Beelzebub 1,245

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This was a strangely similar solving experience to last week, where I thought I’d finished without resorting to aids, only to find I’d stuffed one up.

At 19 down I hadn’t been able to convince myself that “pother” was a word, so wrote in BOT HERB, which isn’t really any more likely. Still, a quick glance at the dictionary and all was remedied.

As with last week, there’s also one left to explain: on blogging I discover I’ve no idea how I figured out 17 across, so I’ve reproduced the clue there.

*=anagram, []=dropped, <=reversed.

Across
1 ATTITUDINISE – slightly complicated, this is one of these reverse/compound anagrams that I tend to associate with Azed. In this case (ATTITUDINISE + SO)* could be “I do it in statues”.
10 HARDENED – DENE in HARD.
11 URAL – [a]URAL.
12 ALIDADE – DAD in A LIE.
13 EDEMA – [bl]AMED E[nvironmental]<.
14 SACROSANCT – (A + CROS[sed]) in SAN + CT.
15 BAUD – A in BUD. A unit used to measure data speeds, as in old dial-up modems.
20 PACHINKO – (A CHINK) in PO. The bewildering metal ball game that’s hugely popular in Japan.
21 OLIGAMER – G in (MORE OIL)*.
26 NAOS – (A in SON)<.
27 HAEMATINIC – (A MACHINE IT)*.
29 EERIE – E + EIRE<.
30 JEOPARD – (Edgar Allan POE< in JAR) + D.
31 RIAS – I in RAS.
32 COLUMNAL – (LUM in CON) + AL[l].
33 BASTARD TITLE – B + (DTI in (A + STARTLE)).
Down
1 AHAB – BAHA[i]<.
2 TALKABLE – ALK[ie] in TABLE.
3 TRISUL – RI in LUST<. The three-pronged spear also known as a “Trishula”.
4 TEACUP – TEAC[h] + UP.
5 UNDREAMT – (D + REAM) in NUT*.
6 ID EST – DES[k] in IT.
7 NUDATION – (U[nusually] + D[oesn’t]) in NATION.
8 IRENE – IRE + NE.
9 ELATION – [d]ELATION. I hadn’t come across “delation” before, but it seemed likely, and a quick look in Chambers confirms it to be there.
16 DIGAMIST – DIG A MIST.
17 ICEFIELD – Viking, say, in start of winter month turned up in Arctic spot (8).
18 OK CORRAL – OK + (CAR in COAL).
19 POT HERB – POTHER + B[aker].
22 RUN OUT – UN in ROUT.
23 VACANT – CAN in VAT.
24 TERAS – [excavation]S ARE T[urning]<.
25 CAECA – (ACE + AC)<.
28 IDLE – L in IDE[a].

 

4 comments on “Beelzebub 1,245”

  2. My take on 17dn is the Viking is LEIF as in Leif Ericson, inside DECI, for Dec. 1st, the start of a winter month, all inverted.

    My big mistake was 16dn, where I’d guessed BIGAMIST, not knowing DIGAMIST, assuming there was some street slang “to big” meaning to appreciate. It was only when the only word that would fit in 15ac was DAUB, and that appeared to be nothing to do with the clue, that I finally got it.

  4. Thanks all. Reassuring to know I’m not the only one to have written in BIGAMIST. As far as I know the youngsters of today do actually like to “big” things “up” from time to time. Luckily 15 across fell in quite soon after and set me straight.

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