A tricky but very enjoyable puzzle from IO this morning.
Unusually I had a few write-ins at the start which was very helpful in completing the grid. But also the usual complete head scratchers. But I think I got there in the end! Many thanks to the setter.
(WILES IN SLAM ERA)* (*off) – semi &lit
AS (when) + PH (pub, public house) + ALT (key)
(LEU (one European currency) securing LEK (a second))< (<recall) + E (European)
LEU is the currency of Romania, and LEK Albania
L (lecturer) needs D (daughter) to stop A STICH (a pain)
[g]U[a]R[d]I[a]N[s] E[d] (periodically taken out of)
(ABLE (clever clogs) + GETS REVENGE)* (*cooking)
‘UN (one, from the local) + SAY (maybe)
AT HAND (close to) border (O (ring) + US (American))
“SENT ORE” (transported mineral, “to receiver”)
PUT* (*odd) + HERE (present)
BEES, SEE, PLEATED (Spooner’s social workers, observe, in fold)
OS (very large, oversize) + A (area) in which S (son)’s buried
REP (agent) probes POSSES (constable collections) + SINGLY (on his own)
(NU[de])* (half, *rampant) + MAINLY (for the most part) covering [nu]DE (lower half) – semi &lit
LAUGHTER HOUSE (Comedy Theatre perhaps) impressed by SF (science fiction) + I’VE (author’s)
The anti-war novel by Kurt Vonnegut
I’M (one’s) + PERI (magic being) + ALMA (the essence of Florence) + JEST (fun) + Y (and, of Madrid)
‘Alma’ is Italian ‘soul’; ‘y’ is Spanish ‘and’
Blandings is the castle from PG Wodehouse’s series of books
RE[s]ER[v]ED (taciturn) with S (sons) and V (very) this? (i.e. reversed) – semi &lit
(OL JUG)* (*dispensed) with ICE (on the rocks)
(METRE GAP having U+U (Us))* (*awkward)
Cryptic definition
Neverland being the imaginary faraway place from Barrie’s Peter Pan
ADDE[d]< (put on, endlessly, <reels)
A first for me, an enjoyable IO, although still some obscurities and unparsed clues.
6d I think the conceit is that the style (ie form of address) for the emperor of Blandings (in fact a prize pig) would be His Imperial Majesty.
Liked the long solvable clues giving plenty of crossers and the clear cluing of the obscurities. Much more compatible with commuting timescales than some recent grids.
Thanks both.
Found this on the gentler side for an Io. Great enjoyable puzzle. Thanks Io.
Thanks Oriel for the excellent blog.
GREEN VEGETABLES
The blog seems to have some typos.
ABLE clogs/goes into GETSREVENGE*
UNMAIDENLY
I read it like this (very slight difference, if at all):
half-rampant NUDE—>NU reversed+DE—>UNDE
MAINLY covering the lower half of UNDE
My top faves: IMPERIAL MAJESTY, REVERSED and GREEN VEGETABLES.