I got through this one fairly steadily, and only needed to check a couple afterwards. I am guessing 52D will be unfamilar to most.
When blogging, I try to leave out the explanations of the clues that I believe most people shoudl find straightforward, but in this I find there is something of interest or to explain in almost all of them, so I apologise if this seems like overkill. If I have omitted one that you would like explaining please let me know.
|
Across |
|
|---|---|
| 1 DASHBOARD – DASH = run, BOARD = committee | |
| 6 MICROBE – MICE = small animals, around ROB = fleece | |
| 10 TEMPI – hidden reversed in musicianshIP METronomically | |
| 13 ANGULAR – U(nited) in RAGLAN* | |
| 14 SINCE – SIN = evil, C.E. = Chuch of England = Anglicans | |
| 15 TEUTONISM – (I MUST NOTE)* | |
| 16 FAIR IS FOUL AND FOUL IS FAIR – Cryptic reference to the Witches’ chant in Macbeth | |
| 17 AVIARY – A(ce), VIA = through, RY = railway | |
| 18 deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 19 SPECIAL – LAIC = not relating to church officers, EPS = records, all reversed | |
| 22 TEAM SPIRIT – TEAR = race, around IMPs*, IT = the object | |
| 23 SENIOR MOMENT – (MEMORIES NOT, N(ame))* | |
| 27 PITTA – PIT = mine, TA = thanks | |
| 29 ENGRAVE – ENG(lish), RAVE = party | |
| 30 GRAVITAS – G(ood), RAITAS = Indian yoghurt dishes, around V(ery) | |
| 32 NIGHT OUT – NIGH = close, TOUT = hawk | |
| 34 TREMBLE – TREBLE = high voiced, around M(ezzo) | |
| 36 MAIZE – sounds like Mays | |
| 39 CHILDBEARING – cryptic with tot = child and e(ast) = bearing being the alternative clue | |
| 41 deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 44 ELSTREE – ELS(e) = different, TREE = branching structure | |
| 46 deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 48 AMBUSH – AS = when, H(ospital), around MB = doctor, U(niversity) | |
| 50 THE BOOT IS ON THE OTHER FOOT – cryptic reference to “Kick” in 20D. It does not seem to work particularly well for me, but the answer was clear | |
| 53 BARCELONA – AN = a, OLE = Spanish word of approval, CRAB = seafood, all reversed (over) | |
| 54 ACUTE – CUT = clipped, in A,E = first vowels | |
| 55 LOBBYER – LOB = shy, BY = next to, E.R. = Queen | |
| 56 ENTRY – EN = space (in printing), TRY = shot | |
| 57 EYESORE – E(uropean), YES = approval, ORE = mining output | |
| 58 TUMMY TUCK – cryptic definition, where “corporation” means stomach | |
| Down | |
| 1 DWARF – (abandone)D, W(h)ARF | |
| 2 SIGNIFICANT DIGITS – IF I CANT DIG IT = supposing I’m unable to understand the thing, in SIGNS = gestures | |
| 3 BILLIARDS – BIRDS = fowl, around (ALL I)* | |
| 4 ADRIFT – SD = plug, RIFT = gap | |
| 5 DISQUIETING – DIETING = trying to lose weight, around SQUI(d) | |
| 6 MENTALLY – MEN = pieces, TALLY = match | |
| 7 CHEDDAR – C(old), R(ain), around HEDDA (Gabler) = Norwegian heroine | |
| 8 OUTSOURCING – (CUTS, RUIN, GOO(d))* | |
| 9 EQUALISER – (SQUARE (m)ILE)* | |
| 10 TOOTSIE – hidden reversed in bridgE IS TOO Thin | |
| 11 MOIRA – MAORI = New Zealander, then with all the vowels moved | |
| 12 IMMORALITY – IMMOR(t)ALITY = staying alive | |
| 17 ACT UP – A CUP = an award, around T(ime) | |
| 20 I GET A KICK OUT OF YOU – double definition, the second being mildly cryptic | |
| 21 CICERO – C(onstant), ICE = chill, R(uns), O(ver) | |
| 24 ELEVEN – mathematically, 11 is a factor of 22, and 22A = Team spirit, is an important for a sporting eleven | |
| 25 ODIUM – (p)ODIUM = stand | |
| 26 KAFTAN – KN(ots) around AFT = rear, A(rea) | |
| 28 APHID – P,A = tips of PeA, reversed, HID = concealed | |
| 31 APERCU – A, PERCU(ssion) = part of orchestra | |
| 33 THRUST STAGE – double definition, although the first is not explicitly given in Chambers. | |
| 35 BLACK FOREST – LACK FOR = want, in BEST = top quality | |
| 37 EARTH – EH = what did you say?, around ART = creative work | |
| 38 ACCEPTABLE – C(hips) in (PLACE A BET)* | |
| 40 ELECTRODE – ELECT = chosen, ROD = baton, E(roica) | |
| 42 MEMORABLY – M(ark) (MARYLEBO(ne))* | |
| 43 ALEHOUSE – HE = man, reversed in A LOUSE = a swine | |
| 45 deliberately omitted – please ask if necessary | |
| 47 CENTAVO – ONE C(ountry), around VAT = tax, all reversed | |
| 49 PHYLUM – PLUM = fruit, around H(ard)Y | |
| 51 EGRET – GREET = welcome, with the central letter moved to the beginning | |
| 52 TORSK – SORT*, K(ing). I had come across this word in the past in a fishing tackle catalogue or something, so I managed to dredge it back up | |
TORSK rang a vague bell from somewhere – probably another crossword.
Nice puzzle.