The puzzle can be found here.
Hi all, I hope you are well. Unlimited thanks to the ghastly twerp Hoskins for today’s 5d entertainment.
Yes, this is Hoskins at near maximum Hoskins, so the easily offended should look away now. Very much at the gentler end of the difficulty spectrum though, resulting in a laughs/time ratio for me about as high as a crossword can possibly provide, most welcome indeed at the moment. I hope you enjoyed it too. Stay safe everyone, and stay crazy.
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, quoted indicators are in italics and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER.
Across
1a Tory party primarily mock member protection (6)
CONDOM
CON (Tory), DO (party) and the first letter of (primarily) Mock. It’s easy to mock, but we’ve seen lately just how important it is to protect one’s Johnson
4a Gas associated with large behind? It could lift you off your feet! (8)
WINDLASS
WIND (gas) next to (associated with) L (large) and ASS (behind). The behind is American but there are no rules against that, though some would prefer it to be flagged
10a I am so put out about Special K (9)
POTASSIUM
I AM SO PUT anagrammed (out) around (about) S (Special)
11a Comic actor student’s seen in drag (5)
PALIN
L (student) is inside (‘s seen in) PAIN (drag). Michael, not Sarah
12a Pork pies can come with Tango and beers (5)
TALES
T (Tango) and ALES beers
13a Artist that base nurses easily brushed aside (9)
IGNORABLE
RA (artist) that IGNOBLE (base) surrounds (nurses)
14a Needing support, Bolshevik leader turns to Left (7)
LACKING
[b]ACKING (support), in which B (Bolshevik leader) is replaced with (turns to) L (left)
16a European worried about soldier’s discharge (7)
EMANATE
E (European) and ATE (worried) around (about) MAN (soldier)
18a Weapon offensively loud son pulled out (7)
TRIDENT
[s]TRIDENT (offensively loud) with S (son) removed (pulled out)
20a One taking the piss out of British hierarchy? (7)
BLADDER
The answer comes from B (British) + LADDER (hierarchy)
22a Curl up with a soup, being the worse for wear (9)
CRAPULOUS
CURL anagrammed (up) together with A SOUP
24a Consumed drop of daiquiri after daughter went out (5)
DATED
ATE (consumed) and the first letter of (drop of) Daiquiri go after D daughter
26a Shot during curtain of fire (2-3)
IN-OFF
This sporting shot is found during curtaIN OF Fire
27a Someone swimming around lake east of Luxembourg could be a swimmer (5,4)
LEMON SOLE
SOMEONE anagrammed (swimming) around L (lake) to the right of (east of, in an across answer) L (Luxembourg)
28a Pet with rage wrestling with a chimpanzee? (5,3)
GREAT APE
PET with RAGE anagrammed (wrestling) with A
29a Like to cuddle academic that’s one hot dude! (6)
ADONIS
AS (like) around (to cuddle) DON (academic) and I (one)
Down
1d Wealth? Put a limit on the lot abruptly! (7)
CAPITAL
CAP (put a limit on) + IT ALl (the lot) without the last letter (abruptly)
2d Revolutionary left with a smack on the buttocks (5)
NATAL
The reversal of (revolutionary) L (left) with A (from the clue) + TAN (smack). On as in concerning
3d Compulsive bosses I’ve sent crazy (9)
OBSESSIVE
BOSSES I‘VE made into an anagram (sent crazy)
5d Hoskins is who I am! One ghastly twerp essentially without limits! (7)
IMMENSE
I’M (Hoskins is) + ME (who I am), then the central letters of (… essentially) oNe ghaStly twErp
6d Drug-taker embarrassed about securing work (5)
DOPER
RED (embarrassed) reversed (about) containing (securing) OP (work)
7d A couple of lines on a table? Time to get on it, folks! (3,6)
ALL ABOARD
A (from the clue) + L L (couple of lines) preceding (on, in a down answer) A (a) + BOARD (table)
8d Genuine as Russian leader? That’s nonsense ultimately! (7)
SINCERE
SINCE (as), Russian’s first letter (leader), then the last letter of (… ultimately) nonsensE
9d Unsuccessful incarceration judge covered-up (6)
AILING
[j]AILING (incarceration) with J (judge) removed from view (covered-up)
15d Plant in bud rocketed skywards (5,4)
CHINA ROSE
CHINA (bud, mate) + ROSE (rocketed skywards)
17d Wild and naughty and on a bed? (9)
ABANDONED
An anagram of (naughty) AND ON A BED
18d Jazz fan upset with bluesman changing direction (7)
TACKING
CAT (jazz fan) reversed (upset) with KING (bluesman)
19d Cream-covered bun or tart (7)
TROLLOP
ROLL (bun) is covered with TOP (cream)
20d Does stupendously well to steal small bust (6)
BOSOMS
BOOMS (does stupendously well) containing (to steal) S (small)
21d Her Maj takes a tumble over frock to get compensation! (7)
REDRESS
ER (Her Maj) is reversed (takes a tumble) before (over, in a down answer) DRESS (frock)
23d Female in brigade failing physical education? (5)
UNFIT
F (female) in UNIT (brigade)
25d Undecided about husband being a source of irritation (5)
THORN
TORN (undecided) around (about) H (husband)
What an absolute joy this was – Hoskins as his entertaining best. It was so much fun that I won’t mention the two Americanisms.
And we had a great blog to accompany it. Looking at the picture for 20d, I hope in my next life to come back as a cat.
I’m a big blues fan, and spent some time trying to decide which great bluesman Hoskins was referring to in 18d – BB, Freddie or Albert?
I’m not even going to try to pick a favourite from such a splendid selection.
Many thanks to Hoskins and to Kitty.
RD, I had terrible trouble deciding on a picture for 20d! I even uploaded two, because I was dithering right until the last minute. (The other is here.)
I echo Rabbit Dave’s desire for feline resurrection! I too very much enjoyed this puzzle, well up to Hoskins’s usual slightly naughty standard, so many thanks to him and Kitty.
Thanks Kitty @2. I think I need to lie down for a few minutes to recover.
I was stumped for a while, having LITES for 12a
Certainly no offence taken here, Kitty, I actually thought this was quite mild where Harry is concerned – although I did have to look up 22a!
Enjoyed the solve and my favourite was the cream-covered bun.
Thanks to Hoskins and also to Miss Kitty for her excellent review – I do enjoy the illustrations despite being only too well aware of the pain that can be inflicted by a delightful kitten deciding to test out its claws on very sensitive areas of the female anatomy!
By the way, RD, my blues man was Ben E. – never gave it a second thought.
Jane @6. Ben E. King was a great singer – soul/R&B but not blues.
Doesn’t R&B stand for Rhythm and BLUES?
Jane, that’s an easy question to ask but much harder to answer. All music forms evolve and elements from one genre influence others. R&B was heavily influenced by blues with elements of soul and pop. Despite the word “blues” in the name R&B, I doubt that Ben E. King would ever have considered himself a blues singer.
A kitty/hoskins combination to make my day – many thanks both
Thanks Hoskins, Kitty
Special K! That has been the big issue this week, as the grumpy teenager of the house has been spraying dudgeon around because of having to put up with own brand, there having been a run on the genuine article in the local shops.
I can’t access the alternative 20d pic, I am wondering if it has been censored.
Very late to the party as I have just finished the puzzle with a coffee in bed on Monday morning. Well, it’s one long weekend now anyway isn’t it?
As Dutch said, Hoskins and Kitty are enough to lift the spirits and make us forget our current predicament for a while.
Now to Gila before heading for the garden studio.
Special purrs to dutch and gsolphotog!
James @11 – I have no problems viewing the other 20d pic. In my extensive search for the perfect photo I did come across a few of rather more questionable suitability, but the main reason that one missed the cut is because the cat didn’t look as happy!
Unfortunately it’s definitely a Monday for me, though far from the worst imaginable; having clocked on at work I must now put nose to grindstone …