This was comparatively easy, with no outstanding clues, and one that I really felt was pretty poor (36A). It took me less than 25 minutes, but 8A did bring a smile to my face as I recalled some of the character’s short films.
Simon
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | STATE OF THE ART – STATE,OFT,HEART | |
| 8 | ENDOMORPH – END,O,MORPH. Morph was an animated plasticine figure on children’s television in the UK from the 1970s. I am not sure whether the programmes were exported. He was created by Aardman animations, who later created Wallace and Gromitt. I am unsure how to post links efficiently here, but I would encourage you to look him up in Wikipedia or on YouTube | |
| 13 | NOOSE – NOOS=soon reversed,(mous)E | |
| 14 | RUN TO SEED – RUN TO SEE,D(octors) | |
| 15 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 16 | HALF SEAS OVER – (has fever also)*. I vaguely remember my father, who served on board warships, using this expression for being slightly drunk. | |
| 17 | FREIGHTAGE – F,R(EIGHT)AGE | |
| 18 | RESUME – p(RESUME) | |
| 19 | ENLISTED – LIST – sounds like Liszt, in (need)* | |
| 21 | CANARD – C(AN)ARD. A card being an eccentric character | |
| 24 | TONIC SOL-FA – (solo in fact)* | |
| 26 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 29 | WICK – WICK(low) | |
| 30 | TEST TUBE – TEST=match, TUBE=pipe | |
| 31 | ASSEMBLE – A,SSEM = mess reversed,BLE = E,LB reversed | |
| 34 | NAPOLEON – NAN around POLE,O(rigins) | |
| 35 | BALLYHOO – BY HOO(p) around ALL | |
| 36 | BASS – what can I say? I think this is pretty poor | |
| 39 | THE ACROPOLIS – (Lesotho,Capri)* | |
| 40 | MALEVOLENT – MALE,V(i)OLENT | |
| 43 | TIE-UPS – (upset)* round i, the symbol for electrical current | |
| 44 | STIGMATA – STA(b) around TIG,MA | |
| 45 | SALOON – SALON around O(rder) | |
| 49 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 51 | GET THE WIND UP – GET=understand, THE=article, WIND-UP=leg-pull | |
| 53 | AVARICE – (caviare)* | |
| 54 | SLOGANEER – SLOG,A,NE’ER | |
| 55 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 56 | LANDGRAVE – LAND=estate, GRAVE=tomb | |
| 57 | SUMMER HOLIDAY – a 1963 film starring Cliff Richard. | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | SANDHURST – SAN,D(owns),HURST = small wood. Sandhurst is the British Army’s leading officer training college. And about 3 miles from where I live. | |
| 2 | APOLLOS – A,POLL,OS – butterflies found in the ALps apparently | |
| 3 | EVER SO MUCH – (move curse)*,H | |
| 4 | FORMAT – FORM,A,T | |
| 5 | HAND OVER FIST – HANDOVER,FIST=duke in slang | |
| 6 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 7 | TIER – TI(b)ER. One of many rivers, but tier is the first word that comes to mind when I see row in a clue | |
| 8 | ELDERBERRY – ELDER,BERRY – sounds like “bury” – to hide | |
| 9 | DETAIN – D(ETA)IN | |
| 10 | MARSH HARRIER – MARS,H(are),HARRIER=hound | |
| 11 | RIOJA – RIO,JA. Wilhelm is presumably German and he would use “ja” for “yes” | |
| 12 | HOTHEADEDNESS – HOT(HEADED)NESS. | |
| 20 | SKEWBALD – SKEW,BA(L)D | |
| 22 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 23 | NOSTROMO – (to morons)*. A novel by Joseph Conrad | |
| 25 | NECKPIECE – NECK=a short margin in horse racing, PIECE=length, as in “a length of material” | |
| 27 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 28 | STRAYING – STAYING around newspape(R) | |
| 29 | WENT TO THE WALL – double, slightly cryptic definition | |
| 32 | BLACK PUDDING – BLACK does not seem to be synonmous with harmful, but I suppose black runs are dangerous in skiing and black ice is also dangerous | |
| 33 | PHEASANTS EYE – P(H)EASANTS,EYE. A type of narcissus | |
| 37 | SOFT TISSUE – S(everal)OF,TT,ISSUE | |
| 38 | TO CAP IT ALL – CAPITAL in TOL(d) | |
| 41 | TEN A PENNY – T(oy),ENA,PENNY | |
| 42 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 46 | OLD MAID – double definition | |
| 47 | GENEVA – G,E,NEVA = aven reversed. The Aven is a river in France, which I did not know, but I am sure the root of the name is the same as the English Avon and Welsh Afon | |
| 48 | DEARTH – (woo)D,EARTH | |
| 50 | Please ask if unsure | |
| 52 | LOSS – (bug)LOSS – a small plant, with purple flowers. Common in our lawn! | |
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