A tricky offering from WANDERER, thanks to whom for a fun-filled evening of crossword solving!
FF: 9 DD : 9
| Across | ||
| 1 | DEMOCRAT | Vexed expression when describing comeback for Clinton? (8) |
| DRAT (vexed expression) around EMOC (COMEback i.e. reversed) | ||
| 5 | SPUTUM | Stuff coughed up when problem drinking plonk (6) |
| SUM (problem) containing PUT (plonk) | ||
| 9 | CUTWORMS | Caterpillars do this, and then they’ll multiply! (8) |
| read as CUT WORMS; supposedly if you cut worms, the parts can regenerate to become full worms themselves. | ||
| 10 | BEAKER | Muppet mug (6) |
| double def | ||
| 12 , 1 | LOVE SONGS IN AGE | 3 “0 precedes numbers 1 to n” – a good opening to epic Larkin poem (4,5,2,3) |
| LOVE (0) SONGS (numbers) I (1) N (n) A G (good) E (starting letter of Epic) | ||
| 14 | UREA | Flower given a bit of water? (4) |
| URE (flower, river) A | ||
| 16 | OVERAGE | I backed including girl that’s too old (7) |
| VERA (girl) in OGE (I= EGO, reversed) | ||
| 19 | SNUFFLE | Fun self-administered, leading to a bit of heavy breathing (7) |
| FUN SELF* | ||
| 21 | CITE | Sound sense in quote (4) |
| sounds like SIGHT (sense) | ||
| 24, 25 | ELDER STATESMAN | Maybe Clinton or Bush says war needs backing (5,9) |
| ELDER (bush) STATES (says) MAN (war = NAM [vietnam], reversed) – nice clue. | ||
| 27 | ORIENT | In second half, London football club adjust their positioning (6) |
| second half of leyton ORIENT (london football club) | ||
| 28 | AIREDALE | Dog in show event’s left off lead (8) |
| [ AIR (show) E (Event’s left, ~leftmost character) ] LEAD* | ||
| 29 | DEEPEN | Get more intense as a letter- writer (6) |
| DEE (letter, D) PEN (writer) | ||
| 30 | TEETOTAL | Not drinking lattes, essentially (8) |
| expansion of TT in laTTes (essentially) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | DOCILE | Treat cold that is easily kept under control (6) |
| COLD IE* (that is) | ||
| 2 | MOTIVE | Reason to relocate around half- time (6) |
| MOVE (relocate) around TI (half TIme) | ||
| 3, 15 | CROSS REFERENCE | Vexed by testimonial that’s given by 18? (5-9) |
| CROSS (vexed) REFERENCE (testimonial) – 18 is QUOD VIDE | ||
| 4 | AMMONIA | More inclined to grumble, we hear, after Mam’s first let off gas (7) |
| MONIA (sounds like MOANY-ER(?), more inclined to grumble) after mAM (first letter off) | ||
| 6, 26 | PRESIDENT-ELECT | Trump was the last citizen ex-footballer’s taken to court (9-5) |
| [ RESIDENT (citizen) in PELE (ex-footballer) ] CT (court) | ||
| 7 | TAKE-AWAY | A wife that’s agreed profit comes first? An Indian, perhaps (4-4) |
| TAKE (profit) A W (wife) AY (agreed) | ||
| 8 | MURDERER | Crows about turning criminal (8) |
| MURDER (crows, a group of) ER (about = RE, reversed) | ||
| 11 | ASBO | Order of court when some yobs act up (4) |
| AS (when) BO (reverse of yOBs) – Anti Social Behaviour Order | ||
| 15 | See 3 | |
| 17 | ASTEROID | What body builder might use to get heavenly body (8) |
| cryptic clue; a body builder might use A STEROID. | ||
| 18 | QUOD VIDE | Queen Victoria initially extended which see? (Question sadly voided) (4,4) |
| expansion of QV (Queen Victoria, initially); QU (question) VOIDED* | ||
| 20 | EAST | Point of sale? A store (4) |
| hidden in “..salE A STore” | ||
| 21 | CYANIDE | Bit of idiocy, an idea that 8 might use (7) |
| hidden in “..idioCY AN IDEa…”, 8d is MURDERER. | ||
| 22 | IMPACT | Effect of Wanderer verbally saying he’s ready for a holiday? (6) |
| sounds like I’M (~wanderer) PACKED (ready for a holiday) | ||
| 23 | ANNEAL | Female gangster’s temper (6) |
| ANNE (female) AL (gangster, capone) | ||
| 26 | See 6 | |
*anagram
Thanks Wanderer and Turbolegs
1dn: This should be (COLD IE)*.
11dn: I read it as hidden reversed in yOBS Act, with “when” as a link word, but I think it works as given by Turbolegs.
Thanks Pelham@1.
Mostly straightforward, but some toughies. I also took 11d as a reverse inclusion. Didn’t know of the cutworm caterpillar and had to guess the Larkin poem from the crossers and the cryptic bit. I was pleased to get 14a, which was tricky I thought. I admit I cheated to get 18d, looking up Latin phrases beginning with q on Wikipedia. Another answer that was new to me. I like to see setters who work on surface readings and it also pleases me when continued answers lie in the same row/column, so thanks to Wanderer for such a well-constructed crossword.
18d is wicked ?
Thanks for the clues and answers here. Very tough but mostly fair. I had CUTLOOSE instead of CUTWORMS which did not help in the top lefthand corner.
Thanks Wanderer and Turbolegs
One of the best crosswords for a while here – full of deep, rich clues throughout. I particularly liked the clues for the poem (is Philip Larkin well known in the UK – I had never heard of him or this poem?) and the ELDER STATESMAN (where it is hinted that both ex-presidents might form the definition, but George W relegated to a component of the wordplay).
Had written in IRIS as my first entry at 14a (always get the ISIS part of the Oxford mixed up with it) and UREA ended up being my last clue into the same place quite a while later.
Thought that QUOD VIDE was quite brilliant with the definition well hidden in the middle of the clue.