A very nearly pangrammatic grid this week. No sign of a K, however. I suppose it’s not impossible that I’ve slipped up somewhere, but I’m fairly confident that it isn’t there.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 4/10 | STILLROOM MAID – (STOLID + IMMORAL)*. |
| 11 | ACROAMATIC – (AROMA + CACTI)*. |
| 12 | ULEX – ULE + X. The Z denotes “multiplied by”, thus “times”. |
| 14 | PENI – PENI[tent]. |
| 15 | RETROGRESSED – R + (OGRES in DESERT*). |
| 16 | URSINE – UR + SINE. |
| 17 | AURA – A + [j]URA. |
| 19 | READ-ONLY – R + (ONE LADY)*. |
| 23 | MALEMUTE – MALE MUTE. |
| 26 | ERGO – ERGO[t]. |
| 27 | QUMRAN – QU + (R in MAN). |
| 28 | HIGH-SOUNDING – (HIS G)* in HOUNDING. |
| 29 | OTTO – [l]OTTO. |
| 30 | EDGE – [h]EDGE. |
| 31 | PRIESTLIER – RITES* in PLIER. |
| Down | |
| 1 | SAURURAE – A in (EAR + URUS)<. |
| 2 | SCLERE – CL in SERE. |
| 3 | FRETSAW – FR + WASTE<. |
| 5 | TAXONOMIST – TAX + MOTIONS*. |
| 6 | IMAGE – I M[an]AGE. |
| 7 | LAUREL – L.A + LURE*. Stan Laurel, of course. |
| 8 | RIPESAW – RIP[e] + WAS<. |
| 9 | ORNERY – [c]ORNER + Y. |
| 13 | DEBYE UNITS – (DUE IN BYTES)*. |
| 18 | AVENGERS – ENG in AVERS. |
| 20 | JURIDIC – RID in JUIC[e]. |
| 21 | CRITIC – RIT in CIC. |
| 22 | COHORN – COHO + RN. |
| 24 | APOZEM – OZ in (APE + M). |
| 25 | TANGED – TAN + GED. |
| 27 | QUASI – QUA[y] + IS<. |
| 28/32 | HOME ECONOMIST – (SOMEONE M[e]THO[d]IC[al])*. |