The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26662.
Perhaps I am feeling a little dozy tonight, but this proceeded more slowly than usual for me for a Paul puzzle. There are some interesting wrinkles in the wordplay which held me up, so altogether a good workout. Thanks Paul. I think it is a fitting end to a good week at the Guardian.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CATNAPPED |
Beaten about at noon, took a brief rest (9)
An envelope (‘about’) of ‘at’ plus N (‘noon’) in CAPPED (‘beaten’). |
| 6 | RIDER |
One’s up for an amendment (5)
Double definition. |
| 9 | TESCO |
Corporate Scotland welcomes big business (5)
A hidden answer (‘welcomes’) in ‘corporaTE SCOtland’. |
| 10 | REDIVIVUS |
Born again, I survived after a renaissance (9)
An anagram (‘after a renaissance’) of ‘I survived’. |
| 11 | HOP |
Spring plant (3)
Double definition. |
| 12,26 | SIGNIFICANT OTHER |
Wife — Sagittarius, for example, should I be able to count on her? (11,5)
A charade of SIGN (‘Sagittarius, for example’) plus IF I CAN TOT (‘should I be able to count’ – ‘should’ as in “should you see the right shade of meaning, it makes sense”) plus ‘her’. |
| 14 | POTTAGE |
Even parts of soup turned over three times is soup (7)
A charade of PO, a reversal (‘turned over’) of OP (‘even parts of sOuP‘) plus T T AGE (‘three times’). |
| 15 | MUSETTE |
Silent hiding place for pipe (7)
An envelope (‘hiding’) of SET (‘place’, verb) in MUTE (‘silent’). |
| 16 | SAPPHIC |
Dope and heroin in film like Women In Love? (7)
A charade of SAP (‘dope’) plus an envelope (‘in’) of H (‘heroin’) in PIC (‘film’). |
| 19 | STIRRUP |
Ultimately ear piercing to arouse a tiny part of the ear? (7)
An envelope (‘piercing’) of R (‘ultimately eaR‘) in STIR UP (‘arouse’). |
| 22 | FLOOR POLISH |
Finish puzzle in another language? (5,6)
A charade of FLOOR (‘puzzle’) plus POLISH (‘in another language’). |
| 23 | ASP |
Reptile like python, primarily (3)
A charade of AS (‘like’) plus P (‘Python initially’), |
| 24 | TAILBOARD |
Back of a lorry, where dog and pig died (9)
A charade of TAIL (‘dog’, verb) plus BOAR (‘pig’) plus D (died’). |
| 26 |
See 12
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|
| 27 | POOCH |
Dog caught in bear’s clutches (5)
An envelope (‘in …’s clutches’) of C (‘caught’) in POOH (‘bear’). |
| 28 | TWEENAGER |
Twelve-year-old, say, short bird astride foal? (9)
An envelope (‘astride’) of WEE NAG (‘foal’) in TER[n] (‘bird’) without its last letter (‘short’). |
| Down | ||
| 1 | CATCH UP |
Get the latest gossip from malicious woman, friend not entirely pleased, initially (5,2)
A charade of CAT (‘malicious woman’) plus CHU[m] (‘friend’) without its last letter (‘not entirely’) plus P (‘Pleased, initially’). |
| 2 | TOSSPOT |
Throw prize in boozer (7)
A charade of TOSS (‘throw’) plus POT (‘prize’). ‘Boozer’ as a person, not a place. |
| 3 | ATOM SMASHER |
Accelerator in order going into hamster as swerving (4,7)
An envelope (‘going into’) of OM (‘order’ of merit) in ATSMASHER, an anagram (‘swerving’) of ‘hamster as’. |
| 4 | PIROGUE |
Bad man following good in canoe (7)
A charade of PI (‘good’) plus ROGUE (‘bad man’). |
| 5 | DADAISM |
Stop welcoming platform for the art of incongruity (7)
An envelope (‘welcoming’) of DAIS (‘platform’) in |
| 6 | REV |
Vicar‘s cycle (3)
Double definition, |
| 7 | DEVIANT |
Irregular green semicircle turns up on top of table (7)
A charade of DEVIAN, a reversal (‘turns up’ in a down light) of NAIVE (‘green’) plus D (‘semicircle’); plus T (‘top of Table’). |
| 8 | ROSETTE |
Pinned up in epaulettes, ornate badge of honour (7)
A hidden reversed (‘pinned up in’) answer in ‘epaulETTES ORnate’. |
| 13 | IPSWICH TOWN |
An 11-2 win ordered with chips? (7,4)
An anagram (‘ordered’) of TWO (‘2’) plus ‘win’ plus ‘chips’, for the soccer team. |
| 16 | SOFT TOP |
Convertible, piano to piano (4,3)
A charade of SOFT (the first ‘piano’) plus ‘to’ plus P (the second ‘piano’). |
| 17 | PROVISO |
Stipulation for and against one’s opinion, at first (7)
A charade of PRO (‘for’) plus V (versus, ‘against’) plus I’S (‘one’s’) plus O (‘Opinion at first’). |
| 18 | COOLANT |
One leaving location shivering — what made the temperature drop? (7)
An anagram (‘shivering’) of ‘locat[i]on’ minus the I (‘one leaving’). |
| 19 | SWINDLE |
Fiddle only, nothing less, eclipsing trumpets and flutes etc (7)
An envelope (‘eclipsing’) of WIND (‘trumpets and flutes etc’) in S[o]LE (‘only’) minus the O (‘nothing less’). |
| 20 | ROAD HOG |
One driver blocking another, reportedly drove over corner (4,3)
A charade of ROAD, sounding like (‘reportedly’) RODE (‘drove’) plus HOG (‘corner’ the market).
|
| 21 | PAPERER |
Prepare cracks, one covering surface with fine material (7)
An anagram (‘cracks’) of ‘prepare’. |
| 25 | BAH |
I’m disgusted by all hapless leaders (3)
First letters (‘leaders’) of ‘By All Hapless’. |
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