Phi has provided our Friday puzzle this week, bringing the first suite of working week puzzles in 2026 to an end.
I found this to be a medium-difficulty puzzle through which I made steady progress. Some of the vocabulary was quite challenging – such as at 15, 17, 23A, 24 … – but the correct answers could be arrived at with the help of the wordplay and then checked in Chambers and/or Google. I wondered if there might be a theme here when I read the last two across entries along the bottom of the grid, spelling out the British comedy duo (Eric) Morecambe and (Ernie) Wise, but this doesn’t appear to have been developed any further in the puzzle.
My favourite clues today were 1, 3, 10, 11, 14 and 25A, all for smoothness of surface and/or concision. I would appreciate confirmation of my parsing at 8 and 21.
*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; a break in underlining separates definitions in multiple-definition clues
| ACROSS
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||
| 1 | DRUM |
Departs with booze in barrel (4)
|
| D (=departs, on a timetable) + RUM (=booze) | ||
| 4 | MOONLIGHT |
Have a second job – flash working followed by rest (9)
|
| MO’ (=flash, i.e. moment) + ON (=working, not off) + LIGHT (=(to) rest (upon)) | ||
| 10 | ORGAN-SCREEN |
Encores rang out – from this part of church? (5-6)
|
| *(ENCORES RANG); “out” is anagram indicator | ||
| 11 | BAY |
Tree bark (3)
|
| Double definition: the bay or laurel is a species of tree AND to bay is to bark, of a hound | ||
| 12 | NAP |
Drop off surface (3)
|
| Double definition: to nap is to drop off, fall asleep AND the nap is the surface of a cloth | ||
| 13 | SCENT BOTTLE |
Driven by courage to pin down constant source of feminine attraction? (5,6)
|
| C (=constant, in maths) in [SENT (=driven, propelled) + BOTTLE (=courage, pluck)] | ||
| 14 | ARCHER |
British author showing increasing cunning? (6)
|
| As arch means cunning, crafty, becoming archer could be “showing increasing cunning”; the reference is to British author and former politician Jeffrey Archer (1940-) | ||
| 16 | PROSPERO |
Theatrical magician favouring twirling ropes (8)
|
| PRO (=favouring, in favour of) + *(ROPES); “twirling” is anagram indicator; the reference is to the magician Prospero in Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, hence “theatrical magician” | ||
| 20 | LEAP YEAR |
Nonsense writer penning start of poem, getting positive response – a regular occurrence (4,4)
|
| [P<oem> (“start of” means first letter only) + YEA (=positive response, affirmative vote)] in LEAR (=nonsense writer, i.e. Edward Lear and his nonsense verse); since it happens once every four years, a leap year can be described as “a regular occurrence”! | ||
| 21 | GRINGO |
English person, unwelcome overseas? Smile and depart (6)
|
| GRIN (=smile) + GO (=depart, leave); in slang, a gringo is a derogatory (“unwelcome”) term for someone whose language is not Spanish in Spanish-speaking America | ||
| 23 | RIJKSMUSEUM |
Jack, losing heart in summer is conflicted, accepting university later – the attraction of Amsterdam? (11)
|
| U (=university) in *(J<ac>K + SUMMER IS); “losing heart” means middle letters are dropped from anagram, indicated by “is conflicted”; the Rijksmuseum is a much-visited art museum in Amsterdam | ||
| 25 | KIN |
Not entirely compassionate relationship (3)
|
| KIN<d> (=compassionate, gentle); “not entirely” means last letter is dropped | ||
| 26 | ART |
Function needing no initial skill (3)
|
| <p>ART (=function, role); “needing no initial” means first letter is dropped | ||
| 27 | MONARCHICAL |
‘Style’ included in version of a normal description of Queen? (11)
|
| CHIC (=style, fashion) in *(A NORMAL); “in version of” is anagram indicator | ||
| 28 | MORECAMBE |
Additional people arrived besieging British coastal resort (9)
|
| B (=British) in [MORE (=additional people) + CAME (=arrived)]; Morecambe is a UK coastal resort in Lancashire | ||
| 29 | WISE |
Astute, in the old way (4)
|
| wise is an archaic (“old”) word for way, manner, as in in any wise | ||
| DOWN
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||
| 2 | RIG UP |
Poor Scots, upset about good dress (3,2)
|
| G (=good) + PUIR (=poor Scots, i.e. a Scots word for poor); “upset” indicates a vertical reversal; to rig up is to dress or equip | ||
| 3 | MONASTERY |
One’s trapped in large unknown religious building (9)
|
| A in [MONSTER (=large, mammoth, used adjectivally)+ Y (=unknown, in algebra)] | ||
| 4 | MUCKER |
Friend increasingly a mess after one leaves (6)
|
| MUCK<i>ER (=increasingly a mess); “after one (=I) leaves” means letter “i” is dropped; in British slang, a mucker is a friend or companion | ||
| 5 | OVERTURE |
Certain to abandon Society after blatant offer (8)
|
| OVERT (=blatant, flagrant) + <s>URE (=certain; “to abandon Society (=S, as in RSPB)” means letter “s” is dropped); to make overtures towards is to make offers to | ||
| 6 | LINGO |
Language school in Gothenburg offering a restricted range (5)
|
| Hidden (“offering a restricted range”, i.e. not all letters used) in “schooL IN GOthenburg” | ||
| 7 | GO-BETWEEN |
Intermediary, grand one, working to secure venture supported by our group (2-7)
|
| G (=grand, i.e. $1000) + {[BET (=venture, wager) + WE (=our group)] in *(ONE)}; “working” is anagram indicator | ||
| 8 | THYME |
Herbal flavouring not currently for you and me (5)
|
| THY (=not currently for you, i.e. an obsolete way of saying your) + ME | ||
| 9 | JOHN PAUL |
Wesley, say, to lose relish, we hear, for Pope’s name (4,4)
|
| JOHN (=Wesley, say, i.e. the English Methodist leader) + homophone (“we hear”) of (to) pall =to lose relish, become vapid; John Paul has so far been the name of two Popes | ||
| 15 | COADJUTOR |
Actor with judo moves getting religious role? (9)
|
| *(ACTOR + JUDO); “moves” is anagram indicator; a coadjutor is a bishop appointed as assistant to a diocesan bishop, hence “religious role” | ||
| 17 | SCRIMSHAW |
Playwright’s written about offender’s handicraft (9)
|
| CRIM’S (=offender’s, i.e. criminal’s) in SHAW (=playwright, i.e. George Bernard Shaw, from Ireland); scrimshaw is a sailor’s spare-time handicraft, such as carving fanciful designs on shells, whales’ teeth, etc | ||
| 18 | OCONNELL |
Irish nationalist, once on revolutionary lines (8)
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| *(ONCE ON) + LL (=lines); “revolutionary” is anagram indicator; the reference is to the Irish political leader Daniel O’Connell, known as the Liberator (1775-1847) | ||
| 19 | LABURNUM |
Tree left above a stream? I’m not sure (8)
|
| L (=left) + A + BURN (=stream, rill) + UM (=I’m not sure, i.e. interjection indicating doubt) | ||
| 22 | GEORGE |
No choice in limitations on game for former King (6)
|
| The “limitations, i.e. first and last letters, on game” are GE, so if the choice is between “GE or GE”, then there is “no choice”! | ||
| 23 | REALM |
Quantity of paper covering lecturer’s field of study (5)
|
| L (=lecturer) in REAM (=quantity of paper) | ||
| 24 | SUMAC |
Whole account identifying Middle Eastern shrub (5)
|
| SUM (=whole, total) + AC (=account) | ||
| 25 | KICKS |
Is no longer addicted to excitement (5)
|
| Double definition: kicks e.g. the habit means is no longer addicted to AND to get one’s kicks out of is to get a thrill, excitement out of |
I’m not sure about “English person” in 21 (ac)?
PUIR is an unknown for me, and 2(d) is anyway not very likeable.
No other quibbles, and a solid puzzle, though a bit more wit and whimsy is my bag. Like, ARCHER , 14(ac), which is archly done.
Thanks, Phi & RR
As well as Eric & Ernie we also have JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE and [g]RINGO.
E.N.Boll& – I share your doubt about 21a: “English-speaking” might have been better.
Liked ORGAN SCREEN (reads like an extended def/CAD).
Also liked MONARCHICAL, GO-BETWEEN, THYME (I had the same parsing as the blogger and I
think it’s fine) and GEORGE.
KICKS
‘Is no longer addicted to’ =has kicked. No?
Thanks Phi and RR.
Andrew@2, the 60s, well spotted.
Was “The Go Between ” the same era?
I was thinking “alien” as a misleader, for 21(ac).
I think it is a corruption of “you’re Greek”, so sort of ” I don’t understand you.”
KVa@ 3, another good spot, the tense jars.
Thanks both. Tougher than the average Phi in places, I felt. Also thought KICKS is grammatically flawed, and maybe reads better as ‘ceases addiction to excitement’. SCRIMSHAW was beyond me, as it’s an unknown with a very tough construction, hence WISE sitting alongside his trusty sidekick went unseen owing to the confetti.
Slight error in 16ac – Prospero was in The Tempest not Twelfth Night – not that that affects the parsing though.
Before I got 21a I was looking at John, Paul, George and Lingo.
Thanks to Phi &RR
Been out all day, so only catching up now: no-one seems to have wondered whether M&W ever performed with JPG&R. There’s a song title to find.
Thanks Phi and RR
The Beatles did appear on the M&W show: from memory the song they performed was Moonlight Bay.
Thanks for dropping in Phi @8 – never seen that before!
Agree with KVA @3 and TFO @5 re: kicks..
Was amazed to get Scrimshaw, a word I’m vaguely familiar with, by just staring at the crossers long enough, no parsing involved lol..