(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) A typical Tuesday puzzle, not difficult but enjoyable, with a couple of uncommon words/meanings. Thanks to Sayang. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1,4 After theatre in Broadway, Mary Jane was perfect (6,8)
BEYOND REPROACH : BEYOND(after, in time or space) + REP(short for “repertory”, a theatre, eg. in Broadway, New York) + ROACH(slang for the butt of a marijuana;Mary Jane in slang, cigarette).
9 Ugly duckling? (6)
CYGNET : Cryptic defn: Derived from the Hans Christian Anderson tale of the ugly duckling which was actually a young swan;a cygnet.
10 Hitler was a great film for Chaplin (8)
DICTATOR : Cryptic defn: Reference to the Charlie Chaplin film, The Great Dictator.
11 The Italian in trouble is injured (6)
SPOILT : IL(Italian for “the”) contained in(in) SPOT(a bit of trouble;a difficult position to be in).
12 Superabundance from the polar meltdown (8)
PLETHORA : Anagram of(… meltdown) THE POLAR.
13 More of Miss West in Scotland (3)
MAE : Double defn: 1st: “more” in Scottish; and 2nd: First name of former American actress and sex symbol, Miss West, who said: “When I’m good, I’m very good. But when I’m bad I’m better”.
14 This clue of a religious symbol (6)
ACROSS : A + CROSS(the Christian religious symbol).
Defn: Descriptive of this clue.
17 The Age of Aquarius for wanton sex, is it? (7)
SIXTIES : Anagram of(wanton) SEX, IS IT.
Answer: The decade which saw the Age of Aquarius, the advent of the New Age movement, which spread from the hippie counterculture at that time. And a reference (wanton sex?) to free love, “Make Love Not War”, etc. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue.
21 Dress an abstainer with passion (6)
ATTIRE : A(like “an”, an article in grammar) TT(abbrev. for a “teetotaller”;an abstainer) + iRE(the passion of anger).
25 Experienced animal doctor to investigate (3)
VET : Triple defn: 1st: Short for “veteran”, descriptive of one having had experience); and 2nd: Short for “veterinarian”;an animal doctor); and 3rd: To check out;to screen;to investigage.
26 Firearm of habitual criminal (8)
REPEATER : Double defn: 1st: A firearm that can fire several shots without reloading; and 2nd: A criminal who keeps committing crimes and keeps getting caught.
27 // in parasol I ditched (6)
SOLIDI : Hidden in(in) “parasol I ditched “.
Answer: Plural of(2 x) “solidus”(/;the diagonal stroke in print).
28 Cable television dishing out bestial programme of brutality (8)
VIOLENCE : Anagram of(… programme) [“Cable television ” minus(dishing out) “bestial “]. Another WIWD clue.
29 Felt children will embrace ambassador (6)
ELTCHI : Hidden in(… will embrace) “Felt children “.
Answer: An elusive word to find in the dictionaries. Collins gives “elchee”, and other sources give alternative spellings, “elchi” and “eltchi”.
30,31 Companion for Friday (8,6)
ROBINSON CRUSOE : Cryptic defn: The castaway who called his companion, Man Friday, in Daniel Defoe’s novel.
Down
1,22 Support chair to club vexatious passenger (4-4,6)
BACK-SEAT DRIVER : BACK(to support;to endorse) + SEAT(a chair) plus(to) DRIVER(a golf club).
2 Does its consumption make one cultured? (8)
YOGHOURT : Cryptic defn: Reference to the food product made from milk curdled with bacteria cultures.
3 Unnecessary demand for smaller amount (8)
NEEDLESS : NEED(a demand;a requirement) plus(for) LESS(a smaller amount).
5 Red bible did not begin to be fit for consumption (6)
EDIBLE : “Red bible ” minus its respective 1st letters(did not begin).
6 Turn Dad’s Army into repetitive performance (6)
ROTATE : T.A.(abbrev. for the Territorial Army in the British military, made up of volunteers, whose average age is higher than that of the regular troops, and thus is in danger of being a “Dad’s Army”) contained in(into) ROTE(a repetitive routine, usually used as a method of memorising, especially if without comprehension).
7 Battle exploit (6)
ACTION : Double defn.
8,20 Remedial niche created around Britain for planted remedy (6,8)
HERBAL MEDICINE : Anagram of(… created) containing(around) B(abbrev. for “Britain”).
Defn: Cryptically, cures made from plants.
12 Consort with confederate (7)
PARTNER : Double defn: 1st: … in marriage; and 2nd: … in crime.
15 So out of sorts, almost (3)
SIC : “sick”(out of sorts;ill) minus its last letter(almost).
Defn: Thus;as indicated, used in text editing.
16 Principally the English addiction (3)
TEA : The 1st letters, respectively, of(Principally) “the English addiction “. A WIWD clue.
18 He walks with a baby carriage (8)
STROLLER : Double defn.
19 Malaysian national symbol is in his club, left out and devastated (8)
HIBISCUS : Anagram of(… devastated) [ “is ” contained in(in) “his club ” minus(… out) “l”(abbrev. for “left”) ].
20 See 8
22 See 1
23 A quiet look to the doctor for assurance (6)
APLOMB : + P(abbrev. for “piano”, the musical direction to play softly) + LO(look!, as in “lo and behold!”) plus(to) MB(abbrev. for a Bachelor of Medicine, a doctor).
Defn: Self-confidence.
24 Local time to hail sailors (6)
TAVERN : T(abbrev. for “time”) plus(to) AVE!(hial!;welcome!) + R.N.(abbrev. for the Royal Navy).
Defn: The drinking establishment near where one lives or works, and which one frequents.
25 Fastening material from level crossing (6)
VELCRO : Hidden in(from) “level crossing “.
The original, and an innovation:
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
Yes, another good-fun puzzle from Sayang. ELTCHI was a nice discovery, which is bound to start turning up in other setters’ puzzles. Thanks scchua and Sayang.
The Territorial Army is surely not the same thing as the Home Guard?
Oops, sorry, you’re right Conrad Cork, mistaken identity on my part. Apparently, because of the higher average age in the TA compared to the regular troops, they’ve been called “Dad’s Army”. Blog corrected.
As Conrad correctly says, The Territorial Army is not “Dad’s Army” in any way.