Greetings all, hope you are staying safe and sane. North Carolina moved into Phase 2 this week and though I think it is a little early, I have disappeared to a nearby town to hole up with some friends and ride out the next stage of the apocalypse.
This puzzle came together pretty readily. The grid is 90-degree symmetry with a couple of 3×2 blocks that would make US constructors proud.
Since definitions (underlined) can be verified in Chambers, I will be focused on the wordplay here.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Ruler’s still virtually one foot (5) |
| CALIF – CALM(still) missing the last letter, then I(one) F(foot) | |
| 5 | More up for it here in Hamburg taking in old service (7) |
| HORNIER – HIER(“here” in German) containing O(old), RN(service) | |
| 10 | Whim to embrace cheek before Pastor’s light-heartedness (9) |
| FLIPPANCY – FANCY(whim) containing LIP(cheek) and P(Pastor) | |
| 11 | It is in pot making tea of sorts (6) |
| PTISAN – ‘TIS in PAN(pot) | |
| 12 | Increase strength in the morning with shaver (5, two words) |
| AMPUP – AM(morning) with PUP(youngster, shaver) | |
| 13 | Dutch is in part an old charmer (8) |
| SEDUCTOR – DU(Dutch) inside SECTOR(part) | |
| 16 | I’ll stand for last of these in compiler that’s hard to get wrong (6) |
| SITTER – I instead of the last letter of theseE in SETTER(compiler) | |
| 17 | Before noon poet is moving with moderate pace (7) |
| ANDANTE – A(ante, before), N(noon), DANTE(poet) | |
| 19 | Annals of Tacitus or Ovid’s poem? Sound bit of instruction (5) |
| FASTI – FAST(sound), then the first letter of Instrucion | |
| 21 | Bits of fibre and, informally, juices? (5) |
| NOILS – ‘N(and), OILS(juices) | |
| 23 | Fitter on trailer modifying attachment (7) |
| ADAPTER – APTER(fitter) with AD(trailer) | |
| 25 | You see this up in Canada — function with Evian, eg (6) |
| COTEAU – COT(cotangent, function), with EAU(French for water, Evian) | |
| 28 | Model in to run a lottery in Perth, perhaps (8, two words) |
| ART UNION – anagram of IN,TO,RUN,A – I remember this term in the 80s as a derisive term for something you were proud of or a suggestion that something was stolen, it was “won in an art union”. The origin is apparently from lotteries were paintings were prizes | |
| 29 | Newton in undoing argument (5) |
| RUN-IN – N(Newton, unit of force) inside RUIN(undoing) | |
| 30 | Emperor accepted in Tuileries Palace, the prodigious bounder (6) |
| IMPALA – IMP(imperator, Emperor), A(accetped) and LA(“the” in French) | |
| 31 | Smart chap eg expert about northern officer checking wallop (9) |
| ALE-CONNER – smart ALEC and ONER(expert) surrounding N(northern). Why was this not suggested by my guidance counselor? | |
| 32 | Mittens adjusted appropriately for fine snare (7, two words) |
| MIST NET – anagram of MITTENS | |
| 33 | No good and tiny bit of African rhino (5) |
| NGWEE – NG(no good), WEE(tiny) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Dispatching one, skipper will receive special help for handling cables (7) |
| CAPSTAN – remove I(one) from CAPTAIN(skipper) and insert S(special) | |
| 2 | PM is more behind exploiting notion it turned out (9) |
| AFTERNOON – AFTER(more behind), then on top of NOTION minus IT reversed | |
| 3 | Locksmith does this on getting into restraints (5) |
| LOIDS – O(on) inside LIDS(restraints) | |
| 4 | It’s about fluid with a nose mostly (6) |
| FLACON – an all-in-one FL(fluid) with A, then CONE(nose) missing the last letter | |
| 5 | Clues of that bloke including those bordering on naughtiest (5) |
| HINTS – HIS(of that bloke) containing the outside letters of NaughtiesT | |
| 6 | Editor pressed by mates made an objection (7) |
| OPPOSED – ED(editor) under OPPOS(mates) | |
| 7 | Reform meant take off ID? (8) |
| NAMETAPE – anagram of MEANT, then APE(take off) | |
| 8 | Old bumpkin in hostels no longer supplying loads (6) |
| INPUTS – PUT(putt, bumpkin) inside INS(old form of INNS) | |
| 9 | Angry person holds in grouse (5) |
| RYPER – hidden inside angRY PERson | |
| 14 | In Cannes I cannot concentrate lifting honour in cut marble (9, two words) |
| TETE FOLLE – my last one in… reversal of FETE inside TOLLEY(marble) missing the last letter | |
| 15 | Accursed chap on abridged Chambers, say (8) |
| MALEDICT – MALE(chap), DICT(dictionary, Chambers) | |
| 18 | Bullish? Go sticking in gold (7) |
| TAURINE – TRINE(go) containing AU(gold) | |
| 20 | Resolution of mostly regional division amongst archaeologists (7, two words) |
| IRON AGE – anagram of REGIONAL minus the last letter | |
| 22 | One for L’Académie française in Italian’s online store (6) |
| ITUNES – UNE(“one” in French) inside IT’S (Italians) | |
| 24 | Insight shown by a group of Christian fellows (6) |
| ACUMEN – A, CU(Christian Union), MEN(fellows) | |
| 25 | Horace’s in the presence of Owen initially in the old lie (5) |
| CORAM – first letter of Owen in CRAM(old slang for lie) | |
| 26 | Migrant with spare brass appearing in street (5) |
| STINT – TIN(brass) inside ST(street) the STINT is a small migratory bird | |
| 27 | Sound catty without direct upset (5) |
| MIAOW – W/O(without) AIM(direct) all reversed | |
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