I don’t have a time for this one as I was more interested in the boozing last Saturday – and the special crosswords we had strewn across the tables too of course! So I just picked at it occasionally and had it finished by the end. A bit of a shame as it was a fine puzzle which I should have probably kept back for later. Never mind, eh.
| Across |
| 1 |
One denies detective worked miracles (10) |
|
DISCLAIMER – DI (detective) + (miracles)*. |
| 6 |
Block, playing back what are bowled short of a length (4) |
|
SLAB – BALLS (what are bowled) minus an L (short of a length), reversed. |
| 8 |
Gradually introduced new heads to secure housing (6,2) |
|
PHASED IN – (heads)* inside PIN (secure). |
| 9 |
Epic finale essential to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? (3,3) |
|
BIG END – BIG (epic) + END (finale). The larger end of the connecting rod in a car engine, apparently. |
| 10 |
When skipping I exercise joint (4) |
|
WELD – WIELD (exercise), without the I. |
| 11 |
Chemical used to break into bank, without a doubt (10) |
|
RESOLUTELY – SOLUTE (chemical) inside RELY (bank). |
| 12 |
The very best prizes (two) kept back (3,6) |
|
TOP DRAWER – REWARD + POT (two prizes), all reversed. |
| 14 |
Alignment of feet determines such a distance (5) |
|
METRE – double definition. |
| 17 |
Come to church to find something uplifting (5) |
|
HITCH – HIT (come to) + CH(urch). |
| 19 |
Quality of chicken cubes added to company strife (9) |
|
COWARDICE – DICE following CO(mpany), WAR (strife). |
| 22 |
Figure heading column left Londoners stunned (4,6) |
|
LORD NELSON – (L, Londoners)*. |
| 23 |
Express coming, with no announcement (4) |
|
VENT – ADVENT (coming), without the AD (no announcement). |
| 24 |
Remarkable gesture (6) |
|
SIGNAL – double definition. |
| 25 |
‘Get up, having drunk tea’ put in old words (8) |
|
ARCHAISE – ARISE (get up) around CHA (tea). |
| 26 |
Recited ballads don’t do much (4) |
|
LAZE – sounds like “lays” (ballads). |
| 27 |
Those not finishing strongly, it’s said, who won’t be here for long? (10) |
|
WEEKENDERS – sounds like “weak enders”. |
| Down |
| 1 |
Light control key originally tested in E Anglian town (3,6) |
|
DIP SWITCH – D (key) + T(ested) inside IPSWICH (E Anglian town). |
| 2 |
Exclusive duck’s off — everyone’s eaten shellfish (7) |
|
SCALLOP – SCOOP (exclusive) minus an O (duck’s off), around ALL (everyone). |
| 3 |
Fine briefly raised with leading European (8) |
|
ANDORRAN – NARRO(w) (fine briefly) reversed after AND (with). |
| 4 |
‘Blasted feminists are OTT’ — government official (8,2,5) |
|
MINISTER OF STATE – (feminists are OTT)*. |
| 5 |
Fragments from books written in code (6) |
|
RUBBLE – BB (books) inside RULE (code). |
| 6 |
Long walk to go through for the first time (5-4) |
|
SIGHT-READ – SIGH (long) + TREAD (walk). |
| 7 |
Recall artist turning up in a band (7) |
|
ANNULAR – ANNUL (recall) + RA (artist) reversed. |
| 13 |
In ten years’ time, he won’t show depravity (9) |
|
DECADENCE – DECADE HENCE (in ten years’ time), without the HE. |
| 15 |
In SE, mounted talks to dismiss posh governor’s wife (9) |
|
ELECTRESS – SE reversed around LECTURES (talks), minus the U (to dismiss posh). |
| 16 |
On the coast it’s hard to remove salt in mere (8) |
|
BARNACLE – NACL (or strictly NaCl, sodium chloride = salt) inside BARE (mere). |
| 18 |
Battleground has James in a state, turning over inside (3,4) |
|
IWO JIMA – JIM (James) inside IWOA (IOWA “turning over inside”). This is a small island which the Americans took from the Japanese near the end of WWII, with huge casualties on both sides. |
| 20 |
Sage’s wife missing after couple set out separately (7) |
|
ITEMISE – WISE (sage) minus the W (wife’s missing), after ITEM (couple). |
| 21 |
Roar coming from lower down, with twice the heart (6) |
|
BELLOW – BELOW (lower down), with the middle letter doubled (twice the heart). |
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