BOBCAT kicks off the week…
A fun solve, with a few challenging parsings, and a couple of feline Nina’s to boot.
Thanks BOBCAT!
ACROSS
7. Terrible fellow’s arrogant, putting number one first (4)
IVAN
VAIN (arrogant, putting I (number one first))
8. Irregular soldier from hell? (10)
DISORDERLY
DIS ORDERLY (soldier from hell?)
10. More than one party member leaves (6)
GREENS
Double (cryptic) definition
11. Car needs space in front of church, we hear (8)
AUDIENCE
AUDI (car) needs EN (space) in front of CE (church)
12. Like a priest translated — dreading almost nothing (8)
ORDAINED
(DREADIN[g] (almost) + O (nothing))* (*translated)
13. Spiteful hag unmasked in Times (6)
BITCHY
[w]ITCH (unmasked) in BY (times)
15. Having influential contacts with access to source (4-9)
WELL-CONNECTED
Double (cryptic) definition
18. My daughter’s been taken in by old judge (2,4)
OH DEAR
D (daughter) taken in by (O (old) + HEAR (judge))
20. Overhauled piano is, accordingly, having effect (8)
OCCASION
([pia]NO IS ACCO[dingly])< (<overhauled, having)
22. Increase amount of money allocated to unfinished search (8)
COMPOUND
POUND (money) allocated to COM[b] (search, unfinished)
24. Variegated material, extremely old, yet refurbished (6)
MOTLEY
(M[ateria]L (extremely) + O (old) + YET)* (*refurbished)
25. Unfortunate wordplay for traders?
(3- 7)
ILL-STARRED
TRADERS being an anagram (ill) of STARRED
26. Company that controlled railway points joined in plot (4)
BREW
BR (company that controlled railway) + E W (points) joined
DOWN
1. 50% of government in disarray, all but thrown out, getting abundant coverage (10)
OVERGROWTH
(GOVER[nment] (50% of)) (*in disarray) + (THROW[n] (all but))* (*out)
2. Bodyguard relieved from covering back thoroughly (2,6)
IN DETAIL
[m]INDE[r] (bodyguard, relieved from covering) + TAIL (back)
3. Backing team switch position for sound recordist (6)
EDISON
(SIDE)< (team, <backing) + ON (switch position)
4. Trustworthy former president, no Nationalist Catholic, returned to lead the French (8)
CREDIBLE
(BIDE[n] (former president, no N (nationalist)) + RC (Catholic))< (<returned) to lead LE (the, French)
5. Bond showing mercy is out of line (6)
CEMENT
C[l]EMENT (showing mercy, is out of L (line))
6. Nearly prevent alliance (4)
BLOC
BLOC[k] (prevent, nearly)
9. Rangers did not supply instruction for payments (8,5)
STANDING ORDER
(RANGERS DID NOT)* (*supply)
14. Device measuring alcoholic strength was introduced to boring hotel lounge bar at last (10)
HYDROMETER
MET (was introduced to) boring HYDRO (hotel?) + [ba]R (at last)
16. Widely-distributed mail round (8)
CIRCULAR
17. Experimental component of Transport for London under scrutiny (4,4)
TEST TUBE
TUBE (transport for London) under TEST (scrutiny)
19. Former model’s shocking disclosure (6)
EXPOSE
EX (former) + POSE (model)
21. Something funny about marine region’s fish, according to report (6)
COMEDY
about MED (marine region), COY (fish)
23. Collusion, ignoring the odds, upped capital (4)
OSLO
([c]O[l]L[u]S[i]O[n] (ignoring the odds))< (<upped)
Thanks Bobcat and Teacow
14dn: Chambers 2016 p 746 gives the relevant meaning of hydro as an informal version of the noun hydropathic (in full hydropathic establishment) defined as “a hotel (with special baths, etc, and often situated near a spa) where guests can have hydropathic treatment”.
21dn: I think COY is meant to be a soundalike (according to report) for koi n a Japanese carp (Chambers 2016 p 849).
Apologies for drip feeding here. 14dn also needs “+ [loung]E” before the “+ [ba]R”, with “at last” applying to both of these.
Thanks Bobcat for the challenge. I found this to be more of a TIGER than a lap cat but I got there in the end except for IN DETAIL and BREW. Favourites included IVAN, GREENS, AUDIENCE, CEMENT, and BLOC. Thanks Teacow for the blog.
Thanks for the blog , pretty tricky and the sticklebrick grid does not help but very neat clues overall .
Much harder than the usual bobcat but solvable in the end, with ounce giving me the O of disorderly- the first time a Nina has ever actually helped. Thanks both.