*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 8 | Calabash: L in (a casbah)*. |
| 9 | Apogee: Go< in ape + e[ditor]. |
| 10 | Stigma: I think this is meant as an &lit – (a m git’s)<. |
| 11 | Shooting: DD. |
| 12 | Staysail: Stays + ail. |
| 13 | Arched: A r + Che’d. |
| 14 | Three musketeers: Not sure if this is just a cryptic reference to the fact that the 3 musketeers (Athos, Porthos and Aramis) can be found in hidden in some of the down columns which cross this clue. It also nearly works as an anagram of (seeker must here), needing just an extra T (crossing, perhaps ?) |
| 18 | Assess: CD/DD (ass-ess = female ass). |
| 20 | On the Dot: On the + Dot. |
| 23 | Democrat: Demo + c + rat. |
| 24 | Dotted: Ted on Dot (Morse code). | 25 | Trivia: Not sure about this one “Trifles with medieval arts courses”. Courses is possibly via, so is tri medieval in some context ? |
| 26 | Unusable: Unable around US. | Down |
| 1 | Rat-tat: Attar with r moving to the front + [wha]t. |
| 2 | Gargoyle: (A lory egg)*. |
| 3 | Sahara: (A rah)< after SA (=sex appeal). |
| 4 | Whistle-stop tour: Whist + (loser put up)*. |
| 5 | Sabotage: Sage around a bot. |
| 6 | Poetic: Poe with e replaced by cite<. |
| 7 | Reindeer: Rein + reed<. |
| 15 | Hostelry: &lit. Let’s< in ho + ry. |
| 16 | Mistrial: M + is + trail*. |
| 17 | Eventual: Event + hom of you’ll. |
| 19 | Evolve: This seems to be love< + Ve, but I'm not sure why Ve is womans' top. |
| 21 | Tedium: I in muted*. |
| 22 | Openly: Only around PE. |
OK Neal.
I think this was very good, quite straightforward, with sound clueing throughout.
Theme: 3 Musketeers (with the names all “crossing” 14ac.).
I think LOVE reversed (up) for E in EVE (a bit similar to POETIC)
I think it’s just MUSKETEERS that is anagrammed with trio being three.
Very enjoyable puzzle, with the three names helping me to finish as they emerged.
Hi Neal.
25ac is a double definition: “‘trivium’: in medieval schools, the group of liberal arts first studied, comprising grammar, rhetoric and logic” [Chambers]. The plural is TRIVIA.
I liked this too. 6 and 7 down look similar in the blog, but are not, luckily, in the puzzle itself.
Top right tough,Apogee,Reindeer didn’t get.Shooting as in scenes for a film but didn’t get so called etc.Pleased with the rest though