Cyclops 494: Vicars in uniform

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With the usual apologies to anyone who struggled, I found this Cyclops puzzle remarkably easy. For some reason, the one that took me longest was 15d.

I think I will nominate 21a/18d as best clue, because the anagram is rather well distributed through it.

Across
8 UNIFORMED PC may well be lacking the facts but giving away name
uninformed = lacking the facts; minus N = name
10 VICAR Shifty, one-off, “Caviar” Blair?
Anagram of (‘shifty’) ‘caviar’ minus I (‘one-off’).
Tony Blair featured as the vicar in St Albion Parish News.
11 NECKTIE Snog Bond as required to get in restaurant?
NECK = snog; TIE = bond
12 BOREDOM Blair’s opening alternative Dome broadcast: it’s yawn-making
B = Blair’s opening; OR = alternative; *(Dome), with ‘broadcast’ as the anagram indicator
13 SECONDING Subordinate “independent”, Nick Clegg, extremely supportive
SECOND = Subordinate; I = independent; NG = ‘extreme’ letters of Nick Clegg. Definition: supportive
14 TRUSS In fact, Russia’s a bind
Hidden in ‘fact Russia‘
16 BABEL Descriptive of heated Commons debate when old Blairite female cosies up to Left?
BABE = old Blairite female (the Blair Babes); L = left
18 CUPID Archer — using another name in Piccadilly
(With an oblique reference to Jeffrey Archer) Roman name for the god Eros, portrayed in the statue, which apparently isn’t Eros at all, but Anteros, his brother
21/18d SMEAR CAMPAIGN Lot of money invested in America (involved with an MP’s dirty tricks operation)
G = lot of money (grand); in *(America an MPs). Pretty well constructed anagram, I think.
22 PUMPS IRON Brings out the muscles and quizzes press
PUMPS = quizzes; IRON = press
24 RAT RUNS They’re taken to avoid congestion when shopper gets diarrhoea
RAT = shopper (mall rat); RUNS = diarrhoea
26 AIRPORT Maybe John Lennon’s manner with drink
AIR = manner; with PORT = drink
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
27 BOSCH Artist representing London mayor (”King and Emperor not allowed”) with his short office accessory
BO[ri]S = The London mayor, minus R= King, I = Emperor (imperator); CH[ain] = his short office accessory
Hieronymus Bosch
28 DOG COLLAR God-awful Nick’s pious habit
DOG = *(god), with ‘awful’ as the anagram indicator; COLLAR = nick, both terms for ‘arrest’. As worn by Rev Blair, mentioned above.
Down
1 PUG NOSE Stuffed gun in model’s bitchy facial feature
*(gun); in POSE = model. Canine facial feature.
2 VINCE CABLE Shifty CBI enclave — Coalition destabiliser?
*(CBI enclave)
Vince Cable
3/17 ROTTEN BOROUGHS Eye’s exposé before ’Yobs’: Balls has Cameron’s number — personal stink
ROT = balls; TEN = Cameron’s number; BO = personal stink; ROUGHS = yobs.
Rotten Boroughs is not featured just before ‘Yobs’ (which I think is pathetic and should have been ditched years ago).
See also Will’s comment below.
4 IMPERIAL Email rip-off ? That’s not like Brenda these days
*(email rip). The Queen (Brenda in Private Eye) is no longer an Empress.
5 OVERSTEP Lovers tepee houses go too far
Hidden in ‘Lovers tepee
6/25 ACID TEST One with DTs etc. (drunk) welcomes independent rigorous examination
A = one; I = independent; *(DTs etc)
7 PROMISE “Wrench to receive an honour” — hardly sincere coming from a politician
PRISE = wrench; OM = honour (Order of Merit)
9 DEBAG Good to have a shag upside down? Then remove pants
G = good;A; BED = shag; all reversed
15 UNDERWORLD Fancy nude Republican with — lord! — disgusting nether regions?
*(nude); R = Republican; W = with; *(lord), with ‘disgusting’ as the anagram indicator. Definition: nether regions
19 ASCRIBE Article by hack: “Pin the rap on somebody!”
A = article; SCRIBE = hack
20 ONE-TERM As Cameron’s PM role will turn out to be after tax involved in more dithering?
NET = after tax; in *(more). And we can but hope…
22 POSED Bribe taken up: Miliband was affected?
POS = ‘sop’ reversed; ED Miliband.
23 SERMON Prickteaser Monica delivers lecture
Hidden in ‘Prickteaser Monica 

 

Most of the jokes this week have been about Sir Alex Ferguson (carriage clock with 66 minutes to the hour, tribute standing ovation in 99th minute, etc, etc…), but I have seen nothing funnier than this delightful and well-observed site, so I leave you with it: This link

9 comments on “Cyclops 494: Vicars in uniform”

  1. 18ac. Answer: Cupid
    Cupid is the Roman name for Eros, Greek god of love, depicted as an archer.
    Barbara.

  3. 24a – I hadn’t thought of “mall rate”, but how about the criminal who betrays an accomplice by shopping them, i.e. ratting?

  4. Yes, JohnR — in fact, I think that’s the sense I got when I first solved it. I think I read something that used the term ‘mall rat’ in the time between solving and blogging, and that’s the sense that occurred to me when I blogged it.

  5. 3/17 ROTTEN BOROUGHS – The “before” refers to the placing of “rot, ten, BO” in front of “roughs”, AFAICS.

    I agree with ditching “Yobs”; it has always been poor.

  6. Got stuck on 27a as I thought I was looking for an office accessory. When I had b?s?h, I could only think of Bosch as in kitchen applicances. Oh well maybe they do electric pencil sharpeners I thought. Never heard of the artist

  7. Thankee. 4dn. Brenda wasn’t an empress, just late imperial. Her Ma was, though.

    I still think John Lennon’s an odd name for an airport, but got there eventually.

    Hadn’t heard of Anteros at all. This place is a real eduation sometimes: I’ve now read about all the little Erotes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erotes_%28mythology%29 No Deceros though.

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