(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) I wouldn’t say that it was all plain sailing for me. Thanks to Poins. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Restraint limiting attempt to turn at the same time (8)
TOGETHER : TETHER(a restraint in the form of a rope, chain, etc. to prevent an animal or object from going beyond a certain radius) containing(limiting) reversal of(.. to turn) GO(an attempt).
5 What Robert Catesby became after going around Spain regularly (6)
PAPIST : PAST(after, say, a certain point in time) containing(going around) the 2nd and 4th letters of(… regularly) “Spain“.
Answer: A usually derogative term, as used by Protestants, for a Roman Catholic, which Robert Catesby was during Protestant King James I’s reign in England.
9 Observed fellow cutting grass (8)
REMARKED : MARK(a fellow’s name) contained in(cutting) REED(a grass having a hollow stem and growing in wetlands).
10 Servant returning home tucks into something to eat (6)
MENIAL : Reversal of(returning) IN(at home) contained in(tucks into) MEAL(something to eat, viz. whole or ground grains of a cereal grass).
11 Start to get involved with Italian volunteers sent back to occupy the centre of Chieti (8)
INITIATE : IN(involved with, as in “he has been in politics since …”) + IT(abbrev. for “Italian”) + [ reversal of(… sent back) TA(abbrev. for the Territorial Army, consisting of volunteers) contained in(to occupy) the 2 central letters of(the centre of) “Chieti ” ].
12 One barely seen by short head girl on street (6)
NUDIST : “nut”(slang for one’s head) minus its last letter(short …) + DI(a girl’s name) plus(on) ST(abbrev. for “street”).
14 The first to complain after priest hides copy of evidence of activity (5,5)
PAPER TRAIL : The 1st letter of(… first) “The” + RAIL(to complain bitterly or vehemently) placed after(after) [ PR(abbrev. for “priest”) containing(hides) APE(to copy) ].
18 Catholic film director’s departed to make a fresh start (5,5)
CLEAN SLATE : C(abbrev. for “Catholic”) + LEAN(David, English film director)‘S + LATE(departed from this life).
22 Inconsistent comedian at last packing questionable venue (6)
UNEVEN : The last letter of(… at last) “comedian ” contained in(packing) anagram of(questionable) VENUE.
23 Produce information on deserter found in the middle of Leek (8)
GENERATE : GEN(information) plus(on) [ RAT(a deserter) contained in(found in) the 2 central letters of(the middle of) “Leek “].
24 Remained unused on the way back with fellow Dutch navigator (6)
TASMAN : Reversal of(… on the way back) SAT(remained unused, as in “the car sat in the garage for ages” plus(with) MAN(a fellow).
Answer: Abel, after whom the Australian island of Tasmania is named.
25 Reject determined to join top class team (3,5)
SET ASIDE : SET(determined;not to be swayed) plus(to join) A(signifying something that is top class) + SIDE(a team of competitors).
26 Furious about fellow coming back and ready finally to make a complaint (6)
MALADY : MAD(furious) containing(about) reversal of(… coming back) AL(a fellow’s name) plus(and) the last letter of(… finally) “ready“.
Defn: …, medically speaking.
27 Touchstone finds a way after resistance by Audrey at first (8)
STANDARD : RD(abbrev. for “road”;a way) placed after(after) [STAND(resistance, as in “Custer’s last stand”) plus(by) the 1st letter of(… at first) “Audrey ” ].
Defn: Criterion by which to rate something/someone.
Down
1 Fool performer with good write-up (6)
TURNIP : TURN(a short theatrical performance – the performer too?) plus(with) reversal of(… write-up) PI(short for “pious”;good).
Defn: …, in British slang.
2 Country doctor introduced to Phoebe’s mum (6)
GAMBIA : MB(post-nominal letters for a Bachelor of Medicine;a doctor) contained in(introduced to) GAIA(in Greek mythology, the primal Mother Goddess, mum of Phoebe, and other deities).
3 Retire from shop (4,2)
TURN IN : Double defn: 1st: … for the night; and 2nd: …, or inform on to the police, say.
4 United supporter overcome by result in the end (10)
EVENTUALLY : [ U(abbrev. for “united”) + ALLY(a supporter) ] placed below(overcome by, in a down clue) EVENT(the result;the actual or final outcome as in “in the event of …”).
6 Fair enough! (8)
ADEQUATE : Double defn: 1st: Acceptable;passable, and 2nd: Sufficient for the purpose.
7 Ridiculous claim to hold up popular setter as unfriendly (8)
INIMICAL : Anagram of(Ridiculous) CLAIM placed below(to hold up, in a down clue) [ IN(popular;in fashion) +I(self-referential pronoun referring to the setter of this puzzle) ].
8 Lie around the whole time? It’s unbelievable (4,4)
TALL TALE : TALE(a lie;a fairy story) containing(around) [ ALL(the whole;the lot) + T(abbrev. for “time”).
13 The determination of a dispute with Hamlet for instance (10)
SETTLEMENT : Double defn: 2nd: A “hamlet” (with a lower case “h”) is an example.
15 Get used to Bill meeting a client without hesitation (8)
ACCUSTOM : AC(abbrev. for “account”;a bill;a rendering of monies owed) plus(meeting) “customer”(who is called a client when it comes to professional services, including such by sex workers and lawyers) minus(without) “er”(an expression of hesitation).
16 Several transferred after QPR’s latest defeat (8)
REVERSAL : Anagram of(… transferred) SEVERAL placed after(after) the last letter of(…’s latest) “QPR“.
17 Working in addition to supporting Democrat whenever required (2,6)
ON DEMAND : ON(working, as with an electrical appliance) + [ AND(in addition to) placed below(supporting, in a down clue) DEM(abbrev. for “Democrat”) ].
19 Employ a couple of Ethiopians during bad weather (6)
RETAIN : The 1st 2 letters of(a couple of) “Ethiopians ” contained in(during) RAIN(bad weather).
Defn: … someone for his/her services by paying a preliminary fee.
20 Film‘s iconic opening set in an Indian city (6)
PATINA : The 1st letter of(… opening) “iconic ” contained in(set in) PATNA(capital city of the Indian state of Bihar).
Defn: …, eg. that formed on copper.
21 Be obliged to admit fellow sent north is on the tail of Red Guard (6)
DEFEND : Reversal of(… sent north, in a down clue) [ NEED(be obliged to do something, as in “you don’t need to attend”) containing(to admit) F(abbrev. for “fellow”) ] placed above(is on, in a down clue) the last letter of(the tail of) “Red“.
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The following pictures have unidentified links to the puzzle.
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.)
Pic 6 is of ABBA, the initials of their first names, but I don’t think INITIATE is the answer…
Pic 2 – My Fair Lady – “I’ve grown ACCUSTOMed to her face”
Pic 3 – the herald has a connection with STANDARD?
Pic 6 – Abba is palindromic, so is the same after a REVERSAL?
Pic 4 – there is a firm called STANDARD fireworks, which I discovered is niw Chinese owned.
… now not niw!
Pic 5 is of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree with the Plaza Hotel in the background…
Pic 5 they are skating on a ‘patinoire’, PATINA?
Pic 3 there is a STANDARD hanging from the bass instrument…
Sorry Shirl, missed your post @3.
Pic 4 the salad green ‘rocket’ belongs to the same plant family, the Brassicaceae, as the TURNIP.
pic 1 – this is a bit of a rambling connection – that is a Prada shoe, which leads me to the film “The devil wears Prada” and then to the TASMANian devil – bit of a stretch!
pic 5 – Rockefeller made their money from oil, and there is oil in the GAMBIA
shirl, it all depends on the captcha, my comment @1 had ? – 2 = 0, obviously a wrong answer, my comment @ 11 had 9 x ? = 81, highest possible, obviously right…
Cookie, the captcha this time is 7-7=?, so I must have got this comment wrong!
Shirl, Gaufrid has now put that little whirly wheel there, so you could adjust your captcha next time. Of course there must be many more 0 captcha answers than 81s, even though ‘sums’ of the type 6 x ? = 0 are considered to be beyond us – higher mathematics.
Pic 2, I suppose Eliza Doolittle made a fresh start, CLEAN SLATE…
Shirl & Cookie,
A couple correct, and a couple of nearly-theres.
Pic1: The trident is symbolic of the devil, and the TASMANian devil is a uniquely Australian creature
Pic2: “I’ve Grown ACCUSTOMed To Her Face” is the poignant and last song from My Fair Lady.
Pic3: The Herald is associated with Standard, though not via the flag
Pic4: What’s in the fireworks?
Pic5: It is Rockefeller, but not Gambia
Pic6: Abba it is.
Pic 2, surely the answer cannot be MA LADY?
Pic 3, the STANDARD and the Herald are both newspapers…
Pic 4, paper is used in making fireworks, the STANDARD is a ‘paper’.
Pic 4, the paper for the rockets could come from PAPER TRAIL of course.
Pic 5, the company STANDARD oil was started by the Rockefeller family…
Yes, Cookie, STANDARD Oil was how John Rockefeller made his money.
Pic 4, MICA can be added to fireworks powder to give a golden colour – INI MICA L
Hints:
Pic3 Think British
Pic4 Ditto
Pic6 And Volvo too.
Pic 3: the manufacturer of the Triumph Herald car was STANDARD Triumph
Pic 4: fireworks contain gunpowder, reminding us of a certain PAPIST plot?
Pic 4, Guy Fawkes was a PAPIST, the gunpowder plot…
Sorry Shirl, we crossed, I was reading about Guy Fawkes
Pic 6, well, there is the swede, same family as the TURNIP, originally called the Swedish Turnip
Shirl & Cookie, that completes it. Well done.
Thanks scchua – not often that we solve all of them!
Thanks scchua for for all the fun on a rainy day!