The middle of February and Monk provides some intellectual amusement.
I can’t recall how long I have been doing puzzles from Monk but it has been many years. I still enjoy it when I see his nom de plume. Always fun.
Favourite clue was certainly 24D – an absolute gem.
Is there a theme or something hidden – probably but beyond me this week
Thanks Monk – always a pleasure
Key underline definition; DD double definition; * anagram; Rev. Reverse
Across
8 Artist on the subject of film genre (6)
Re (on the subject) + noir (film genre) = RENOIR
9 Tank curator is inspired by a couple of pints (8)
a quart (couple of pints) around is = AQUARIST
10 Tease bishop in prison cage (8)
rib (tease) + b(bishop) in cage (prison) CRIBBAGE
11 Injure husband and wife on westbound major route (6)
pair (husband and wife) after Rev. MI (Major route) = IMPAIR
12 Lying in coma, due out before 1st of September (10)
(in coma due + s)* = MENDACIOUS
14 Rebecca and I swapped animal (4)
Bex(Rebecca) + I swapped = IBEX
15 Controversial bias set in stone ends badly around university (15)
(set in stone ends + u)* = TENDENTIOUSNESS
18 Dauphins regularly used honeybees (4)
dAuPhInS = APIS
20 Cut offer by accepting terms in legal promo (10)
tender(offer) + in (by) around lo (terms in legal promo) = TENDERLOIN
22 Move restlessly, following unintroduced thingamyjig (6)
f(following) + widget(thingamyjig) – w = FIDGET
23 Caution adult Scotsman for breaking crockery(8)
a(adult) + dish(crockery) around mon (Scotsman) = ADMONISH
25 Rambling tirade on furry creatures (8)
(tirade on)* = RODENTIA
26 Biden’s example of capacity to engage old loaf (6)
liter (Biden’s example of capacity) around o (old) = LOITER
DOWN
1 My corrupted README file, with missing line, failing to open (6,2)
(Readme + file – l(missing line) – f (failing to open)) = DEARIE ME
2 Outlaw in favour of offer (6)
for (in favour of) + bid (offer) = FORBID
3 Extract from Hungarian melody (4)
Hidden HungARIAn = ARIA
4 It crosses Scotland or Canada, all on nice loco (10,5)
(Canada all on nice)* = CALEDONIAN CANAL
5 On the face of it, success is targeted in the fewest possible turns (6,4)
Cryptic definition = RUBIKS CUBE
6 Evidently immodest about quashing international flare-up (8)
Rev. Not pure (Evidently immodest) around i (international) ERUPTION
7 Hope a lord will seize power (6)
a sire(lord) around p(power) = ASPIRE
13 Set up tent — coitus unfolds (10)
(tent coitus)* = CONSTITUTE
16 Decline getting into calamitous European fight (8)
sag(decline) in dire (calamitous) + E(European) = DISAGREE
17 Turn back short old maid (8)
spin (turn) + stern (back) – n = SPINSTER
19 Face character overseas, former Albanian king (6)
phi (character overseas) + zog (Albanian king) = PHIZOG
21 Nearly sick following fast pulse (6)
ill – l (sick) after lent (fast) = LENTIL
24 Different cardinals once acting gently (4)
Cardinals once as in Roman numerals all different = MILD
Very enjoyable. I cheated and looked up the former king at 19d and ADMONISH was a semi-bung in but the rest went in quite smoothly. I particularly liked DEARIE ME, RUBIK’S CUBE, TENDERLOIN (probably more popular in crosswordland than a butchers), the healthily un-PC SPINSTER, MILD and the lol FIDGET.
Many thanks Monk and twencelas
Possibly the easiest Monk outing ever. Had to check Zog was an Albanian king. MILD was my loi. Didn’t see any nina or theme.
Zog I knew but phizog was a no. Enjoyed that, thanks.
Sorry, I meant phizog was a nho but spellcheck made it no.
A nice puzzle.
Held up for a while by putting in 15a SENTENTIOUSNESS until I realised it didn’t fit the anagram or the definition.
Quite apart from making 16d impossible “T_SAG_E_”?
Liked PHIZOG for the memory jog.
Thanks M&t
I didn’t find this particularly easy but I did enjoy the battle
Many thanks to Monk and twencelas
I found about half of it quite easy but then slowed down to a crawl for the rest. Overall, not the hardest Monk ever but challenging enough to keep me on my toes. And very enjoyable.
Luckily, I know precisely one Albanian king, and it happened to be the right one.
Thanks, Monk and twencelas.
Thanks both. Struggled with a few….I assume definition for MILD is ‘acting gently’? My dictionary lists neither APIS nor PHIZOG though I solved both, but would expect the latter would be very difficult for other than a regular solver, noting the alternative spelling and the vagueness of the overseas character, but the Greek alphabet is a crossword go-to and the specific character is even the pseudonym of a setter
Definitely MILD for a Monk puzzle, although we couldn’t parse that one – fixated on cardinals being points of the compass. Wondered if it was going to be a pangram, but four letters short in the end. Favourite was AQUARIST.
Thanks, Monk and twencelas.