Lots of trademark clues from Hoskins today (sex, drugs and drink) – Bert did wonder whether the whole crossword had been written around 18d.
But what about the Queen, Hoskins? Has she complained about your clueing?
We are away at the moment so have limited access to wi-fi. We will respond to any errors or omissions when we can.
Across
1 No offspring? No problems! (9)
ISSUELESS
Double definition although Joyce did check it in Chambers.
6 Tory leader competent? That’s one to dine out on! (5)
TABLE
T – first letter or ‘leader’ of ‘Tory’ ABLE (competent)
9 Missing family held by Charlie-snorting convict (7)
LACKING
KIN (family) in or ‘held by’ LAG (convict) around or ‘snorting’ C (Charlie)
10 Titillating stuff shot around island near California (7)
EROTICA
TORE (shot) reversed or ‘around’ I (island) CA (California)
11 Turns away, shunning leader of The States (5)
AVERS
AVERtS (turns away) without or ‘shunning’ T – first letter or ‘leader’ of ‘The’
12 Tanned liar with notes for Congress (9)
RELATIONS
An anagram of LIAR NOTES – anagrind is ‘tanned’
13 Puzzle is uncivilised, having been written in drink (8)
BEWILDER
WILD (uncivilised) ‘written’ inside BEER (drink)
15 Bar allowing in half-cut Tory gets stick (5)
BATON
BAN (bar) ‘allowing in’ or around TO – half of TOry
17 Two different Europeans going west – to do this? (5)
ELOPE
E (European) and POLE (another European) reversed or ‘going west’
19 Reportedly much more than just pedestrian? (8)
WAYFARER
A homophone or ‘report’ of WAY FAIRER (‘much more than just’)
22 In love with awful Unionist, dear me no! (9)
ENAMOURED
An anagram of U (Unionist) and DEAR ME NO – anagrind is ‘awful’
25 Conservative prig, when out of head, is vulgar (5)
CRUDE
C (Conservative) pRUDE (prig) missing first letter or ‘out of head’
26 Enduring awful racket, a jumbo going over? (7)
ABIDING
DIN (awful racket) with A BIG (jumbo) outside or ‘going over’
27 Arousing feeling I have backing revolutionary book (7)
EMOTIVE
I’VE (I have) behind or ‘backing’ a reversal or ‘revolution’ of TOME (book)
28 Oceanographer with some cheek, Mancunian? (5)
EKMAN
Hidden in (‘some’) cheEK MANcunian. The oceanographer is Vagn Walfrid Ekman
29 Very in thrall to short-contract workers (one’s a siren) (9)
TEMPTRESS
TRES (very) in TEMPS (short-contract workers)
Down
1 Authority’s bad at the top? Damn straight! (3,3)
I’LL SAY
SAY (authority) with ILL (bad) on top
2 Private drug stash (7)
SECRETE
SECRET (private) E (drug)
3 Duties up on Italian energy – room for cuts? (4,5)
EDIT SUITE
An anagram of DUTIES – anagrind is ‘up’ on IT (Italian) E (energy)
4 Unopened ale, a gallon to be drunk … thirsty? (5)
EAGER
bEER (ale) missing first letter or ‘unopened’ around or ‘drinking’ A G (gallon)
5 A shade wishy-washy? Harden up on that! (5,4)
STEEL GREY
GREY (wishy-washy) with STEEL (harden) on top
6 Experiment, but not with head of your fish (5)
TROUT
TRy OUT (experiment) without Y – first letter or ‘head’ of ‘Your’
7 Fight to secure uncapped post and monetary relief (7)
BAILOUT
BOUT (fight) around or ‘securing’ pAIL (post) – missing first letter or ‘uncapped’
8 Going by Greek’s letter, glean changes coming about (8)
ELAPSING
PSI (Greek letter) with an anagram of GLEAN outside or ‘coming about’ – anagrind is ‘changes’
14 Out-and-out Conservative supporting Dutch ‘have got’ (9)
DOWNRIGHT
RIGHT (Conservative) underneath or ‘supporting’ D (Dutch) and OWN (‘have got’)
15 Bishop raced away after church: to go forth and multiply? (6,3)
BRANCH OUT
B (Bishop) RAN (raced) and OUT (away) after CH (church)
16 Britain cut free from leader? Time for a drink! (8)
BEVERAGE
B (British) sEVER (cut) missing first letter or ‘free from leader’ AGE (time)
18 No man is unfamiliar with this (7)
ONANISM
An anagram of NO MAN IS – anagrind is ‘unfamiliar’ – a semi&lit. A trademark clue from Hoskins.
20 Scholarly earl getting naughty (sex involved) (7)
ERUDITE
E (earl) and RUDE (naughty) around or ‘involving’ IT (sex)
21 Small bar mounting lively celebrations (6)
REVELS
S (small) and LEVER (bar) reversed or ‘mounting’
23 Old marriage that you must leave? A tear-jerker! (5)
ONION
O (old) uNION (marriage) with U (you as in text-speak) omitted or ‘leaving’
24 Fancy little drink, drop of ethanol in it (5)
DREAM
DRAM (little drink) with E – first letter or a ‘drop of’ Ethanol inside or ‘in it’
Pretty straightforward until I got to my last 3: WAYFARER, STEEL GREY & EDIT SUITE which probably took as long as the rest put together.
I cannot find BAILOUT as one word. It is 2 in my Collins and either 2 or hyphenated in my Chambers. Having said that: writing this post on my IPad, the autocomplete came up with it so I guess it must be OK. Maybe the OED has it.
Thanks to Hoskins and Bertandjoyce.
Brilliant. 18d surely is clue of the year.
Many thanks Hoskins and B&J
Genius. I always smile on a Hoskins day – many thanks to the maestro and to B&J!
Hoskins back on form!
18d could have been ‘mansion’ ….
Nothing to complain about, the opposite actually.
Many thanks to Bertandjoyce & Hoskins.
No real problems although several clues took a while to crack. We’d not come across ‘damn straight’ as equivalent to I’LL SAY, and ISSUELESS isn’t a word we’d use in everyday conversation. And whilst EKMAN seemed obvious from the clue we had to google him to check.
Thanks, Hoskins and B&J
Super puzzle as always from this setter.
Thanks to Hoskins and Bertandjoyce.
There are few setters who can make me this happy just by sitting down to do a crossword.
Had the same reaction as Sil @4 that we have the old Hoskins back – yay! (Not so sure that 18d could have been MANSION though … )
Quite apart from the laugh, that clue reminded me of Dorothy Parker’s parrot Onan, so named because he spilled his seed on the ground.
Many thanks Hoskins and Bertandjoyce.
I suspect only Eccles and Harry could get 18d past the editor. Great clue but I wonder if it’s been done before in private eye.