More than one force being with us in this puzzle. 25a was the last to go into my completed grid.
Clue of the puzzle has to be 10a/9d, for the magnificent anagram (anything that tells Cameron to piss off is OK by me).
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | ARMADA | Force member on a duck’s arse arm = member; A; DA = duck’s arse, a type of hairstyle |
|
| 8 | TOBACCO | Boat put out by Conservative, care of weed *(Boat); put out by Conservative, care of |
|
| 10/9 | OFFSHORE COMPANIES | “Oh, Cameron, piss off!” — involved with last of the tax avoiders? Rather wonderful anagram — *(OH CAMERON PISS OFF E), where E = last of ‘the’ |
|
| 11 | ADMIN | Gutless Miliband’s bad management Anagram of MI |
|
| 12 | ETCHER | Artist who vomits right away |
|
| 14 | PUTS AWAY | Leader, not fashionable, for instance around Washington, scoffs PUT |
|
| 15 | CHOLERA | Disorder with reckless Clare appropriating House HO = house (abbreviation given in Chambers) in *(CLARE) |
|
| 17 | ARTICLE | Pissed claret? I object! *(CLARET I) |
|
| 20 | DRACHMAS | Theatrics surrounding Switzerland’s old currency DRAMA = theatrics; surrounding CH = Switzerland (the IVR code; from Confederatio Helvetica) |
|
| 22 | BOSOMY | Showing plenty of front, youth welcomes thus getting married SO = thus; M = married; in BOY = youth |
|
| 24 | TRUST | Support cut by Tories’ no. 1? Believe! |
|
| 25 | OBLIGATE | Force flattened, having pocketed one grand I = one; G = grand; in OBLATE = flattened. A different kind of force from the one in 7a |
|
| 27 | GET EVEN | Secure First Lady, Republican’s ultimate pay back GET = secure; EVE = first lady (in the Blible); N = Republican’s ultimate letter |
|
| 28 | NEARLY | Almost the finish of Cameron? In good time N = the finish of Cameron; EARLY = in good time |
|
| Down | |||
| 1/21 | PROFIT MOTIVE | What drives 10/9 to improve bust with appropriate implant FIT = appropriate; in *(TO IMPROVE) |
|
| 3 | LABOURER | Digger’s party about to do a U-turn? LABOUR = party; RE = about, reversed (doing a U-turn) |
|
| 4 | ATTEMPT | Casual insertion in a dry crack TEMP = casual (temporary) worker; in A; TT = dry (teetotal) |
|
| 5 | OBLAST | Love to slate old Soviet district O = love; BLAST = slate Oblast |
|
| 6 | TOWN HALL | Admit heroin’s got into high centre of local politics OWN = admit; H = heroin; in TALL = high |
|
| 13 | HOLD COURT | To be the centre of admiration, grasp Brenda’s thing HOLD = grasp; COURT = Brenda’s thing, Brenda being the Queen |
|
| 16 | HERITAGE | Their age difference is something from the past *(THEIR AGE)… maybe with an implied reference to the Murdoch/Hall marriage |
|
| 18 | RUB ALONG | Somehow manage to act like frotteurs? Double definition. Frottage (and there’s the other definition) |
|
| 19 | OSBORNE | Outsize windbag has name for U-turn exponent OS = outsize; BORE = windbag; contaning N = name One example among many |
|
| 23 | METTLE | Police force let off — that’s the spirit! MET[ropolitian Police]; *(LET) |
|
| 26/2 | GLAD RAGS | Certain habits pleased the likes of the Sun GLAD = pleased; RAGS = the likes of the Sun |
|
WHITE
I will start with something highbrow this week:
… and now it’s downbrow all the way, with a couple of letters to Viz (and apologies if ether causes offence):
I had a slightly different explanation for “Profit Motive”
“APPROPRIATE” yields “OF”
“BUST” yields “TIT”
anagram with “IMPROVE” yields the solution
But ‘bust’ gives the anagram indicator. Without it, then you’ve got nothing to tell you to mix the ‘tit’ up with ‘improve’. Nice, suitably filthy mind though!!!!
> 25a was the last to go into my completed grid.
I’m surprised. Didn’t you once use to live on an oblate spheroid?