkmate.
“Or” in the clue for OPENING functions as “=.”
As for “ash-felt”: Fascinating.
Thanks, Cineraria.
I think ash felt is the way most of us in Oz say it, but one of my compatriots may beg to differ.
Good stuff, thanks all.
Bemused by 1a. Is blimp an allusion to the huge baby trump inflatable which demonstrators had when he visited London?
Liked upholder, ashen faced, snow leopards, pre-raphaelite.