I don’t recall any particular issues apart from 51A which I had to look up. However, overall I think this was a fair challenge.
I liked 53A with the French language from a Francophone country rather than France. I am not sure whether the expressions in 19A and 6D are familiar to overseas solvers, and the football teams in 35D are not the best known.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 WIZARD – double definition, the second mild cryptic and referring to magic spells | |
| 4 MARYLANDER – ARMY*, LANDER = one on the way down | |
| 10 TOWER – double definition | |
| 14 REPULSIVE – (I SERVE UP L(iver))* | |
| 15 HAPPY FAMILIES – HAPPY = up, FLIES = mosquitoes perhaps, around AM I | |
| 16 ORATION – ORION = hunter, around A and T(ime) | |
| 17 TWOSOME – TOME = book, around WOS = SOW = broadcast, reversed | |
| 18 STEPHEN – STEP = stage, HEN = female | |
| 19 NOT THE FULL SHILLING – double definition | |
| 21 EROS – SORE = hurting, reversed | |
| 24 TENET – double definition, the second by example | |
| 26 CETACEAN – C(arcas)E, TAN = brown, around ACE = one | |
| 27 BEWILDER – BEER = bitter, around WILD = savage | |
| 29 CEREMONIOUS – (USE NICE ROOM)* | |
| 30 EDUTAINMENT – (ME UNTAINTED)* | |
| 32 PICTURE CARD – PICTURE = film, CARD = character | |
| 35 MOUNTAIN ASH – MOUNT = horse, A, IN = at home, ASH = remains | |
| 37 AVIATRIX – (m)ATRIX = formation, around VIA = passing through | |
| 39 GASSIEST – G(ood), ASSIST = help, around (champagn)E | |
| 40 HOO-HA – central letters of tHe pOt nOw wHAt | |
| 43 DUKE – (cowar)D, UKE = instrument | |
| 44 LEFT RIGHT AND CENTRE – double definition | |
| 47 CONQUER – sounds like CONKER = nut | |
| 48 ANGLERS – ANGERS = French city, around L(eft) | |
| 50 NIGELLA – ALL IN = wilting, around E.G. = sa, all reversed | |
| 51 A MENSA ET THORO – (THERES A MAN TOO)*. As neither a Latin scholar, nor a lawyer I had to look this one up | |
| 52 DISREGARD – DIS = criticise, RED = communist, around GAR = RAG = newspaper, reversed | |
| 53 SUDAN – SUD = south (French is spoken in Cameroon), AN | |
| 54 TASKMASTER – (MAKES START)* | |
| 55 COLOUR – double definition | |
| Down | |
| 1 WAR BONNET – TEN = figure, NOW = current, around BRA = underwear, all reversed | |
| 2 ZIP FASTENER – ZIP = fly, FAST = quickly, ENER = RENE = Frenchman, reversed | |
| 3 RALEIGH – RIGH(t) = Tories, around ALE = drink. The same word was clued in a similar way in the main Saturday Cryptic | |
| 5 ALERT – final letters in chelseA, milwalL, thE, rougheR, sorT | |
| 6 YAH BOO SUCKS – (BOY OK AS SUCH)* | |
| 7 APPROXIMATE – (TO APPEAR)* around XIM = MIX = compound, reversed | |
| 8 DRY CELLS – DRY = uninteresting, CELLS sounds like SELLS = markets | |
| 9 ROAD SENSE – ROSE = advanced, around DANES* | |
| 10 TOILET – TO, I(nformation), LET = lease | |
| 11 WEIGHBRIDGE – sounds like Weybridge, a Surrey town | |
| 12 RESIN – REIN = check, around S(olution) | |
| 13 SIGNIFICANCE – SIGN = warning, IF I = should I, CANCE(l) = strike | |
| 20 LITTORAL – LIT = illuminated, TOR = peak, A, L(ake) | |
| 22 STRETCH – double definition | |
| 23 FIENDISH – FISH = angle, around I = one and END = terminus | |
| 25 TIMBUKTU – TIM = tiny boy, BUK sounds like BUCK = young man, TU sounds like TOO = also | |
| 28 VUVUZELA – VALUE* around V(ery), U = posh and Z = zulu | |
| 29 COPLAND – COP LAND = police state, possibly | |
| 31 ATTITUDINISE – (SITUATED IN IT)* | |
| 33 CHICKEN FEED – double definition | |
| 34 DRAWING ROOM – DRAIN = empty, around W(ith), GROOM = tidy | |
| 35 MISCHIEVOUS – MISS = failure, around CHIEVO = Italian football team and U(dinese) | |
| 36 AMONTILLADO – A, MON = day, TILL = before, A DO = a party | |
| 38 IN EARNEST – I NEAR NEST = my tree house is coming up | |
| 41 ALEXANDER – double definition | |
| 42 ATLANTIS – ATLAS = geographical reference, around N(o)T and I = one | |
| 45 EL GRECO – ECO = Italian author, around alternate letters in bLoG and tRuE | |
| 46 TUCSON – NOS = numbers, CUT = down, all reversed | |
| 47 CHAOS – CHA = drink, OS = SO, reversed | |
| 49 SEDGE – S(mall), EDGE = inch | |
Ong’ara,
Kenya.