Sorry for the slight delay on this one – the day job continues to expand out of its allotted time.
Nothing to object about in the crossword. A couple of clues with tricky wordplay (28A, 36D) but the checking letters made the solutions quite clear, giving me time to parse the solution after completion.
Across |
|
---|---|
1 HARUM-SCARUM – HUM = don’t sing, around A RUM SCAR = a strange blemish | |
7 GO BALLISTIC – GO = energy, BALLISTIC = in flight | |
13 SHORT BACK AND SIDES – AND = also, in BACKSIDE = behind, all in SHORTS = trousers | |
14 PERDU – hidden reversed in cloUD REPortedly | |
15 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
16 USHER OUT – US HERO = Paul Revere, (n)UT | |
17 WHATSIT – HATS = things going over one’s head, in WIT = intelligence | |
19 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
21 BAR CHART – BARC = CRAB = crustacean, reversed, HART = deer | |
23 AFAR – A, FAR = RAF = service, reversed | |
25 OWNER – (d)OWNER = drag | |
27 ASSIST – (b)ASSIST = member of rock band | |
28 CONSCIENCE – (C(ollapse), C(ollapse), IN ONE SEC(ond))* | |
30 EVERYMAN – VERY = so, in EMAN = NAME = celebrity, reversed | |
31 INDIRECT OBJECT – IN, DIRE = awful, C(ontrac)T, OBJECT = complain | |
34 DOUBLE ACROSTIC – DO = solve, (ABOUT CIRCLES)* | |
35 SUMATRAN – SUM = problem, A TRA(i)N = a vehicle | |
38 WHAT’S UP DOC – Bugs (Bunny) request | |
40 SEQUIN – SE(ven), QUIN = one of five | |
41 NEEPS – NEE = used to be called, P(arsnip)S | |
43 HARP – (s)HARP = out of tune | |
44 CLUELESS – double definition | |
45 TWO-SEATER – (AT WORST E(xpendabl)E)* | |
48 ADVERSE – AD = commercial, VERSE = lines | |
49 CAPERING – CAPE = head, RING = band | |
50 METHOD – MET = came across, HOD = builder’s mate | |
53 TENCH – TEN = all fingers, C(old), H(ot) | |
54 TRANSCENDENTALISM – (MIND SETS CANT LEARN)* | |
55 DEERSTALKER – DEE = flower, RS = Royal Society, TALKER = speaker | |
56 TONSILLITIS – TONS ILL = evidence of an epidemic, IT IS | |
Down |
|
1 HMS PINAFORE – (A SHIP FOR MEN)* | |
2 ROOST – ROOT = bottom, around S(quatters) | |
3 MUTANTS – MUTTS = mor than one dog, around (s)TAN = man | |
4 CHAV – CHA = drink, V(odka) | |
5 RAKISHNESS – (HAS KISSER)*, around N(ame) | |
6 MONKEY BUSINESS – double definition, where drill (or mandrill) = monkey | |
7 GAS BOARD – GARD = DRAG, reversed, around ASBO = order among delinquents | |
8 BIDET – BIDE = stay, T(rue) | |
9 LAST WORDS – cryptic definition | |
10 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
11 TERMS OF ENDEARMENT – cryptic definition | |
12 COUNTERFEIT – COUNTER = tiddlywink, FE = iron, IT | |
18 HIMALAYA – HIM = male, A LAY = a song, A | |
20 MONTEZUMA’S REVENGE – (MEN OVEREATEN SMUG)* around Z = unknown | |
22 HOOKER – HOER = gardener, around OK = fine | |
24 MIDBRAIN – BRA = supporter, in MIDI = south of France, N(orth) | |
26 ROYALIST – ROY = boy, A(ttitude), LIST = record | |
29 CITIZEN’S ARREST – cryptic definition | |
32 TRUNNION – (TURN IN)*, ON | |
33 GROOVE – O(ranges), in GROVE = orchard | |
34 DOWN-HEARTED – DARTED = flashed, around OWN HE = private man | |
36 NOSTRADAMUS – NO STRAD = plain old fiddle, A MUS(t) = a necessity | |
37 HUNTINGDON – HUNTING = on the prowl, DON = academic | |
39 PALAESTRA – (SPARTA, ALE)*. Sometimes it helps to have a daughter reading Ancient History at university | |
42 deliberately omitted – please ask if unsure | |
46 EYEBALL – final letters of (hors)E, (donke)Y, (har)E, (lam)B | |
47 BRAHMS – BRAHMS (and Liszt) = under the table | |
49 CRACK – double definition | |
51 HOIST – HOST = a lot, around I = one | |
52 ANTI – hidden in (tasmani)AN TI(ger) |
Nice to see a mention of my beloved Huntingdon, effectively destroyed by Ted Heath who treated it as a London slum clearance dumping ground and also put an end to 1000 years of history by getting rid of Huntingdonshire. Why people are so critical of Maggie, when they could be having a go at him instead with far more reason, is a mystery to me.. funny old world