In my last turn blogging the Private Eye crossword I was lamenting the omission of a certain Man Formerly Titled As Prince. While the news cycle is currently focussed elsewhere, Mr M-W did make an appearance this time which certainly gave me a chuckle.
I think this was a pretty typical Eye puzzle with plenty of topical references, to current events/despicable people and a few ‘naughty’ words in clues and solutions alike. Perhaps the expletives are a bit of a comment on the current state of the world by the setter? I found it a pretty smooth solve, with enough chewiness to make it satisfying without becoming frustrating.
I did spend a fair bit of time trying to force Frank SINATRA into 18 down, and had to ask a less sophisticated friend about the sexual and anatomical parts.
Thanks to Cyclops for the puzzle.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6/27ac. | REGIME CHANGE | Trump’s Middle East gamble and each emerging cock-up (6,6)
*(EACH EMERGING) |
| 8 | RESEARCH | Look into Archer novel filled with half lies (8)
(ARCHER)* containing (filled with) SE – (half [of] lies) I’d probably recognise some but I couldn’t tell you the name of an Archer novel so was glad that wasn’t required. |
| 10 | UNION FLAG | Sex act, flop – exploited by UK far right? (5,4)
UNION (sex act) + FLAG (flop). The surface and juxtaposition with 11ac brought to mind a more explicit term for those who really, dearly love said flag. |
| 11 | LOVER | Boyfriend for example getting out of a shag? (5)
LEG OVER (shag) minus EG (for example). This took me a while to parse. While I know the term I never quite understood the limb positioning. |
| 12 | See 13ac. | |
| 13/12ac./24dn. | ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM | Dumbo occupying the chamber, an embarrassment to be ignored? (8,2,3,4)
Cryptic definition. |
| 15 | GET LOST | Let’s go reckless with Trump’s lead? Piss off! (3,4)
(LETS GO) + T[rump]. |
| 17 | DUCHESS | Wallis, for instance, chewed cud with high-ranking Nazi (7)
CUD* + HESS (high-ranking Nazi Rudolph), for the American lady who was involved in some constitutional commotion early in the last century. |
| 19 | ASSASSIN | More than one fool elected Trump (vis-à-vis Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) (8)
ASS + ASS (more than one fool) + IN (elected). This word has an interesting etymology relating to the alleged consumption of hashish by members of a murderous religious order. |
| 21 | WIDEN | Wife and ex-president not starting stretch (5)
W[ife] + B[IDEN]. |
| 23 | FLIER | File misrepresented by Reform’s main election handout? (5)
FILE* + R[eform]. |
| 25 | ADAPTABLE | A notebook backed by board that’s compliant (9)
A + DAP (pad, backed/reversed) + TABLE (board). |
| 26 | BOLLOCKS | Rubbish cast overcome by Hair (8)
BOL (lob i.e. cast, reversed/overcome) + LOCKS (hair). |
| 27 | See 6ac. | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | AGEIST | Taking part in frottage is terribly unkind to the elderly (6)
Hidden in frottAGE IS Terribly. |
| 2 | FERGIE | Awful grief at the end for Epstein emailer (6)
Anagram (awful) of GRIEF + E (thE end), for another former Royal who apparently was also pretty chummy with ‘that guy’. |
| 3 | DEAL | What Trump likes to do – lead badly! (4)
LEAD* |
| 4 | PROVINCE | Andrew no longer entertains love – very diminished sphere of activity (8)
PRINCE (the King’s little bro’s previous position) containing/entertaining O (love) and V[ery]. A very nice surface. |
| 5 | CHAR | Brown‘s unfinished plan (4)
CHAR[T] (plan). |
| 6 | ROUSING | Accommodation right for hot stimulating (7)
HOUSING (accommodation) with H[ot] swapped for R[ight]. |
| 7 | MINNESOTA | Mentions relocating a place of high profile ICE activity (9)
MENTIONS* + A. There’s nothing witty to be said about what’s been happening with that agency in this and other states so the above will have to suf F ICE. |
| 9 | CLIENT | One advised to take “a different line in court”? (6)
LINE* in[side] CT (court). |
| 14 | HACKWATCH | Our scrutiny of the press is cut – with a time check (9)
HACK (cut) + WATCH (time check) for the Private Eye column. |
| 16 | TESTICLE | Uncontrolled movement in rounded steel nut (8)
TIC (uncontrolled movement) in STEEL*. |
| 17 | DENIAL | An idle sort of refusal to accept the vote? (6)
(AN IDLE)*, with a definition by example (?) |
| 18 | SINCERE | Seeing that Republican extremist leader, Frank (7)
SINCE (seeing, e.g. seeing as we’re here we might as well have a drink) + R + E[extremist]. |
| 20 | SWANKY | Society extremely welcoming of “self-abuse” – fancy! (6)
SY (society extremely/outer letters) around (entertaining) WANK (self-abuse). |
| 22 | DEBUNK | Turf out of bed and expose (6)
DE-BUNK as to turk someone out of a bed/bunk. The bunks I’ve shared have only been big enough for one anyway, so fair enough really. |
| 23 | FIBS | FBI’s false stories (4)
FBIS* |
| 24 | See 13ac. | |