Filbert is a setter whose work is appearing more rgaularly. I find Filbert’s puzzles quite testing, but satisfying when complete
I think this puzzle is theme and message free. Most Wednesday puzzles are theme and message free.
Clues using ‘dropped soldier’ or something similar for PARA , are being seen quite often at the moment and Filbert increases the occurrences today at 1 across.
I had to think about CIDRE in the wordplay of ACID REFLUX until I dredged up memories of a Stella advert stressing the word CIDRE rather than CIDER, a few years ago.
I thought this was probably one of Filbert’s gentler offerings, but feel free to disagree
| No | Detail |
| Across | |
| 1 | Suspicious armed man dropped in with no credentials (8)
PARANOID (having intense, especially irrational, fear or suspicion) PARA (member of the PARAchute regiment [armed man dropped]) + NO + ID (identity papers; credentials) PARA NO ID |
| 6 | Builder‘s hand really has broken (5)
MASON (builder in stone) SO (really [?]) contained in (has broken) MAN (worker; hand) MA (SO) N |
| 9 | Indicate imminent arrival of wine butt (7)
PORTEND (to warn of as something to come; indicate imminent arrival of) PORT (fortified wine) + END (a butt is the thick and heavy END) PORT END |
| 10 | Family label vase with identical wrapping (7)
SURNAME (family name) URN (vase) contained in (with … wrapping) SAME (identical) S (URN) AME |
| 11 | Setter’s suggestion for bored test solver, say (8,5)
SOUNDING BOARD (person, object or institution used to test the acceptability or effectiveness of an idea, plan, etc; e.g. a test solver) SOUNDING BOARD (possible clue for [crossword setter’s suggestion for]) BORED, although I think the clue would also need a definition) SOUNDING BOARD |
| 14 | Remove tie from fellow leaving enjoyable party (4)
UNDO (untie; remove tie from) FUN DO (enjoyable party ) excluding (leaving) F (fellow) UN DO |
| 15 | A Stella following some light regurgitation (4,6)
ACID REFLUX (regurgitation of acid from the stomach into the oesophagus) A + CIDRE (Stella market a cider drink using the description CIDRE) + F (following) + LUX (SI unit of illuminance; some light) A CID RE F LUX |
| 17 | Male animal parts defendant used (10)
ACCUSTOMED (used [to]) TOM (male cat) contained in (separates; parts) ACCUSED (the defendant) ACCUS (TOM) ED |
| 19 | Dog without lead is an irritation (4)
ITCH (irritation) BITCH (female dog) excluding (without) the first letter (without lead) B ITCH |
| 22 | Dragoon of note turned to salute (4,9)
GOOD AFTERNOON (greet with words salute) Anagram of (turned to) DRAGOON OF NOTE GOOD AFTERNOON* |
| 24 | Springlike as the last ice melts away? (7)
ELASTIC (springy; springlike) Anagram of (melts away) LAST ICE ELASTIC* |
| 25 | All said visit Rome (4,3)
HOLY SEE (the Roman Catholic bishopric [SEE] of Rome, ie the Pope’s SEE) HOLY (sounds like [said] WHOLLY [completely or all) + SEE (visit; SEE the sights) HOLY SEE. |
| 26 | River pretty muddy in the middle (5)
TWEED (river in southern Scotland, flowing within a few miles of where I am writing this blog) TWEE (sentimentally pretty or quaint) + D (central letter of [in the middle] MUDDY) TWEE D |
| 27 | Yankee taken on holiday given a makeover (8)
RESTYLED (given a makeover) REST (holiday) + Y (Yankee is the international radio communication codeword for the letter Y) + LED (guided; taken) REST Y LED |
| Down | |
| 2 | Silver bullet landed accidentally (7)
AGROUND (in a stranded condition; landed accidentally on firm ground rather than staying afloat) AG (chemical symbol for silver) + ROUND (ammunition of one shot; bullet) AG ROUND |
| 3 | Commander accepts objective plan of action (6)
AGENDA (list of things to be done; plan of action) AGA (Turkish commander or chief officer) containing (accepts) END (objective) AG (END) A |
| 4 | Stale or unopened (3)
OLD (past its best; stale) GOLD (in heraldry, OR is defined as the tincture gold or yellow) excluding the first letter (unopened) G OLD |
| 5 | Bidet Edison designed giving trouble (11)
DISOBEDIENT (not doing what one is told; causing trouble) Anagram of (designed) BIDET EDISON DISOBEDIENT* |
| 6 | Peg fully lifting a million tonnes? (8)
MARGARET (Peg is a diminutive of the name MARGARET) TERAGRAM (1012 grams, equivalent to a megatonne [one million tonnes]) reversed (lifting; down entry) MARGARET< |
| 7 | Examine boy brought up in immoral circumstances (7)
SCANDAL (anything that causes moral discredit or injury to reputation; immoral circumstances) SCAN (examine critically) + LAD (boy) reversed (bought up; down entry) SCAN DAL< |
| 8 | Opposing voters minutes out of time (4)
NOES (voters opposing the motion or proposal) NOTES (minutes of a meeting) excluding (out of) T (time) NOES |
| 9 | Carriage’s following river in Russia (8)
POSTURAL (relating to ones carriage; carriage’s) POST (after; following) + URAL (river in Russia) POST URAL |
| 12 | Magician has affair with Romeo after brief snog (11)
NECROMANCER (sorcerer; magician) NECK (informal term for ‘to kiss amorously’) excluding the final letter (brief) K + ROMANCE (affair) + R (Romeo is the international radio communication for the letter R) NEC ROMANCE R |
| 13 | Telephone office without coins (8)
EXCHANGE (central office where telephone lines are connected) EX (without) + CHANGE (coins) EX CHANGE |
| 16 | Like Dorset, remarkably varied (8)
ASSORTED (varied) AS + an anagram of (remarkably) DORSET AS SORTED* |
| 18 | Upended apple Tango can contains something related (7)
COGNATE (related) COGNATE (reversed [upended; down entry] hidden word in [contains] APPLE TANGO CAN) COGNATE< |
| 20 | Rather special ties in film noted for actor’s dress (7)
TOOTSIE (name of a 1982 romantic comedy film that featured a male in female clothing; film noted for actor’s dress) TOO (rather) + an anagram of (special) TIES TOO TSIE* |
| 21 | Ruffled young horse hugs rail at the start (6)
FRILLY (ruffled) FILLY (young mare) containing (hugs) R (first letter of [at the start] RAIL) F (R) ILLY |
| 23 | Dog perhaps that’s bitten son is an irritation (4)
PEST (irritation) PET (a dog is an example of a pet) containing (that’s bitten) S (son) PE (S) T |
| 25 | Hurry, save ten bears (3)
HAS (holds; carries; bears) HASTEN (hurry) excluding (save) TEN HAS |
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