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Private Eye snuck out a 1-week issue so by now most of you will be stuck into the Christmas monster. I’m going to start just as soon as I’ve posted this blog.
Solving: Rattled through smoothly at first but still had about 10 to go after the first pass. Getting Robert Mueller as 17A unblocked the first stoppage, and ended up stuck again with the last two – 25A crossing with 26/9. In retrospect I cannot understand what fooled me about HOME TEAM. Eleven is a standard device for TEAM and the crossing letters were clear. Then with the H and the other crossing letters, the answer to 26A became pretty obvious.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 8 | RIVER BOAT | Somehow avert Boris? Not quite (crafty thing) (5,4) (AVERT BORI[s])* AInd: somehow |
| 10 | REIGN | Quit exempting POTUS, finally act like a ruler! (5) RE[s]IGN The S to be removed is from [potu]S |
| 11 | ARROW | Archer’s thing: a right racket (5) A R[ight] ROW |
| 12 | STARBUCKS | Low taxpayer needs celebrity money (9) STAR (celebrity) BUCKS (money). |
| 13 | TENT POLE | Figure Head of Transport (European) shows evidence of erection? (4,4) TEN (figure) T[ransport] POLE (European). |
| 14 | ANIMAL | “One: I’m a Labour leader – brutish” (6) AN (one) I’M A L[abour] |
| 17 | ROBERT MUELLER | Thorn in Trump’s side turns to rebel ruler in possession of millions (6,7) (TO REBEL RULER + M)* AInd: turns Robert Mueller is the main man looking into Russian interference in the 2016 US Presidential election and as such is one of our best hopes to avoid global Armageddon |
| 21 | RETYPE | Maybe Peter Kay finally gets to correct tweet? (6) (PETER [ka]Y)* AInd: Maybe |
| 22 | THE USUAL | “America takes heart from Trump” – a line that’s no different from before (3,5) THE US (America) [tr]U[mp] A L[ine] |
| 25 | SPHINCTER | Number two calls for its relaxation (9) Cryptic (anatomical) Definition. Last one in. |
| 27 | SEW UP | Private Eye turned over and immersed in drink to reach a satisfactory climax (3,2) WE< (Private Eye, turned over) inside SUP (drink) |
| 28 | GIMME | In passing, I’m mentioning: “You’ll have no trouble with this” (5) Hidden in passinG I’M MEntioning. |
| 29 | MISTLETOE | Smackers planted beneath this toilet seem to disintegrate and release energy (9) (TOILET SEEM – E[nergy])* AInd: disintegrate |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BREASTS | Stares manically following start of boom and bust (7) B[oom] (STARES)* AInd: manically First one read, first one in |
| 2 | OVER AND OUT | End of message makes one undo pants in public (4,3,3) A (one) and (UNDO)* AInd: pants, all inside OVERT (public) |
| 3 | GROW UP | Mature women in party (4,2) W[omen] in GROUP (party) |
| 4 | CONSULATE | ‘Tory salute’ besmirched a diplomatic building (9) CON (tory) (SALUTE)* AInd: bemirched |
| 5 | TRIBUNAL | Hearing test takes the cake (8) BUN (cake) inside TRIAL (test) |
| 7 | ONESELF | The first person presented Brenda-style feels no different (7) (FEELS NO)* AInd: different |
| 15 | MEET UP WITH | Encounter Hunt – “finished being supportive” (4,2,4) MEET (hunt) UP (finished) WITH (being supportive) |
| 16 | BUCHAREST | City tits welcoming Daily Express leader (9) CHAR (daily) E[xpresses] inside BUST (tits) |
| 18 | EXPENSES | They’ll cost you, divorced partners pocketing pounds! (8) PENS (pounds) in EXES (divorced partners). They’ll only cost you if you can’t reclaim them |
| 19 | PRESAGE | Hacks collectively getting end away – time to warn of what’s coming (7) PRES[s] AGE (time) |
| 20/6 | SLIPPED DISC | Record lower down the charts? That’s a pain (7,4) A sort of double definition with one of them somewhat cryptic |
| 23 | UNSOLD | Sun’s done for, past it and awaiting a buyer (6) (SUN)* AInd: done for, OLD (past it) |
| 24 | ATOM | One male’s minuscule thing (4) A TOM (one male) |
| 26/9 | HOME TEAM | It will host opponents of House at eleven? (4,4) HOME (house) TEAM (eleven) The team playing at home “hosts” the opposition. Last but one in |
What does Philip Green buy former employees for Christmas?
Their silence.
25A – I like your description as an ‘anatomical’ CD – clue-of-the-day for me…classic Cyclops!
Solvers will only be tucking into the Xmas special if they are paper-edition buyers/subscribers – which I am, fortunately – as the Eye don’t seem to have posted 641 up on the website yet…hopefully they will before they knock off early for the Christmas break…
Bingo – it is there now!…http://www.private-eye.co.uk/crossword
I loves ‘sphincter’!!!! And the parsing of Over and Out was a bit tasty too. I got tied up with public being the out bit, for a while.
I was bemoaning, this morning, the lack of 641 and, lo, the mag was in my post box (it is usually at least a week for delivery- and the Christmas period!) and I can see post 2 as well. A veritable surfeit of options.
No probs. Yes, SPHINCTER was a good ‘un. Thanks for the tip-off about the Xmas Jumbo, mc.
Merry Christmas to all
A question: how does one enter the Christmas puzzle via electronic means? I suspect post form abroad will not arrive in tome and I still harbour the hope to see my name in the organ?
Winsor, just send an email with all the answers plus the Headmistress’s words? Haven’t started yet, so no idea how easy that last will be to figure out without hard copy back numbers to turn to.
Thanks Tony. Must admit I always try and sot it without back numbers or looking back in the Eye site. Generally it works out as a bit of clues helping fill in words in the quote and a bit of backward from guessing the quote elements to give odd letters in clues.
Winsor, I’m guessing from your comment this type of puzzle is a regular feature of Eye Xmas. I’ve been through all the clues once now and got quite a few, plus I’m fairly sure I’ve got three words (3,4,4) in the quote: pretty much the defining phrase of 2018.
Tony, It certainly is. And it always has this quoty thing or some reference to Eyes in that year. That’s why some of our acquaintances keep a year’s worth to hand.
Tony & Winsor
Please do not continue to discuss a current live prize puzzle. The time to do so is when the relevant blog has been posted after the closing date for entries.
Sorry!
Sorry!