How lucky am I – A Tyrus puzzle to blog again. Perhaps, it might be time to start possibly cogitating a few answers.
So a theme word this week, which is needed to solve 8 grid entries. It’s 27 across and is quite a delightful clue too. But rather than beat about the bush I’ll jump slowly in and in as many words as I can possibly think of to introduce to you all for your delectation – the word “Verbiage” i.e. Saying something in more words than is needed to convey the meaning. Another political message from Tyrus, perhaps. Brought back memories of Leonard Sachs in “The Good Old Days” and many a political interview on ‘Newsnight’.
Some lovely other clues too – I’ll only mention a few :
21 across is probably my favourite – a surface hiding well the fact that it is potentially an astronomical star, that is being discussed.
3 down amused me too and 13 ac took a while to work out.
22 across was short and very sweet (for a northerner like myself)
15 down also short and very pleasing when the penny dropped
Many thanks Tyrus another lovely crossword. Made me think and made me chuckle too.
Across
1 and 1d Thematic – Twice using verbiage – ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS
8 Rev (Baracks (President Obama) – k (initially known)) = SCARAB (Divine Creature – to the Egyptians)
9 Di’s (Girls) + Homonym(Guys (men)) = DISGUISE (Cover)
10 Rev (Works – Goes) around (indicated by to collect) id (passport etc.) = SKID ROW (Insalubrious area of town)
12 See 29
13 a + x (by as in times) + l (lake) = AXL (Rose as in Guns ‘n Roses)
14 Golf (car) holding (lead)* = GOLD LEAF (Foil)
16 See 30
18 Sic (sound morbid as in sick) around to = STOIC (He’s not complaining)
20 (Pair + lady)* = LAPIDARY (Jet as in teh stone possibly)
22 DD Cockney’s to own = ‘AVE (No Aitches in London) (Greeting)
23 See 29
25 Sh (give no no information) around (files)* = SELFISH (without consideration)
27 Rev (i (one) + brev (short note as in breve)) + age (season) = VERBIAGE (Short note unlikely to contain it)
29 Thematic Now using verbiage = AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME
30 Thematic Sag = Saga shortened = CUT A LONG STORY SHORT
Down
1 See 1ac
2 (ritas)* = TARSI (bones)
3 Rev (robs) in one = OSBORNE (Does he make immoral gains?)
4 hidden Rev (baD NEws) = END (Goal)
5 (as libs + e (end of vote))* = ABSEILS (Goes down steeply)
6 Had – h (henry) + (holdout)* = ADULTHOOD (Majority as in age of)
7 ep (record) + some – e (reduced a little) = EPSOM (Course as in racing)
11 Rev(Self (as in Will Self) + flaw (weakness) – l (length)) = WAFFLES
15 doone’s (as in Lorna Doone) + bit (slang for girlfriend) = DO ONES BIT (Muck in)
17 tory (right as in politics) around (chill)* = TORCH LILY (Plant)
19 (act)* + call (occasion) = CATCALL (required for a bad act)
21 (spurs + al (arsenal wingers))* = PULSARS (Stars potentially)
24 Rev(elo (electric light orchestra – band))* + ice (drug) – e (ecstasy) = OLEIC (Type of acid)
26 in trouble (having problems) – (blue)* = INTRO (Opener)
28 Rev (No + e (energy)) = EON (Age)
Got everything except AXL, whom I’d never heard of (though I’d heard of his band), so thanks, twencelas, for enlightenment. I struggled with this for a bit until for no apparent reason, apart from a few checking letters, CUT A LONG STORY SHORT came to mind for 30/16 and then the theme dawned on me. So one could say I solved it in a rather roundabout way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Yes, this was most enjoyable. It also took me quite a while to break into. I’d not heard of AXL either but the wordplay led very definitely there and I was able to check afterwards. Thanks Tyrus and twencelas.
13a was the last one I got. Something to bear in mind is that AXL ROSE is an anagram of … well, suffice to say it’s an anagram (4, 3)
Thanks twenceslas and Tyrus. Good fun but I needed help with 9 (missed the homophone indicator) and 13 (new to me). I hope Paul’s not reading kenmac@4!
Thanks to all for the comments and to twencelas for another excellent blog.
AXL is not a word in any dictionary I own.
If 1st names of 2nd rate rock musicians are to be allowable answers then we’re on a slippery slope indeed.
Otherwise enjoyed this immensely. I especially liked the misdirection away from the right type of JET in 20ac.
Slight error in blog in that 29 s/be
AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME.
Not sure what happened there – seemed to auto-submit my comment!
Thanks redddevil – I’ve corrected 29. as to Axl Rose, I would think he was well known enough to justify a clue reference.
This crossword has been reprinted in the small Independent newspaper on July 5th 2016.
Why? Are they short of compilers?
I only found this our as I was desperate to find the solution after the puzzle sitting in my bathroom for three days!!