Completed online in 30 minutes whilst on holiday in France
Nothing to quibble about, but I don’t feel there are any outstanding clues either, although 6D may be trickier for solvers outside the UK.
|
Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 SYCOPHANTIC – sounds like SICKO, FAN, TICK = pervert, fiend, beat | |
| 7 SISKIN – SI = IS reversed, SKIN = hide | |
| 10 ACME – ACE = expert, around M(illions). | |
| 14 TROLLOP – TOP = upper part, around ROLL = bread | |
| 15 ACERBIC – ACE = card, R = king, B = bishop, I.C. = in charge | |
| 16 CAPE COD – C(atch), APE = parrot, COD = fish | |
| 17 HAILE SELASSIE – HAILS = greets, E(nglish), LASSIE = girl, around E(thiopian) | |
| 18 AXMINSTER – A(ssemble), X = by (times, as a mathematical symbol), MINSTER = church | |
| 19 LEGAL – LEG = on (cricket), A L(ake) | |
| 21 SECOND BEST – double definition, the second mildly cryptic referring to George Best | |
| 23 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
| 25 PROTRUDE – PRUDE = old maid, around ROT = rubbish | |
| 26 STONE COLD SOBER – (BLESS DOCTOR)* around ONE | |
| 29 TENANTS – A, N = variable, in TENTS = camp | |
| 30 AGNES GRAY – (EYRES GANG)* | |
| 31 PARIS – PARIS(h) = local area | |
| 32 TABOO – TO around AB = sailor, O(ver) | |
| 34 UNDERCOAT – cryptic definition | |
| 37 EMERALD – (g)ERALD = boy, around ME | |
| 39 PRACTICAL JOKER – PRACTICAL = workable, JOKER = card | |
| 41 MONTAGUE – MONTAGE = picture, around U(niversity) | |
| 43 BEHELD – HE = male, L = fifty, in BED = bunk | |
| 44 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
| 45 DRAWN – DR = doctor, AWN = beard | |
| 48 TROUSSEAU – cryptic definition | |
| 49 PRECIPITATION – double definition | |
| 51 EMBRACE – double definition | |
| 52 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
| 53 DRAFTEE – RAFT = inflatable, in DEE = river | |
| 54 NORM – N OR M is the novel | |
| 55 AT ONCE – ATONE = pay the penalty, around C(old) | |
| 56 LOOSE CANNON – LOOSE = at large, CANNON = gun | |
| Down | |
| 1 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
| 2 CLOSING DOWN – C(aught), LOSING, DOWN = two synonyms for behind | |
| 3 PULSE – (PLUS)*, E(nergy) | |
| 4 AS PLEASED AS PUNCH – AS = like, ED(itor), around PLEAS = petitions, PUNCH = magazine | |
| 5 TEA DANCE – (DATE)*, ACE = one, around (autum)N | |
| 6 CHESSINGTON – CHESS = game, IN, G(rand), TON = fashion. For foreign readers Chessington is an animal park and theme park on the outskirts of London | |
| 7 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
| 8 SOCIAL SECURITY – SOCIAL = party, SECURITY = safeguards | |
| 9 INCOME – IN = popular, COME = show (as in show up) | |
| 11 COCKTAIL BAR – COCK = friend (slang), TAIL = back, BAR = cake. Loose clueing, but acceptable to me | |
| 12 ENDORSE – ENDOR = witch’s home, S(h)E | |
| 13 UP IN ARMS – UP = at university, IN = elected, ARMS = members | |
| 20 LORENZO – LORE = learning, O = nought, around NZ = New Zealand | |
| 22 BONUS – B = key, ONUS = responsibility | |
| 24 PLAY SECOND FIDDLE – PLAY = drama, SECOND FIDDLE = extra tricky task | |
| 25 PIT STOP – POP = attempt, around (TT IS)* | |
| 27 RESIDUE – (RISE)*, DUE = appropriate | |
| 28 RANDOLPH TURPIN – (PRINT RUN HAD)* around O(ld) LP = record | |
| 31 PLEATED – PLATED = covered with metal, around (pi)E(ce) | |
| 33 BEACHCOMBER – double definition | |
| 35 RHONE – R(as)H, ON, E(uropean) | |
| 36 OVER THE HILL – double definition, one cryptic | |
| 38 AFGHANISTAN – A FAN = a cooler, around (AS NIGHT)* | |
| 40 TALISMAN – sounds like TALLIES MAN = agrees servant | |
| 42 ANTIHERO – (ON THE AIR)* | |
| 43 BITTERN – BITTER = cold, N(orth) | |
| 46 NANKEEN – NAN = gran, KEEN = cutting | |
| 47 REPEAT – RE = about, PEAT = fuel | |
| 49 PLATE – P = quietly, LATE = departed | |
| 50 ALANA – hidden in DonegAL AN Artiste | |
A nice, straightforward puzzle, though I hadn’t come across the Agatha Christie novel before.