Private Eye (Cyclops / 819) *Redacted redacted*

I normally make a headline for the Eye blog using a couple of the answers from the puzzle but I have redacted them this time.
Not because they are tremendously rude – it’s an Eye puzzle so anything may appear – but because some of you reading this might not have tackled the puzzle yet. You might not have realised the current issue very unusually is only for 1 week instead of the usual fortnight.

If so, go away and try this puzzle before coming back here. Link https://www.private-eye.co.uk/crossword

Of course, being a week instead of a fortnight has taken me by surprise too.
I was going to submit an entry for the competition thinking there might be fewer people doing so given these circumstances, but I remembered it wrong – the deadline was yesterday.

As the deadline is now in the past I feel it is OK to publish this blog even though it is a very odd day and time to do so.

What this means is that there will be a bumper Xmas Eye soon with a giant crossword to mull over till the new year.

Have a cheery one!

Across
1/4/21	SINGLE PARENT FAMILIES	Alarming Epstein files involved arrangements of adults with children (6-6,8) (ALARMING EPSTEIN FILES)* AInd: involved.
9	BALM	Royal home – ousted royal, abject, low, starts missing comfort (4) BALMORAL -ORAL from O[usted] R[oyal] A[bject] L[ow]
10	REPERTOIRE	Range of skills of i.e. reporter rubbished (10) (I.E. REPORTER)* AInd: rubbished.
11	KITSCH	Keir’s heading off shit going round college – “Trash!” (6) K[ier] (SHIT)* AInd: off, around C[ollege]
12	ROCKETED	Took off dress and celebrated pulling females (8) by [f]ROCK (dress) and [f]ETED (celebrate) without their Fs (pulling females)
13	NAPPY RASH	Bum spots first signs of panicky president blocking vote – over-hasty (5,4) P[anicky] P[resident] inside NAY (vote) RASH (over-hasty)
15	LOCO	Start to crap in toilet (potty) (4) C[rap] in LOO (toilet)
16	THEM	Police coming back to arrest husband and other people (4) MET< around H[usband]
17	LADIES MEN	Send email that’s rehashed euphemism for predatory males? (6,3) (SEND EMAIL)* AInd: rehashed.
22	QUEASY	Sick question you texted: “Sexually available?” (6) Q[uestion) U (you,texted) EASY (Sexually available)
24	STREETWISE	Experienced “bastard” setter is in Private Eye (10) (SETTER)* AInd: bastard, IS in WE (Private Eye)
25	AMEX	Means to pay a married old lover (4) A M[arried] EX (old lover)
26	ROTATE	Spin (or backtracking?) by misogynist (6) OR< , TATE (misogynist, Ref Andrew T)
27	STOLEN	“Lost out!” – Ghislaine, when finally nicked (6) (LOST)* AInd: out, [ghislain]E [whe]N

Down
1	STAMINA	Resilience shown by American going after male in disgrace (7) A[merican] after M[ale] in STAIN (disgrace)
2	NAMES	Fingers celebs (5) Double Def.
3	LURCHER	Dog with lead on biting children, right? (7) LURE (lead on) around (biting) CH[ildren], R[ight]
5	ARRACK	Topless bar with US-style jugs for strong drink (6) [b]AR RACK (US-style jugs)
6	EROGENOUS	Sexy rogue one’s screwing (9) (ROGUE ONE’S)* AInd: screwing. First one in.
7	TORPEDO	Sink party after misguided trope (7) (TROPE)* AInd: misguided, then DO (party)
8	SPORTSMANSHIP	Prince in group with sex instigated by bloke with boat – fair play (13) P[rince] in SORT (group), S[ex], MAN (bloke) SHIP (boat)
14	PRESIDENT	Leader there around island with duke (9) PRESENT (there) around I[sland], D[uke]
16	TRAITOR	One you can’t trust with property and gold (7) TRAIT (property) OR (gold)
18	INQUEST	Frantically question having ball amputated for examination (7) (QUESTION – O) * AInd: frantically.
19	EPSTEIN	Predator primarily involved with teen is a predator no more (7) (P[redator] TEEN IS)* AInd: involved.
20	DIKTAT	Order cocaine from idiot – twat dismissive of women (6) DI[c]K (idiot, – C[ocaine]), T[w]AT (W[omen] dismissed)
23	EMAIL	Contact 19’s top guy on the phone (5) E[pstein](Ref. 19 answer) Homophone “male”. Last one in.

11 comments on “Private Eye (Cyclops / 819) *Redacted redacted*”

Steve

#1 - Wed 17th Dec 25, 14:40

I did notice the short turnaround but still managed to miss the deadline. I did enjoy the clues 13, 19 and 22. Thanks for the blog and thanks to Cyclops

Simon S

#2 - Wed 17th Dec 25, 15:28

Thanks Cyclops and beermagnet

This puzzle is based on an Epstein-themed one that Tramp wrote for the Guardian but decided was unsuitable, so he offered it to Cyclops. The first across clue is his, but I’m not sure how much of the rest has been rewritten or reclued.

mc_rapper67

#3 - Wed 17th Dec 25, 17:27

Thanks, beermagnet (and Cyclops…and Tramp!) – I did manage to hit the deadline…hope the odds are improved (;+>)

Wot no bad joke at the end?…

I am girding my loins to blog the Xmas Special…hopefully there will be a lllooonnnggg deadline for that…

Cyclops

#4 - Wed 17th Dec 25, 20:48

I’d like to repeat my thanks to Tramp for his significant contribution. In particular, the mini-theme idea and stand-out clue to1/4/21 are his, as are a few other clues.
I needed to ensure that the puzzle was mostly a Cyclops offering, so most of clues are mine (in some cases benefitting from Tramp’s neat clueing ideas).

TheFatContoller

#5 - Thu 18th Dec 25, 01:49

Thanks Cyclops and beermagnet. I had the puzzle finished but also missed the deadline, not that I’m too bothered as I had my win a while back. Favourite was 9a, sometimes the short ones are the best. Looking forward to the biggie coming out, best excuse I can think of for dodging the relatives. Have a good Christmas all.

Franko

#6 - Thu 18th Dec 25, 22:30

My thanks also to beermagnet, Cyclops and Tramp. I had marked 13a and 15a as favourites. I hadn’t registered “you texted’ when parsing 22a. I just thought Question = QU. I stand corrected. Have a good one y’all!

Gazzh

#7 - Fri 19th Dec 25, 13:36

Thanks for the write-up Beermagnet, I missed the deadline entirely but what a great puzzle – even I picked up on the proximity of Maxwell and Epstein in the SE and now I see there is much more. Thanks Tramp and Cyclops, I won’t list my top dogs in case they are all from one camp, but this was a cracker and puts me in a great mood for the monster to come. Happy Christmas everyone!