Good middle of the road puzzle with one quirk – the use of the abbreviation UPS to mean United Parcel Service in the same way that RR stands for Rolls Royce. Both abbreviations are in Chambers but with very different meanings (Right Reverend and Uninterrupted Power Supply) so the question is to what extent UPS is acceptable as “common knowledge”. I have no idea, although only DHL and FedEx came readily to mind as a delivery company when solving and I Googled UPS to verify it.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SCARPA – SCAR-P(iray)A; odd spelling of scarper (round the johnny horner perhaps); |
| 6 | DEPTHS – SHED reversed surrounds PT=past; |
| 10 | VERBENA-OIL – (boreal vine)*; wet=anagrind; Spanish plant oil; |
| 11 | ORARIA – two meanings 1=prayer books 2=connected to bishop’s staff; |
| 12 | FAINS,I – FAIN-S-I; gladly=FAIN; Billy Bunter speak; |
| 14 | CALZONES – CAL(f)-ZONES; iceberg=CALF; folded pizzas, VAT free I hope; |
| 16 | GRAPE – two meanings 1=rummage in Ross 2=the queen of fruits; |
| 17 | TENNY – hidden (straigh)TEN-NY(lon); heraldic for orange-brown; |
| 18 | OBLIGED – O-B(LIG)ED; over=O; lie about (lounge)=LIG; |
| 20 | TSARINA – T-S-A-R-IN-(Hecub)A; troy=T; has=S; queen=R; |
| 22 | ACERB – ACE-R(uddle’s)-B(est); |
| 24 | IHRAM – I-H(a)RAM; haram=harem=Muslim sacred place; IHARAM=a holy state; |
| 27 | LODGMENT – (gnome ltd)*; Gnome Ltd is a reference to the magazine Private Eye; |
| 28 | UPENDS – UP(END)S; UPS=a delivery company, United Parcel Service, not found in Chambers; |
| 29 | ALMAIN – ALMA-IN; two cryptics, dancing egyptian=ALMA and essence=ALMA; old German; |
| 30 | LONGLINERS – LO(N)GLINER-S; navy=N; speedo=LOGLINER; special=S; fishing for swordfish etc; |
| 31 | APTEST – AP-TEST; before a meal=AP; |
| 32 | ARDENT – (b)ARD-(b)ENT; |
| Down | |
| 1 | SNOCAT – S(NO)CAT; pure=faeces used in tanning=SCAT; |
| 2 | CURATESHIP – (has picture)*; rail-4=old word for flow=anagrind; |
| 3 | AVALE – A-V-ALE; they=A; see=V; |
| 4 | PRIORY – PRIOR-Y; |
| 5 | ABANDON – A-BAND-ON; anonymous=A; book volume=BAND; |
| 6 | DEFER – DEF-ER(f); |
| 7 | PAITRICK – PA(I)T-RICK; pot=PAT; a partridge in Partick; |
| 8 | TONNAG – TO-N-NAG; for=TO; a shawl; |
| 9 | SLIVED – DEVILS reversed; devils=grills as in lamb’s kidneys; |
| 13 | SUPERUNION – (pen ruinous)*; Anthony and Cleopatra for example; |
| 15 | ENRAUNGE – ENRA(UN)GE; to arrange; |
| 19 | BANDANA – B-AND-ANA; bishop=B; gossip=ANA; |
| 20 | TIPULA – (ALU-PIT all reversed); potato=ALU; bed=PIT; a shriek from the bathroom – it’s a daddy-long-legs; |
| 21 | ARGENT – AR-GENT; arabian=AR; more heraldic jargon; |
| 22 | ANGLER – (wr)ANGLER; but=remove with=w and right=r; |
| 23 | BOTNET – BO-T-NET; stink=BO; the=T; a group of corrupted computers, infected by malwear, used to say generate spam; |
| 25 | POSIT – POSIT(ive); I have=ive; expressed=removed; |
| 26 | SEASE – hidden (the)SE-AS-E(nviable); old word for seize; |
Like George I wondered about “snack” for Calzone. I’ve seen Gennaro Contaldo on the telly with Jamie Oliver and he’s not that fat!