A nice puzzle from Rufus, as usual on a Monday – there are a few clues which I’m not sure if I’ve parsed right, but I’m sure everyone will be able to clear those up quickly.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1. | FRESCO | (FORCES)* |
| 5. | PEDANTRY | ED in PANTRY |
| 9. | NEBRASKA | (BANKS ARE)* |
| 10. | MIGHTY | MIG = “Russian fighter” + HT = “height” + Y[emeni] |
| 11. | PITCH AND TOSS | Double definition; “gambling” refers to the game Pitch and Toss |
| 13. | HERO | Double definition; I guess that “so was she” refers to Hero from the story of Hero and Leander |
| 14. | SCOT-FREE | S = “Second” + COT = “bed” + FREE = “delivered” |
| 17. | LOOKER-ON | LOOKER = “an attractive girl” + ON = “working” |
| 18. | EXIT | Cryptic definition; “issue” as in “to go out” |
| 20. | SUNDAY SCHOOL | (SO UNHOLY CADS)* |
| 23. | BIDDER | Cryptic definition |
| 24. | ENDANGER | END = “purpose” + ANGER = “a sin” |
| 25. | UNDERARM | UNDER = “subordinate” + ARM = “member” |
| 26. | EYELID | Cryptic definition |
| Down | ||
| 2. | REEF | Cryptic definition? Not very cryptic, I think, unless I’ve missed something… |
| 3. | SCRAPBOOK | Cryptic definition; “scrap” as in “fight” |
| 4. | ONSETS | (STONES)*; a great clue |
| 5. | PEACHES AND CREAM | Double definition: “Sweet” (as in “dessert”) and “attractive sort of complexion” |
| 6. | DOMINON | MINION = “a slave” after DO = “serve” |
| 7. | NIGHT | Not sure how to interpret this – just a reference to “nightfall”? |
| 8. | ROTISSERIE | (TORIES RISE)* |
| 12. | RESOLUTION | Double definition; a “proposition” in the sense of a motion voted on at a meeting |
| 15. | FREELANCE | EEL = “swimmer” in FRANCE |
| 16. | GREY AREA | (RAY EAGER)* |
| 19. | POODLE | (LOOPED)* |
| 21. | DODGE | Double definition; Dodge City is sometimes just referred to as “Dodge”, I think. |
| 22. | YETI | YET = “Still” + I = “one” |
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