The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29992.
Qaos always produces an entertaining crossword, inventive without being too obscure – and they have a theme. I can generally spot the theme, but not this time, even though I completed the blog leaving plenty of time to mull it over.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | OVOID |
Like 0, nothing (0) divides 51500 (5)
|
| A charade of O (‘nothing’) plus VOID, an envelope (‘divides’) of O (‘0’) in V (‘5’) plus I (‘1’) plus D (‘500’); that VOID is ‘nothing’ is nothing to do with the case. | ||
| 10 | THORNIEST |
It’s not her fault being most difficult (9)
|
| An anagram (‘fault’) of ‘its not her’. | ||
| 11 | SPIKE-NAIL |
One secures Milligan no trouble (5-4)
|
| A charade of SPIKE (‘Milligan’, commedian) plus N (‘no’) plus AIL (‘trouble’). | ||
| 12 | GASSY |
Bubbly girl in Germany on vacation, not Luxembourg (5)
|
| An envelope (‘in’) of [l]ASS (‘girl’) minus the L (‘not Luxembourg’, IVR) in GY (‘GermanY on vacation’). | ||
| 13 | CHAPATI |
Tea includes some butter and bread (7)
|
| An envelope (‘includes’) of PAT (‘some butter’) in CHAI (‘tea’). | ||
| 15 | WATTLES |
Country imports dry fencing material (7)
|
| An envelope (‘imports’) of TT (teetotal, ‘dry’) in WALES (‘country’). A wattle is a panel woven from flexible branches ot willow or other wood, and which makes easily portable fencing. | ||
| 17 | ABYSS |
Sailor’s ship crossing unknown gulf (5)
|
| An envelope (‘crossing’) of Y (‘unknown’) in AB (‘sailor’) plus SS (‘ship’). | ||
| 18 | GEO |
On retreat, say love of the earth (3)
|
| A charade of GE, a reversal (‘on retreat’) of E.G. (‘say’) plus O (‘love’). | ||
| 20 | OMEGA |
The final of some game shown (5)
|
| A hidden answer (‘shown’) in ‘sOME GAme’. | ||
| 22 | MACHREE |
In Ireland, my dear, telecom company completes high speed runs (7)
|
| A charade of MACH (‘high speed’ – Mach 1 is the speed of sond) plus R (‘runs’) plus EE (UK ‘telecom company’). | ||
| 25 | CODEINE |
Drug lines captured by film (7)
|
| An envelope (‘captured by’) of ODE (‘lines’) in CINE (‘film’). | ||
| 26 | SPELL |
Magic time (5)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 27 | BOARDROOM |
Where executives are allegedly uninterested by discharge (9)
|
| Sounds like BORED (‘uninterested’) plus RHEUM (‘discharge’). | ||
| 30 | AIRMAILED |
Sent flying, high admiral tours Italy and Spain (9)
|
| I (‘Italy’) plus E (‘Spain’) separately inserted (‘tours’) in AIRMALD, an anagram (‘high’) of ‘admiral’. | ||
| 31 | SOULS |
Call for help preserves university lecturer’s spirits (5)
|
| An envelope (‘preserves’) of U (‘university’) plus L (‘lecturer’) in SOS (‘call for help’). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BOSS |
Master beginning break over the weekend? (4)
|
| A charade of B (‘beginning Break’) plus O (‘over’) plus SS (Saturday and Sunday, ‘the weekend’). | ||
| 2 | SOLITARY |
Single rebel royalist (8)
|
| An anagram (‘rebel’) of ‘royalist’. | ||
| 3 | EDGE |
Club sacks woman with fringe (4)
|
| A subtraction: [w]EDGE (golf ‘club’) minus the W (‘sacks woman’). Some do not like ‘with’ as a link word. | ||
| 4 | STEAMING |
Very angry man gets upset over independence (8)
|
| An envelope (‘over’) of I (‘independence’) in STEAMNG, an anagram (‘upset’) of ‘man gets’. | ||
| 5 | HOLLOW |
Doctor Who saves 50,500 in pit? (6)
|
| An envelope (‘saves’) of LLO (’50 50 0′) in HOW, an anagram (‘doctor’) of ‘Who’. | ||
| 6 | KNIGHTHOOD |
Piece covering honour (10)
|
| A charade of KNIGHT (chess ‘piece’) plus HOOD (‘covering’). | ||
| 7 | VESSEL |
Against German city scrapping new large ship (6)
|
| A charade of V (versa, ‘against’) plus ESSE[n] (‘German city’) minus the N (‘scrapping new’) plus L (‘large’). | ||
| 8 | STAY |
Remain close to boats on river (4)
|
| A charade of S (‘close to boatS‘) plus TAY (‘river’ in Scotland). | ||
| 13 | CHARM |
Church wing’s appeal (5)
|
| A charade of CH (‘church’) plus ARM (‘wing’). | ||
| 14 | AUSTRALIAN |
Perhaps Dame Edna is a natural disaster (10)
|
| An anagram (‘disaster’) of ‘is a natural’. | ||
| 16 | SHADE |
Floor to ceiling, hell’s in gloom (5)
|
| HADES (‘hell’) with the last letter moved to the front (‘floor to ceiling’). | ||
| 19 | ORCHARDS |
Where to find fruit tea lined by gold roads (8)
|
| An envelope (‘lined by’) of CHAR (‘tea’) in OR (‘gold’) plus RDS (‘roads’). | ||
| 21 | EPILOGUE |
Corrupt police wanting Conservative government to reverse EU’s conclusion (8)
|
| A charade of EPILO, an anagram (‘corrupt’) of ‘poli[c]e’ minus the C (‘wanting Conservative’); plus G (‘government’) plus UE (‘to reverse EU’). | ||
| 23 | CHERRY |
The King asks ‘Why guard that woman’s virginity?’ (6)
|
| An envelope (‘guard’) of HER (‘that woman’s’) in CR (Carolus or Charles Rex, ‘The King’) plus Y, sounds like (‘asks’) ‘why’. | ||
| 24 | EMBALM |
Curried lamb follows starter of egg and finally plum preserve (6)
|
| A charade of E (‘starter of Egg’) plus MBAL, an anagram (‘curried’) of ‘lamb’ plus M (‘finally pluM‘). | ||
| 26 | STAG |
Male to talk about employing technical leader (4)
|
| An envelope (’employing’) of T (‘Technical leader’) in SAG, a reversal (‘about’) of GAS (‘talk’). | ||
| 28 | DASH |
Drop down tree (4)
|
| A charade of D (‘down’) plus ASH (‘tree’). | ||
| 29 | MASK |
To hide tiara from bank robbers ends in calamity (4)
|
| An anagram (‘in calamity’) of AMKS, the last letters (‘ends’) of ‘tiarA froM banK robberS‘. |
Thanks Qaos and PeterO.
Liked the trade mark OVOID, CHAPATI (‘and’ filling?), BOARDROOM (director’s cut) and EMBALM (last supper?).
CHERRY
Is the surface and the def PC? This one may not end on top of the cake, I guess.
I wondered if the theme is around death: mask, shade, soul, but I cant see others .Or magic: spells, charms?
A game called Hollow Knight, may be?
Thanks Qaos and PeterO
I see cherry, vessels, bosses, geo, nail are also involved.
DE @2 & 3 – Yes, a visit to the Wiki article on Hollow Knight strongly suggests that It is the key. Well spotted/surmised! Definitely not in my GK sphere ,,,