Cyclops on usual form with a bundle of profane, scatological and politically cynical clues and answers.
This time the grid was enlivened by a couple of clues where some thespian knowledge was required.
Only one question on the wordplay: In 18D why specify sixty seconds?
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSYCHO | Chop off round extremely silly hair-raising feature (6) (CHOP)* AInd: off, around S[ill]Y First clue read and answered due to spotting the ‘extremely silly’ = SY device. |
| 5 | DIATRIBE | Peter out to crush Adele’s debut shit Brit blast (8) DIE (Peter out) around A[dele] BRIT* AInd: shit |
| 9 | MEDIABALLS | Broadcast gaffes badly aimed by Shadow minister (10) AIMED* AInd: badly, BALLS (Shadow minister) |
| 11 | UTTER ROT | Balls, say, on decline? (5,3) UTTER (say) ROT (decline) |
| 12 | NONUSE | Neglected state of one rogue taking tabloid over (6) SUN< inside ONE* AInd: rogue |
| 13 | SCARPER | Bitchy type’s after ‘Pinnacle of Sadism’ belt (7) CARPER (bitchy type) after S[adism] |
| 15 | ALLENDE | President wasted, being carried by crestfallen Democrats (7) Hidden in crestfALLEN DEmocrats. Ref. the late Salvador Allende. Did he jump or was he pushed? |
| 17/8 | A LOAD OF BALLS | Absolute crap, many society events (1,4,2,5) DD |
| 19 | SKYLARK | High flier responsible for the blue joke (7) SKY (the blue) LARK (joke) |
| 22 | MOTION | A shit proposal (6) DD |
| 24 | LASHINGS | Liberal content of a whip’s administrations (8) DD |
| 26/10 | BABY TALK | The new Boy George causing all this verbal nonsense? (4,4) CD |
| 27 | BANDMASTER | He has the brass, etc. to deprive party leader of his left side – ace! (10) [mili]BAND (party leader, without left side of his name) MASTER (ace) |
| 28 | TRAVESTY | Apology for crack showing outside an undergarment (8) A VEST inside TRY (crack) |
| 29 | RUN DRY | Finish the last of the booze, producing tear (ironic) (3,3) DD |
| Down | ||
| 2 | SCEPTICAL | Not buying plastic surgery, church being involved (9) (PLASTIC CE)* AInd: surgery |
| 3 | CHIME | Sound when Cyclops is stuffing a cult hero (5) I’M (Cyclops is) inside CHE (cult hero) Last answer – I got stuck thinking Cyclops would give just I or ME |
| 4 | OSBORNE | Love tips from Wills and Kate holding newly-delivered George (not the popular one)(7) O (love) BORN (newly-delivered) inside [will]S [kat]E |
| 5 | DELETE | Balls up and allow drug to take out? (6) ED< (Balls, up) LET (allow) E (drug) |
| 6 | ARSENAL | Bastard not available on left side (7) ARSE (Bastard) NA (not available) L[eft] |
| 7 | ROT IN HELL | “Hitler, loon, has only got one ball”, working as an angry parting shot? (3,2,4) (HITLER LO[o]N)* AInd: working |
| 14 | REALITY TV | Reduced the invading viral, yet crap schedules filler (7,2) (T[he] VIRAL YET)* AInd: crap, also possibly part of the definition. |
| 16 | DE RIGUEUR | Merkel’s article: “Reform, I urge you ultimately!” must be done (2,7) DER (Merkel’s article) (I URGE [yo]U)* AInd: Reform |
| 18 | OMNIBUS | Sixty Seconds Erection Point: American special edition (7) MO< (Seconds Erection) NIB (point) US(American) Why Sixty? |
| 20 | KASHMIR | “F—k!” (as H. Mirren plays host to a region)(7) Hidden in F–K AS H MIRren |
| 21 | PLENTY | Much drama from David (6) DD Plenty is a play by David Hare – dragged from my distant memory. Checking the film version I see a very decent cast. |
| 23 | ON-AIR | Live performing lifted little weight from the old PM (2-3) ON (performing) BLAIR (old PM) minus LB< (little weight) reversed |
| 25 | IBSEN | Brand created by him, Seb’s moving in fashionable setting (5) SEB* AInd: moving, inside IN (fashionable setting) Brand is a play by Ibsen. I did not know this one |
The past, the present and the future walked into a bar …
… it was tense.
Many thanks, as always, BM. Great puzzle, too – Cyclops really is the master of surfaces!
On MO in 18d – I assume that a moment is conventionally a minute, hence the secs. But I agree that the apparent equivalence of “Just a mo” and “Just a sec” is a bit of a stumbling block…
Historically a ‘mo’ was either a fortieth or a fiftieth of an hour, 72 or 90 seconds. I think the ‘sixty’ is just there for the surface.
By the way beermagnet, you were being asked after on the site that replaced the old Graun talkboards, many of the old crossworders are still there at notthetalk.com
Thanks BM…
For 13a I thought perhaps SCORNER with a belt (of land) = a corner. Though i wasnt happy.
But not sure about SCARPER either. Belt: speed / move quickly. Bolt would have been better?
Though I guess belt gives a better surface read.
Hmmmm
Last in was 21d with muc nead scratching at?l?n?y. Eventually decided that plenty would fit but why? Who is this David. Googled plenty and David and got answer but never heard of the chap or the play. Now someone can stagger me by saying it was their first in!