This puzzle was a little easier than some of late and I would have had a very quick solve but for 1A which took me an age – indeed I didn’t understand the cryptic part until about 2 days later when it suddenly dawned on me! But all in all a fair and interesting test which took me about 50 minutes.
Off blog somebody has asked me to indicate the order in which I solved the clues and broadly how I arrived at the answer. I’ve done that by putting a code after each explanation in the form (nn, explanation) where nn=the order of solving from 1 to 36 and the explanations are: WP=wordplay; CL=checking letters; D=definition. I don’t intend to repeat this unless somebody finds it particularly useful.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | AIRCRAFTSMAN – the lowest rank in the RAF (one in service). Akin to “squaddie” for a soldier such a member of the RAF is called an “erk”, which you can find “dressed” in j-erk-in. (30, D+CL); |
| 9 | LEANBURN – LEA-N-BURN; meadow=LEA; stream=BURN; computer controlled method of ensuring a high air to fuel ratio in a combustion engine; (34, WP+CL); |
| 11 | TIMING – TI(MIN)G; twitch=TIG; (36, WP+CL); |
| 12 | NANDU – NAN-D(ried)-U(p); bread=NAN; flightless bird from Peru (a condition not attributable to the volcano); (15, WP+CL); |
| 13 | OXIDE – OX(ID)E(n); oxygen + any element; rust for example; (1,WP); |
| 15 | SQUIRR – SQUIRR(el); hoarder=squirrel;look for in Leith; (2,WP); |
| 17 | SCAR – two meanings 1=parrot-wrasse (SCAR-3); 2=reef (SCAR-2); (33,D); |
| 18 | THREAT – T(H)REAT; Henry=H (physics); (3,WP); |
| 19 | ORTEGA – ORT-(AGE reversed); local (dialect) scrap=ORT; Daniel Ortega re-elected President of Nicaragua in 2006; (4,WP+D); |
| 21 | RELINE – RE(NIL reversed)E; ree-2=Scottish yard; (5,D+WP); |
| 24 | NUCLEI – (in clue)*; (27, WP); |
| 26 | GAGE – GAG-E; GAGE-1=a challenge; (6,WP); |
| 28 | TORERO – TORE-RO; RO=run out (cricket); a matador, El Cordobes, perhaps; (23,WP+CL); |
| 29 | SNIPS – (SPINS reversed); a spin is a trip (out); (7,WP); |
| 30 | UNION – UNI-ON; (25,D+CL); |
| 31 | ELICIT – ELI-CIT; not a gentleman=CIT; (8,D+WP); |
| 32 | ESTACADE – hidden (b)EST A CADE(t); a dike in a river to stop an enemy advancing;(26,CL); |
| 33 | WATERMANSHIP – WATERMAN’S-HIP; reference Dennis Waterman an actor born just up the road from where I grew up and like me a Chelsea supporter who featured in a TV series called “Minder”; (21,D+CL); |
| Down | |
| 1 | ALTOSTRATUS – ALTOS-TRAT-US; cloud between nimbo-stratus and cirro-stratus; (9,WP); |
| 2 | RAMIE – R(AMI)E; friend=AMI; ancient fabric made from the fibre of the plant; (35,WP+CL); |
| 3 | CNIDAE – C(DIN reversed)AE; CAE=College of Advanced Education in Melbourne; stinging jellyfish Medusae; (10,WP); |
| 4 | AUGUST – two meanings 1=imposing 2=given name of play-write August Strindberg 1849-1912; (11,WP) |
| 5 | FRESCO – (f)FR(ESC)O; key (on keyboard)=ESC; reference Carl Orff 1895-1982 composer of Carmina Burana; (31,D+CL); |
| 6 | SCAUR – SCAUR(y); scaury=young gull; to frighten in Fife; (32,D+CL); |
| 7 | MUNITE – M(ethod)-UNITE; see munition in C, Bacon’s word for to strengthen; (12,WP); |
| 8 | ANDROGEN – (grand one)*; testosterone for example; note the fodder will also produce “end organ”; (13,WP); |
| 10 | CURTAIL-STEP – CUR-TAILS-PET; the bottom step in a flight of stairs; (14,WP); |
| 14 | ELAN – hidden (fre)ELAN(ce); (16,WP); |
| 16 | CHELONIA – CH(IN-OLE all reversed)A; turtles and tortoises. See Chelonian in C; (17,WP+CL); |
| 20 | RUSS – scores=runs (cricket) then change “n”=north to “s”=south; any Russian; (29,D+CL); |
| 22 | LARIAT – LA(AIR reversed)T; LAT=latissimus dorsi, a back muscle; (18,D+CL); |
| 23 | EGOISM – (me+i+s)* around “go”; s=selfishness primarily; nice clue; (19,D+WP); |
| 24 | NEPETA – (ATE-PEN all reversed); catmint; (20,WP); |
| 25 | CONICS – CON-I(C)S; learn=CON; C=college; S=succeeded; the maths of circles, parabolas, ellipses and of course eccentricity; (28,WP+CL); |
| 26 | GEODE – GE-ODE; Gaea=GE=Greek goddess of the earth; volcanic rock presumably now found over the whole of the UK; (24,WP+CL); |
| 27 | MICAH – H(AC)IM all reversed; a book of the Hebrew Bible; (22,WP+CL); |
I guess 1A and 33 are intended to be a matching pair of words with MAN and one or two types of transport – AIR/WATER and AIRCRAFT/SHIP.
Solving order: I’ve listed this once or twice and it never raised much comment. It’s sometimes useful to say which were the first and or last few solved and likewise with the method, but people report wildly different orders, so the full detail doesn’t seem significant.
Can’t resist asking Jimbo which episodes of Minder he was in!