(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) Pretty straightforward. Thanks to Gurney. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Effect of sun – brief delight and confusion? (6)
TANGLE : TAN(effect of sunbathing) + “glee”(delight) minus its last letter(brief …).
4 Boldly challenged bill (having amount to pay calculated) (8)
ACCOSTED : AC(abbrev. for “account”;a bill of what’s due and what’s paid) + COSTED(having calculated the amount to pay).
9 Starts to chill out, relaxing freely, unwinding – here? (5)
CORFU : The 1st letters, respectively, of(Starts to) “chill out, relaxing freely, unwinding “.
Defn: A place to unwind, one of the Greek islands.
10 Friendly pair of criminals shelter a dozen (in separate groups) (9)
CONVIVIAL : [CON, AL](short for “convict”, and Capone, American gangster, viz. a pair of criminals) containing(shelter) VI,VI(Roman numerals for 6 and 6, which added together give a dozen in 2 separate groups).
11 One attempting to secure horse – old cowboy’s one? (7)
TRIGGER : TRIER(one who attempts) containing(to secure) GG(from the slang or children’s word, gee-gee, for a horse).
Defn: The old cowboy, Roy Rogers’ horse.
12 Some samurai men traded old-fashioned clothing (7)
RAIMENT : Hidden in(Some) “samurai men traded “.
13 Stratagem used in Home Counties game first (4)
RUSE : SE(abbrev. for the south-east of England, where the Home Counties are) placed after(… first) RU(abbrev. for the game of rugby union).
14 Indication of descent ruffles eg English pride? (8)
PEDIGREE : Anagram of(ruffles) [EG + E(abbrev. for “English”) + PRIDE].
17 With irritation I spy plan (devious) (8)
SNAPPILY : Anagram of(… devious) I SPY PLAN.
Defn: …, in one’s speech.
19 In imitation repeat nymph’s name (4)
ECHO : Double defn: 2nd: The nymph in Greek mythology, who, spurned by Narcissus, pined away until only her voice remained.
22 Lots here but not necessarily many? (7)
AUCTION : Cryptic defn: Reference to the lots put up for sale- each being an individual item or a collection of items sold as a unit.
24 Insignificant place currently – girl’s first to exit (7)
NOWHERE : NOW(currently;at present) + HER(pronoun for a girl) plus(…’s) the 1st letter of(first to) “exit “.
25 Not being told what to pay? Ridiculous (9)
PRICELESS : Cryptic defn: Literally, without the price being given. Extremely absurd.
26 Tense over new jeering remark (5)
TAUNT : TAUT(tense;tight) containing(over) N(abbrev. for “new”).
27 Moving fast, artist with sympathy defending papers (8)
RAPIDITY : RA(post-nomial letters for an artist who is a member of the Royal Academy of Arts) plus(with) PITY(sympathy) containing(defending) ID(abbrev. for identity papers, collectively).
28 Perhaps a Yankee fish shop (6)
BETRAY : BET(an example of which;perhaps is the Yankee, a combination bet in the UK) + RAY(a fish, distinguished by its flattened body).
Defn: …;to inform on, especially to the police.
Down
1 Using discretion one brought in vessel not saying much (8)
TACITURN : TACT(discretion) containing(… brought in) I(Roman numeral for “one”) + URN(a vessel, eg. to contain tea or ashes).
2 Person who’s self-deprecating? Quite the opposite on reflection (9)
NARCISSUS : Cryptic defn: Reference to the young man in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own reflection, and pined away, becoming a narcissus flower.
3 One in France in theatre box to take it easy (6)
LOUNGE : UN(“one” in French) contained in(in) LOGE(a small enclosure or box in a theatre).
5 Bird – one’s on lake and heading for south in archipelago (6,7)
CANARY ISLANDS : CANARY(a bird) + I’S(in Roman numeral, “one’s”) + L(abbrev. for “lake”) + AND +the 1st letter of(heading for) “south“.
6 Love lively virile actor (7)
OLIVIER : O(letter for zero, “love” in tennis scores) + anagram of(lively) VIRILE.
Answer: Laurence, English actor.
7 Time to make fun of ultimately fake group (5)
TRIBE : T(abbrev. for “time”) + RIB(to make fun of;to tease) + the last letter of(ultimately) “fake “.
8 Reduce effect of old instrument detective’s brought over (6)
DILUTE : LUTE(an old string instrument) placed below(…’s brought over, in a down clue) DI(abbrev. for “detective inspector”).
10 Similar rents drop once renegotiated (13)
CORRESPONDENT : Anagram of(… renegotiated) RENTS DROP ONCE.
15 Former partner. Her cue – question initially about source of finance? (9)
EXCHEQUER : EX(a former spouse or partner) + anagram of(… about) [HER CUE + the 1st letter of(… initially) “question ” ].
Defn: …, specifically the treasury of a state or nation.
16 Wood science concerned with breaking frosty ground (8)
FORESTRY : RE(with reference to;concerned with) contained in(breaking) anagram of(… ground) FROSTY.
18 A stronger competitor from Belfast? Something that could add flavour (7)
ANISEED : A + N.I. SEED(a Northern Ireland player who is seeded in a knockout competition, coming from Belfast, maybe;?).
20 Hinder movement of food container (6)
HAMPER : Double defn.
21 Wrap couple of articles following tips on show (6)
SWATHE : [A,THE](a couple of articles in grammar) placed below(following, in a down clue) the 1st and last letters of(tips on) “show “.
23 African native has letter from Greek parliamentarian (5)
CHIMP : CHI(a letter in the Greek alphabet) + MP(abbrev. for a Member of Parliament).
=============================================================================================
The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle (and pic1 is not FOREST).
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)
At risk of getting a bad reputation the only one I can see so far is #5 – which is arak (as known in the middle east) – an alcoholic ANISEED based drink which like, eg pastis, goes milky when diluted..
Coincidentally arak is also the name of bootleg hooch in Bali.
#2 Before the first humans arrived the CANARY ISLANDs were inhabited by (now extinct) giant rats.
pic 4
OLIVIER salad is a potato salad
In pic 3 we see old-fashioned clothing or RAIMENT
A pure bred German Shepherd dog (in pic 6) would have a PEDIGREE
For pic 5 I think JS is on the right track with ANISEED and DILUTE
A TRIBE of CHIMPs might live and LOUNGE about in tulip trees.
They might even do so in a FORESTRY area.
They might be CONVIVIAL or they may communicate SNAPPILY or get their tails in a TANGLE.
How’s this for clutching at straws? That last line would have worked so much better if STRAW was one of the answers. Sorry!
JollySwagman and Kevin, correct so far with
Pic5: The ouzo effect with ANISEED-flavoured liquors including arak
Pic4: The OLIVIER is a salad made with boiled potatoes, originally from Russia.
Not there yet with the others, unfortunately.
I thought JS was on the right track with the rats and CANARY ISLANDS. And I thought I was in with a chance on the German Shepherd, especially when Alsatian was not one of the answers.
OK back to the drawing board. I’ll check again in the morning.
merry Christmas everyone. (no political correctness for me, hence no “happy holidays” Lets leave that to those who feel threatened)
JollySwagman and Kevin
Pic1: CANARY wood is that from the tulip tree
Pic2: The subtext is Saturday Night Sunday Morning (sorry, I just realised it’s too small to be read). Saturday Night And Sunday Morning is a novel (and film), set in Nottingham, home of Nottingham FOREST Football Club, and, of course, Sherwood FOREST
Pic3: That name is an unauthorised spinoff of Victoria’s Secret, the latter trademark thus being DILUTEd
Pic6: Those are canines being bared by a canine. CANARY ISLANDS is from the Latin for Island of the Dogs. Its coat of arms includes 2 dogs.