The usual sound offering from Azed. I don’t think there is any clue that I question.
Definitions underlined in crimson. Anagram indicators in italics. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | SPONDOOLICKS |
Lolly flash couple of loves put into glossy mags (12)
|
| s(pond 0 0)licks — pond is far down in Chambers as a sense of flash | ||
| 10 | CRIER |
One bewails sticky rice recipe (5)
|
| *(rice) r — r = recipe as in prescriptions | ||
| 12 | GOOP |
Fool from Ohio welcomed by Republicans (4)
|
| GO(O)P — the Republican party is sometimes known as the GOP, which stands for ‘Grand Old Party’ | ||
| 13 | ROSTERING |
Sort reign out in tabulation? (9)
|
| (Sort reign)* | ||
| 15 | EVICTEE |
One expelled with the others I have returned before middle of trimester (7)
|
| (etc. I’ve)rev. [trim]e[ster] | ||
| 16 | TOTARA |
NZ tree beside local bracken (6)
|
| to tara | ||
| 17 | ENTERA |
To go in for acting requires guts (6)
|
| enter a | ||
| 18 | CHAFER |
Beetle in saucepan no longer used (6)
|
| 2 defs | ||
| 19 | TARRY |
River twice entering Scots one causing delay (5)
|
| Ta(R. R.)y — the Scots river is the River Tay | ||
| 21 | PREMS |
Early arrivals set to work impress, shedding coat (5)
|
| *([i]mpres[s]) — early arrivals in the sense of premature babies | ||
| 24 | CHAPES |
Points around hard parts of buckle (6)
|
| c(h)apes | ||
| 26 | TISSUE |
Paper? Shortened form of it going out (6)
|
| ‘t issue | ||
| 28 | LATISH |
Lives in thin strip of wood, or a bit behind (6)
|
| lat(is)h | ||
| 29 | ENTITLE |
Style in basic nature (almost) followed by the French (7)
|
| entit[y] le | ||
| 31 | PEDANTISE |
Opposition in deep clashing quibble (9)
|
| antis in (deep)* | ||
| 32 | TUNA |
Big fish? Cheers when one’s netted (4)
|
| t(un)a — I made some difficulties for myself by entering ‘tais’: ta(1)s. So Azed is happy to set clues which are not equivocal but rely on the checkers, something I didn’t think was the case. Perhaps cheers is only ta | ||
| 33 | TACET |
Head of embassy in what he shows should not be heard (5)
|
| tac(e[mbassy])t — a musical term | ||
| 34 | STENTMASTERS |
Converted statements with rupees for tax assessors (12)
|
| *(statements) Rs | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | SCRATCH TESTS |
The Devil is tempting: we may reveal signs of being allergic (12, 2 words)
|
| Scratch tests — Scratch is one of the many words for the devil | ||
| 2 | PROB |
A bit of a poser for bachelor (4)
|
| pro B. | ||
| 3 | NETCAFE |
Where to log on over a latte, even holding case up? (7)
|
| (e'(fact)en)rev. | ||
| 4 | DREARE |
Former mishap originated with conclusion taken to head (6)
|
| reared with its last letter moved to the front (the head because it’s a down clue) | ||
| 5 | OLIVET |
Fancily shaped violet button (6)
|
| *(violet) | ||
| 6 | LA NINA |
Extreme weather event occurring in Milan in August (6, 2 words)
|
| Hidden in MiLAN IN August | ||
| 7 | COTTERPIN |
Device for fixing wedge, mostly ingenious, cut up in copper, say? (9)
|
| (prett[y])rev. in coin | ||
| 8 | KOKER |
SA drain, all right in side of road, clearing closure (5)
|
| k(OK)er[b] | ||
| 9 | SPREADSHEETS |
Deaths English press broadcast? They may cover several columns (12)
|
| (Deaths E press)* | ||
| 11 | AREAR |
What was behind Moroccan tree being found around Spain? (5)
|
| ar(E)ar | ||
| 14 | STARSTONE |
Ruby maybe attracts attention with depth of colour (9)
|
| stars tone | ||
| 20 | RATATAT |
Sound of one seeking to enter vale in desert (7)
|
| ra(tata)t | ||
| 22 | MUTEST |
Speaking less than the rest, group in the middle? Reverse of that (6)
|
| (t(set)um)rev. | ||
| 23 | SELDOM |
Day taken in climbing large causeways? Not so often (6)
|
| d in (moles)rev. | ||
| 24 | CLEAT |
Second half of ring on a square wedge? (5)
|
| [cir]cle a T | ||
| 25 | HAUNTS |
Typical of classy folk in county resorts (6)
|
| Ha(U)nts. — Nancy Mitford’s Noblesse Oblige has been a boon to setters over the years. | ||
| 27 | INCUT |
Tailored tunic filling prepared spaces (5)
|
| *(tunic) | ||
| 30 | USER |
Addict showing cunning, first to last (4)
|
| ruse with its first letter moved to the back |
Thanks for the blog , my only annotation for the clues is 7D. We have mostly and cut for the PRETT(y) going up in COIN.
Flash=pond is quite common in Lancashire , usually from former mining works.
PREMS was not in my Chambers93 but seemed reasonable.
For TISSUE I had “the issue” becoming t’ issue as a shortened form.
Thanks to Azed and to John for the blog. With practice and familiarity I’m completing these much quicker theses days (provided the Guardian don’t mess up the online posting like today!).
My only query was the use of “we” in 1d (as opposed to “they” or not using a pronoun at all, perhaps).
I found PREMS in Chambers and parsed TISSUE like the blog.
No valid link to Azed 2662 pdf with clues !!!
Roz@1, I also wondered about 7dn. I came up with two possibilities: a) that “mostly” was part of the definition, as a cotter could be a pin or a wedge (so ‘mostly’ for fixing wedge); b) that “mostly” and “ingenious” were double definitions for PRETTY. Not sure I like either explanation; you sometimes see double definitions for the answer, but not usually for part of the wordplay. Jay@3, references to the answer in the clue may be I/we, it/they, this/these, he/she; I/we are perhaps less common, but it depends on what makes the surface sound best.
There is a note attached to puzzle no 2662 in today’s Observer, indicating that the results of this month’s competition will not now appear until next week as a result of postal delays locally. Given that Azed now allows entries by email to the monthly competition, how long will it be before postal entries are ruled out altogether? That happened with Private Eye during the pandemic and they show no signs of reinstating postal submissions.
Cyclopod@4, here’s a link to a scan of today’s puzzle someone kindly posted.
https://tinyurl.com/j2xhy2fh
MunroMaiden@5, thanks for clarifying that point for me, much appreciated.
The 4-way symmetry was the first thing I noticed about this puzzle. That left me (idly) wondering what guidelines Azed has set for himself regarding the size and shape of the grids that he uses. I guess 180-degree symmetry is a minimum standard. I have noticed that the size can vary and is not always a square.
It always helps to get the long ones, and here SPREADSHEETS came with only the P and A to help, and I was lucky soon after to think of SPONDULICKS for 1a, seeing straight away that ‘couple of loves’ could alter the spelling to one that was unfamiliar but correct. Both the other long answers took much longer, but this was yet another pleasant and interesting solving experience, which finished in the SW corner.
Thanks to Azed and John.
Alan@9 I have been doing Azed for 28 years, grid size usually 12X12 , sometimes 13X11 like today. As you say 180 degree symmetry always , sometimes 90 degree symmetry as well .
Thanks Roz.