An enjoyable cruise from Aardvark. I’m glad this was not too difficult as I had forgotten today is Wednesday and got off to a very late start with my blog.
I’m not completely sure on 6dn and 16dn, any help would be appreciated.
Hold the mouse pointer over any clue number to read the clue.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TUSKER | TER (territory) around USK (river) |
| 4 | STOPPARD | OP (opus, work) in PARTS* |
| 9 | GODSON | DistresS (case=outer letters of) held in GOON (dummy) – definition is ‘child’. |
| 10 | PETER MAY | Essex (opening letter) TERM (interval) in PAY (reward) – former cricketer, captain of England and Surrey. |
| 12 | FOWL | F (forte, loud) OWL (hooter) – definition is ‘game’ |
| 13 | FUTON | U (unionist) in FT (newspaper) and ON |
| 14 | UNDO | D (500, Roman numeral) in UNO (one, Italian) |
| 17 | ALL TO PLAY FOR | TOP LAY (amateur) in FLORAL* |
| 20 | CLIFF RICHARD | CLIFF (face of rock) R (first letter of roll) IC (in command) HARD (tough) – definition is &lit. I don’t think Sir Cliff is known particularly for being tough and commanding, but lets give Aardvark the benefit of the doubt in this clever clue. |
| 23 | ROUT | bert becomes bet with R out – definition is ‘rowdy mob’ |
| 24 | ASPIC | SA (Salvation Army) reversed (over) with PIC (picture) |
| 25 | STYE | chESTY* (CH=child missing) anagram=shivering |
| 28 | CALVADOS | AD (commercial) in VOCALS* |
| 29 | FAG END | GEN (news, the latest) in FAD (fashion) |
| 30 | TURNOVER | a company wants a big turnover to grow, definition is ‘pastry’ |
| 31 | WISDOM | WI (West Indies, Caribbean) MODS (music fans) reversed |
| Down | ||
| 1 | TUG-OF-WAR | cryptic definition |
| 2 | SIDEWALK | KIDS* (anagram=messing) going around ignorE (ultimately=last letter) and LAW (rule) reversed (about) |
| 3 | EROS | ROSE (stood up) moving E from the back to the front |
| 5 | THE HOLY GRAIL | (HE GOT HILLARY)* |
| 6 | PIER | |
| 7 | ALMOND | sALMON (fish, topped) and D (date) |
| 8 | DRY ROT | TORY (politician) with RD (road) reversed (revolutionary) |
| 11 | PULL A FAST ONE | (ALF PAUL)* on STONE (rock) |
| 15 | DOLLY | DO (party) aLLY (friend) missing A |
| 16 | POACH | O (old) ACtors (pair of=two letters) in PH (public house, pub) – definition is ‘track down’. Chambers does not give ‘track down’ as a meaning for poach, maybe other dictionaries do? |
| 18 | MASTHEAD | MAD goes around (circles) AS THE (representing) – definition is ‘flag’ |
| 19 | ADDENDUM | AD (poster) on DEN (shelter) DUM sounds like dumb (foolish) – definition is ‘extra’ |
| 21 | BRECHT | sCHuBERT* (missing US) anagram=playing |
| 22 | BUTLER | BUT (only) L (large) ER (Elizabeth Regina, ruler) – servants are found ‘below stairs’ |
| 26 | SAGO | SAG (depression) O (love, zero tennis score) |
| 27 | BALI | B (Britain) Mohammed ALI (The Greatest) – definition is ‘island’ |
*anagram
Thanks PeeDee and Aardvark. 6d is I (current) in PER (through), I think. I’m afraid I’m in the same boat as you on 16d. An enjoyable puzzle but quite tricky, imho.
Very enjoyable indeed thanks to setter and blogger. It did help that I am old enough to remember the cricketer!!
6d I can’t remember exactly and my Chambers is at home but I is an abbreviation for some sort of electrical current (I had to blog a puzzle with it in recently) which is inserted into PER (through).
16d the office dictionary doesn’t have poach as track down either.
Thanks MikeC and crypticsue. I couldn’t see that, I really should have been able to.
Blimey! Peter May & the mods – back to the ’50s & ’60s.
Yes, yes – I remember them as well.
1 across makes no sense – I got Tusker, but still can’t fathom the cryptic. Your explanation makes no sense, I’m afraid; it yields TERR. Too many proper names – who the hell is(was) Peter May? The whole thing feels like it was lifted from an old paper – Cliff Richard as the face of rock and roll, mods, sago pudding. I don’t see “poach” as a synonym for track down, either.
Oops! Should have been the river USK in 1 across. Sorry about that.
I quite enjoyed the mid-20th century feel of this puzzle. I stopped watching cricket in the 1960s so Peter May is one of the few cricketers that I know.
In 20 you have to do the lift and separate after Rock. A cliff is a face of rock and roll originally is R so the clue is not necessarily an endorsement of Sir Cliff’s status
Is 16d a typo? “Break down” would make sense in a farming scenario where a tract of land is broken down or poached?
Hi Lenny @7. I agree with the “face of rock” meaning cliff, I didn’t see that. That doesn’t really change the overall reading of the clue though, whole clue still has to be the definition (&lit).
Thanks for the blog, PeeDee.
Cliff’s hit “Tough Enough” was released in 1962 and he took part in the Royal
“Command” Performance of 1981. Rather tenuous I admit, but with a question mark
at the end, I’d be only too happy to give Aardvark the benefit of the doubt!