Greetings barred-grid fans
Ah the joys of international travel! I started this on a plane using their wi-fi with my phone in flight mode. I got about two thirds of the way through, and we were about to land, and I think they cut the in-flight wi-fi as I was trying to save and close. When I got back to my laptop, I’d lost everything I entered and had to do the puzzle again.
I will be traveling as well when the solution to this puzzle comes out, so I’m writing this up in advance and hopefully have everything sorted out. Check comments, since I won’t be able to change anything until late on Sunday UK time.
Did anyone else get pins and needles from the pun?
| Across | |
| 1 | Fruit loaf one moved to the front closer to panettone (5) |
| ACKEE – CAKE(loaf) with the A(one) moved to the front, then the last letter in panettonE | |
| 5 | Quip by dear boxer (7) |
| PUNCHER -PUN(quip) and CHER(dear) | |
| 10 | Sword is blunt and left behind before discharge (9) |
| CURTALAXE – CURT(blunt), then L(left) coming after A(before), finally AXE(discharge) | |
| 11 | Obvious good in line? No, the opposite (4) |
| BALD – the opposite of good in line would be L(line) in BAD | |
| 12 | Again order stupid car reg, eh? (8) |
| RECHARGE – anagram of CAR,REG,EH | |
| 13 | A maiden over or duck likewise is sweet (7) |
| AMOROSO – A, M(maiden over), OR, O(duck), SO(likewise) | |
| 16 | Sheep could be mine in outmost parts of territories (5) |
| TEGGS – EGG(mine) inside the external letters of TerritorieS | |
| 17 | 50A plugs (5) |
| LAMPS – L(50), AMPS(A). Both LAMPS and PLUGS can mean punches | |
| 19 | Point which secures company name in ships? (9, two words) |
| SCREW NAIL – CREW(company), N(name) inside SAIL(ships) | |
| 21 | Like one nose-diving in poll and frequently about one stumped (9, two words) |
| HEADFIRST – HEAD(poll) then FR(frequently) surrounding I(one), ST(stumped) | |
| 22 | Drove on large boat and impatience finally departs (5) |
| HOYED – HOY(large boat), the last letter in impatiencE, and D(departs) | |
| 24 | Fascinating women is backing former career (5) |
| SIREN – IS reversed, then REN(former term for run, career) | |
| 26 | Fine, this impression could be attractive (7) |
| ETCHING – add a F(fine) at the front and you get FETCHING(attractive) | |
| 27 | Drive, say, that is in Greece being more muddy (8) |
| DREGGIER – DR(drive), then EG(say) followed by IE(that is) inside GR(Greece) | |
| 28 | Pulse varied as mean pair get removed (4) |
| DAAL – DAEDAL(varied) with the internal two letters removed | |
| 29 | Dance music station hosting second-rate fan? (9) |
| SWINGBEAT – SEAT(station) containing WING B(what could be second-rate fan) | |
| 30 | Jack holding parrot, I become known (7, two words) |
| TAKE AIR – TAR(Jack) containing KEA(parrot), I | |
| 31 | Kites being good under control by son (5) |
| GLEDS – G(good), LED(under control), S(son) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Amateur club overlooking chestnut tree (7) |
| AMBATCH – AM(amateur), BAT(club) over CH(chestnut) | |
| 2 | Fickle sort’s extraordinarily clean home (9) |
| CHAMELEON – anagram of CLEAN,HOME | |
| 3 | Okay, girl’s revising radiologist’s unit (8) |
| KILOGRAY – anagram of OKAY,GIRL | |
| 4 | Well, street in Monaco put up what’s perhaps blown there (5) |
| EUROS – SO(well) and RUE(street in Monaco) all reversed | |
| 5 | No longer limit key within singer’s symbols (9) |
| PRESCRIBE – CRIB(exam key) inside PRESE(choral music symbols) | |
| 6 | Raising line, a Chinese military organisation for youths (5) |
| NAHAL – L(line), A, HAN(Chinese) all reversed | |
| 7 | There’s no independence in old plaintiff’s shouting loudly (7) |
| CLAMANT – remove I(independence)from CLAIMANT(plaintiff) | |
| 8 | Fit term for trench plough, as it used to be (4) |
| HARD – last letter of trencH, then ARD(plough) | |
| 9 | Fumes setting up fright in some places (5) |
| REEKS – SKEER(dialect term for SCARE, fright) reversed | |
| 14 | Ordinary poet admitting core of latest is to turn too far (9) |
| OVERSTEER – O(ordinary), VERSER(poet) containing the central letters in laTEst | |
| 15 | Aromatic box full of, I know, diamonds (9) |
| SPIKENARD – SPAR(box) containing I, KEN(know), then D(diamonds) | |
| 18 | A grim era that’s reconsidered the noose whimsically (8) |
| MARRIAGE – anagram of A,GRIM,ERA | |
| 19 | Forgotten scorn by unorthodox gens about Roman gods (7) |
| SDEIGNE -anagram of GENS surrounding DEI(plural of deus, Roman gods) | |
| 20 | Scam turned up checking through Government’s threads (7) |
| LINGLES – SELL(scam) reversed, containing IN(through), G(Government) | |
| 22 | In the old way you kept both sides of dents in titfer (5) |
| HADST – external letters of DentS inside HAT(titfer) | |
| 23 | A good wedge turned up hemp (5) |
| DAGGA – A, G(good), GAD(wedge) all reversed | |
| 24 | Attack mounting empty waffle about councillor (5) |
| SCRAG – GAS(empty waffle) reversed containing CR(councillor) | |
| 25 | English into drink that’s upset prank (4) |
| REIK – E(English) inside KIR(drink) reversed | |
Yes George, I was positively tingling. Thanks for explaining the wordplay for 5d.
Can you explain the purpose of OLD in 7d? The wordplay seems to work without that. Plaintiff is the older term not claimant.
I struggle with ‘old’ too. It’s clear what’s intended (Chambers actually says ‘replaced by claimant in official use’) but it doesn’t seem to work.
I’m always impressed by your time, George, but I did finish this all on Sunday.
(RETRY! Damn 500 error!)
SIREN is singular; seems “women” is a mistake.
I was plagued with the 500 errors last week. Seems that there’s a problem at the server end.
It says “woman” in the paper.
Interesting, it’s ‘women’ on the club website. It put me off but in the end the answer couldn’t be anything else.
16A how does egg equate to mine
As slang. Have you misplaced your Chambers?
Thanks Guy