This is at least the third year running that “Courtier” has posted a puzzle with a timely theme. Presumably it is one of the usual setters using a different pseudonym. Any guesses? I think the style is reminiscent of Armonie.
As to the puzzle itself, it was a pretty straightforward solve. Maybe one too many anagrams for my taste, but no other complaints.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | OVERHEADS OVER (above average) HEADS (bosses). |
| 6 | NADAL *(AN) + LAD reversed |
| 9 | CAPON CAP ON (wearing a chapeau) |
| 10 | DROPSHOTS DROP SHOTS (discard the photographs) |
| 11 | RELIANCE *(CLEANER I) |
| 12 | LEGEND EG (for example) in LEND (credit) |
| 13 | BOIL I in LOB (toss the ball) reversed |
| 14 | IMMIGRANT I’M + I’M reversed + GRANT (allowance) |
| 18 | IGNORANCE *(CANING OR) + E[xaminee] |
| 19 | PUSH dd |
| 21 | MURRAY dd; ref. the River Murray in Victoria and Andy Murray. Not expected to make the finals but may last longer than England’s football team, I fear. |
| 23 | OSTEITIS *(TOES IS IT) |
| 26 | RED PEPPER RED (embarrassed) PEPPER (the Beatles’ sergeant) |
| 27 | PROWL PR (Puerto Rico) OWL (hooter) |
| 28 | EGRET [r]EGRET (be sorry) |
| 29 | WIMBLEDON I’M BLED (I’m drained) in WON |
| Down | |
| 1 | OSCAR OS (large) + RAC (motoring organisation) reversed |
| 2 | EXPULSION cd |
| 3 | HENMAN HEN (layer) MAN (humanity) |
| 4 | ADDICTION DD (cleric) + I in ACTION (combat) |
| 5 | SLOG hidden in produceS LOGical |
| 6 | NEST EGGS cd |
| 7 | DRONE dd; “queen” as in queen bee |
| 8 | LAST DITCH LAST (final) DITCH (get rid of) |
| 13 | BAIN-MARIE *(ARAB IN ME I) |
| 15 | MAELSTROM *(MOSLEM ART) |
| 16 | ADULTHOOD *(DO OLD UTAH) |
| 17 | ORNAMENT OR + NAME (identify) NT (some old books) |
| 20 | PEN-PAL LAP (part of a journey) + NEP[al] reversed |
| 22 | RADAR D (a numner) in RA (Royal Artillery) + RA reversed |
| 24 | SALON AL (Alabama) in SON (relative) |
| 25 | SPEW WE + PS (reminder) reversed |
Agentzero,
Are you seriously suggesting that at 6ac there is an anagram of a two-letter unit standing next to a reversal of a three-letter one? Incredible.
If not, and assuming the rest of the blog is accurate, then the anagram count is five and a half or six depending how generous you are on 18ac. Six is precisely the suggested number for a Times puzzle.
If Courtier only appears once a year, is the ‘timely theme’ not his only one?
Nice themed puzzle, the HENMAN clue was pretty good, also esp liked NEST EGGS, ORNAMENT, PEN-PAL.