The puzzle is available to solve online or download here.
Hello all. Filbert is often scheduled on a Sunday and I’m always very happy to see him as I know I’m in for a treat of inventiveness and wit. My favourite today has to be PLUMB (2d). Thanks Filbert!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below. In the explanations, most quoted indicators are in italics, specified [deletions] are in square brackets, and I’ve capitalised and emboldened letters which appear in the ANSWER. For clarity, I omit most link words and some juxtaposition indicators.
| Across | |
| 1a | Giving lecture, do numbers that prime divides (8) |
| SPEAKING — SING (do numbers) that PEAK (prime) goes into (divides) | |
| 6a | Get ready for a night out? (6) |
| ENCAMP — A cryptic definition | |
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| 9a | Mathematician’s prompt returning cap (6) |
| EUCLID — CUE (prompt) backwards (returning) + LID (cap) | |
| 10a | Mother returned by 1 without thinking what might be wrong (8) |
| AMORALLY — MA (mother) reversed (returned) + ORALLY (by 1 – by SPEAKING, 1a) | |
| 11a | Several quick strokes of the lash as foreplay? (9,4) |
| BUTTERFLY KISS — A cryptic definition in which the “strokes of the lash” are fluttering eyelashes | |
| 12a | Eccentric freak caught by mean spook (4,6) |
| TAKE FRIGHT — An anagram of (eccentric) FREAK in (caught by) TIGHT (mean) | |
| 15a | Bit of tooth decay multiplied internally (4) |
| ROOT — ROT (decay) with the central O doubled (multiplied internally) | |
| 16a | Let out on reversal of prison sentence (4) |
| EMIT — The answer appears on reversal of TIME (prison sentence) | |
| 17a | In shock, return edition full of nasty sex (10) |
| GOBSMACKED — GO BACK (return) and ED (edition) containing (full of) SM (nasty sex) | |
| 19a | Small flat subsequently hosts have converted, a delightful place (7,6) |
| SEVENTH HEAVEN — S (small), EVEN (flat) and THEN (subsequently) holds (hosts) an anagram of (… converted) HAVE | |
| 23a | People scattered seeing snake interrupt radio broadcast (8) |
| DIASPORA — We are seeing ASP (snake) go into (interrupt) an anagram of (… broadcast) RADIO | |
| 24a | Bold sound of operatic cycle in German (6) |
| DARING — This has the sound of DER RING (operatic cycle in German) | |
| 25a | Claire has homework including AI’s thoughts on topic? (6) |
| REHASH — A hidden, with ClaiRE HAS Homework including the answer | |
| 26a | A lack of banknotes, say, circulating currently (8) |
| NOWADAYS — NO WAD (a lack of banknotes) + SAY anagrammed (circulating) | |
| Down | |
| 2d | Very desirable bachelor perfectly erect (5) |
| PLUMB — PLUM (very desirable) + B (bachelor) | |
| 3d | Every guy in first set of books back for novelist’s growing plot (9) |
| ALLOTMENT — ALL OT MEN (every guy in first set of books) + the last letter of (back for) novelisT | |
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| 4d | Islands that are East or West, mostly free from big business (5) |
| INDIE — INDIEs (islands that are East or West), mostly | |
| 5d | Wild fruit tree in western state present to the north (4-3) |
| GOAT-FIG — GOA (western state) + GIFT present written upwards (to the north) | |
| 6d | Living arrangement snug during English spring (9) |
| ECOSYSTEM — COSY (snug) in (during) E (English) and STEM (spring) | |
| 7d | Organised action saving North American mammal (5) |
| COATI — An anagram of (organised) ACTIO[n] excepting (saving) N (north) | |
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| 8d | Road sign, in case you should have motorway ahead (9) |
| MILESTONE — LEST ONE (in case you) should have MI (M1, motorway) preceding (ahead) | |
| 13d | Peace – Crimea’s flourishing with it (9) |
| ARMISTICE — CRIMEA’S anagrammed (flourishing) together with IT | |
| 14d | Meat curry, good parts horse rib (5,4) |
| ROGAN JOSH — G (good) separates (parts) ROAN (horse) + JOSH (rib) | |
| 15d | Charlie finished cutting grass, green again after drought? (9) |
| RECOVERED — C (Charlie) and OVER (finished) dividing (cutting) REED (grass) | |
| 18d | GP’s location that’s unsatisfactory and wet (7) |
| BAHRAIN — GP stands for Grand Prix: BAH (that’s unsatisfactory) + RAIN (wet) | |
| 20d | Landscape remains in a box upside-down (5) |
| VISTA — IS (remains) in A TV (a box) upside-down | |
| 21d | Provide means of support for heel that hurts (5) |
| ENDOW — END (heel) + OW (that hurts) | |
| 22d | Silly hotel apparently competing with the Plaza? (5) |
| NINNY — INN (hotel) in NY (apparently competing with the Plaza? – a hotel in New York City) | |
Thanks for the entertaining blog Kitty. and for giving an explanation to 24a. That one aside I thoroughly enjoyed this. Thanks to Filbert.