Another toughie from this setter that kept me on my toes all the way through. Thanks to Paul.
| Across | ||||||||
| 1 | STATUTE | Still figure divided by three originally in document (7) T[hree] in STATUE |
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| 5 | EDIFICE | Boy on ward providing sheets and packs, say, for building (7) ED, boy’s name that is short for Edward + IF (providing) + ICE (which can be found in sheets and in packs) |
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| 11 | DRAGOONING | Daughter, a thug in gang being a bully (10) D + A GOON in RING (gang) |
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| 12 | INSTAL | Russian dictator’s elected to push west – 25? (6) STALIN with IN moved to the “west” – usually spelled “install”, but this version also exists |
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| 13 | EGOISTIC | Quote recalled about progress is vain (8) GO (progress) IS in reverse of CITE |
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| 14 | BRAVERMAN | Less spineless person required as old home secretary (9) BRAVER MAN – former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, sometimes known as Cruella because of her relish for the plan to deport refugees to Rwanda |
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| 16,3 | RIVER TRENT | Flower in rose originally held by pin, damaged (5,5) R[ose] in RIVET RENT |
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| 17 | BASIN | Bowl initially – meaning bowl! (5) B[owl] + AS IN (meaning) |
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| 19 | BAR MAGNET | Thing securing levering mechanism, catch for drawer (3,6) ARM (levering mechanism) in BAG (thing, as in “crosswords are my bag/thing”) + NET (to catch) |
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| 23 | COME TRUE | Happen to see brilliant streaker on road in Marseille? (4,4) COMET + RUE (French “street”) |
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| 24 | COPTIC | Catch second spoken language (6) COP (to catch) + TIC (“tick”, a second) |
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| 26 | LOVE ISLAND | Where vain dolls out to impress beefcake, ultimately? (4,6) [beefcak]E in (VAIN DOLLS)*, &lit, referring to the “reality” TV show |
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| 28,27 | CLOSING TIME | Hundred behind eleven, usually? (7,4) C (100) + LOSING TIME (behind) – 11pm is a typical closing time for pubs |
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| 29 | AMONGST | In second, worry about that (7) MO (another kind of second) in ANGST |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 2 | THINNER | Solvent, though having lost a few pounds? (7) Double definition |
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| 4 | TIDDLER | Cat cut tail off freshwater shrimp (7) A truncated (cut) TIDDLES (traditional name for a cat) + the tail of [freshwate]R |
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| 6 | DOO-DOO | Waste parties discussed? (3-3) Sounds like “do, do”, two parties |
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| 7 | FINISHING LINE | Home, with some cord to cross – here? (9,4) IN (home) in FISHING LINE |
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| 8 | CONFINE | 25 22, someone there doing well (7) The definition is “PUT IN PRISON” – CON (a prisoner) + FINE (doing well) |
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| 9 | CAPE CANAVERAL | A nut inside hole, bar missing one where missiles launched (4,9) A PECAN in CAVE + RAIL less I |
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| 15 | VOICELESS | Innocent banking leader in office, disenfranchised (9) O[ffice] in VICELESS |
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| 18 | AXOLOTL | Salamander often swallowing beef up and last of veal (7) Reverse of OX in A LOT (often) + [vea]L |
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| 20 | MACADAM | Surface, a block on which coat applied (7) MAC (coat) + A + DAM (block) |
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| 21 | ENIGMAS | Reversible trap in identical puzzles (7) Reverse of GIN (trap)in SAME |
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| 22 | PRISON | Can is in flat, not closed (6) IS in PRON[e] (lying flat) |
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| 25 | PUTIN | Autocrat, flipping idiot finished? (5) Reverse of NIT UP |
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This one took a while, but I got there… Lots to enjoy and think about while I wait for the inevitable objections to DOODOO!
Andrew, there’s a typo in 17ac – should be ‘AS IN’.
Thanks to Andrew and Paul
I thought the clue for LOVE ISLAND was brilliant.
Thank you Paul and Andrew
Small point: You missed the PUT IN aspect of 12 across.
Thanks Andrew – needed for BAR MAGNET parsing.
The 25 in 12a INSTAL again refers to PUT IN. I am surprised that Paul didn’t manage to work in a POO TIN somewhere!
For once I found this easier than my usual attempt at Paul, though the TL corner held me up for some time – I don’t know why , as it turned out to be relatively easy.
I agree with Shanne @2 about LOVE ISLAND.
Thanks Paul, too
I certainly found this a toughie even by this setter’s standard but only AXOLOTL was unheard of.
Liked DRAGOONING and the cross referencing to PUTIN.
I wasn’t entirely sure my reasoning for ED in EDIFICE was correct but glad I agreed with the blogger.
Thanks Paul and Andrew
CONFINE my top clue. I liked the way the link worked between 25/22 and the pun is funny although a con might not be too fine in a real Putin prison. Also liked THINNER (another pun) and COME TRUE for the def. Whimsical. Thanks both.
I always scan around for an easy start and with EGOISTIC being FOI, I thought I might be in for a struggle. BRAVERMAN was much easier, but I somehow missed that one for a while and, having tried to blank her from my memory, could see the heartless face long before the name came. However, as is usually the case with Paul, if you don’t flounce out at the sight of his name, the answers tend to come. In the end, it didn’t take that long and I had no quibbles.
I liked MACADAM, COME TRUE, CAPE CANAVERAL, BASIN and CLOSING TIME (my first reaction to “100 behind 11, usually” was England Team, which fits, and was presumably Paul’s dastardly plan).
Very good, thanks Paul and Andrew
Brilliant! LOVE ISLAND might be my favourite for the year. It took me a while to figure out how CONFINE worked, but it was very satisfying when I realised. A great start to the day – thanks Paul and Andrew.
I thought this was Paul at his best. I liked all the clues mentioned above.
Bar magnet somewhat a bung as I didn’t twig bag for thing, despite its being so my era (Should’ve remembered that Fred Neil lyric: Same thing’s gonna happen again, cos that’s the bag I’m in). Otherwise, nothing too diabolical from the Paulster, ta to him and Andrew.
AXOLOTL was one of my first in as a friend of mine had one as a pet many years ago, but it wasn’t until I managed to get PUTIN that things began to fall into place. Aimlessly wondered for ages where or what PUTIN PRISON might be before the penny dropped about splitting Vladimir in two.
Personally found this a little less difficult than this setter sometimes is. BAR MAGNET was my last one in…
I thought “Where vain dolls out to impress beefcake, ultimately? (4,6)” was missing an “are” or perhaps “dolls” should be “doll’s” to improve the surface? Or maybe I’m not reading it correctly.
I always enjoy Paul’s crosswords.
Thanks Paul and Andrew.
“I’ve never met an axolotol
But Harvard has one in a bottle” etc. (Ogden Nash)
I didn’t like tIDDLES nor the missing ‘ward’ in 5a given that ED also works.
Tough, clever and enjoyable. Thanks Andrew for the finer bits of parsing that I missed.
I saw the definition of 7a FINISHING LINE as ‘cross – here’.
I loved the interrelated autocrat clues – PUTIN, INSTAL, PRISON, CONFINE. Nicely done, with some almost hidden definitions adding to the difficulty.
And I agree, LOVE ISLAND is brilliant and COME TRUE is lovely.
Thanks to Paul and Andrew.
#3 Martin- elected Put in
Very clever and great fun to solve. LOVE ISLAND was an inspired clue! The various references to 25d worked a treat too.
Thanks Paul and Andrew
I found this tough and needed some help checking letters to completely solve, but nevertheless enjoyable. As others, did not know axolotl, and I needed this site for parsing edifice and bar magnet. The second half of 23a was my foi, but needed a bit more time to get the brillant streaker. I only know install with two ‘l’s.
Thanks, Paul and Andrew
Chris @15 Yes, I thought I made it clear I knew that. I was just pointing out that the blogger hadn’t mentioned it.
Tough, but I think a shade easier than typical Paul. Agree with everyone re: LOVE ISLAND.
With EDIFICE, was trying to parse the opening part as Ed is found “on” ward to form Edward, rather than merely short for it, but there seems to be something missing. Didn’t hold me up, though.
I think I’m getting better at cryptics, then come across something like this. I’m simply not on the same wavelength as this setter.