I wondered if puzzle number 2,600 would give rise to something a little out of the ordinary and sure enough four clues contain an unclued letter in the cryptic part of the clue but with a standard definition. There isn’t a great deal one can do with the number 2,600 so it was immediately a fair bet that the letters would be MMDC and so it proved.
The puzzle is middle-of-the-road with the missing letters not really making matters more difficult and a good smattering of starter clues. I was interested to see that Flymo has made it into Chambers, one of those trade names like Hoover that become the generic name of the product.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 4 | GANDERISM – GANDER(I)S-M unclued; look=GANDER (slang); FIFA in its attitude to technology; |
| 10 | INYALA – (t)INY-(g)ALA; the nyala, a South African antelope; |
| 11 | MUONIC – MU(O)NIC(h); muons, like electrons, are classified as a lepton; |
| 12 | SAMNITIS – SA(M)N-IT-IS; Mike=M (phonetic alphabet); an unknown! poisonous plant invented by Spenser; |
| 13 | LITH – LIT-H; hydrant=H; a joint in Leith (not cannabis so far as I’m aware); |
| 14 | APAGE – A-PAGE; first class=A; “apage Satanas” means “go Satan”; |
| 15 | STATUS – ST(r)ATUS; |
| 17 | UTTERER – (m)UTTERER; |
| 20 | MISHEAR – MI-SHEAR; me=a note that follows ray (re)=MI; to catch (it) is to hear (it); |
| 23 | TYPHOON – TYPHOO-N; Typhoo is a large tea producing company; |
| 27 | AQUAFIT – A(QU)A-FIT; rock=AA; exercises undertaken in the bath; |
| 28 | ROOMER – sounds like “rumour”; |
| 29 | FLYMO – FLY-MO; take off=FLY; more=MO; a brand name that has become synonymous with the product; |
| 31 | RIEM – (Golda) MEIR reversed; the original Iron Lady, Israeli PM 1969-1974; |
| 32 | GALILEAN – two meanings; |
| 33 | PLAY,UP – P-LAY-UP; power=P; in golf to lay up is to deliberately hit a shot that falls short of a hazard; |
| 34 | A,SALTI – A(SALT)I; Japanese fish=AI; tar=sailor=SALT; by fits and starts; |
| 35 | DUNSTABLE – D unclued-UNSTABLE; straw hat made in Dunstable from 17th Century; |
| Down | |
| 1 | MISAUNTER – M unclued-IS-A-(p)UNTER; an accident on Tyneside; |
| 2 | INAPTLY – (“party line” without RE=engineers)*; |
| 3 | CYMA – AMY-C all reversed; Charlie=C (phonetic alphabet); a cornice moulding; |
| 4 | GANGER – GANG(st)ER; |
| 5 | NATHEMO – N-(at home)*; “ground” is anagrind; never the more (from Spenser again) is definition; |
| 6 | EUSTASY – EU-STA(S)Y; Sun=S; Europe=EU; last=STAY (as in race horses); world wide changes in the level of the shore line; |
| 7 | ROLAG – (GAL-OR all reversed); OR=old word for before; wool for spinning; |
| 8 | IN,ITSELF – (life isn’t)*; right=correct=anagrind; apart from relations is the definition; |
| 9 | SITUS – S(IT)US; the normal position of an organ within the body; |
| 16 | STRATONIC – (NO-TARTS all reversed)-I-C unclued; of the military; |
| 18 | TYPHOEAN – TYP(HO)E-AN; stamp=TYPE; the monster under Mount Etna; |
| 19 | FOREGUT – F-(gore)*-UT; following=F; UT=old form of do(h) – more tonic sol-fa; |
| 21 | INQILAB – IN-Q-I-LAB; question=Q; India=IN; a coup (also a newspaper); |
| 22 | ANIMATE – A-NI(b)-MATE; holly=MATE; peak=nib; |
| 24 | PALLAE – PAL(LA)E; look=LA; Roman mantles; |
| 25 | POILU – PO(IL)U(t); in Paris he=IL; sulk=pout; French slang equivalent of Tommy; |
| 26 | EMMYS – hidden (th)EM MYS(elf); |
| 30 | YELM – shout=yell then replace l=Liberal by Y from (mocker)Y; Thatcher as one who mends thatched roofs; |
I have to admit that I got holly=mate for entirely the wrong reason, even though it was there all the time in my 1972 edition: I assumed it was a slang term from Buddy Holly, with buddy = mate!
Many thanks for a clear description of the other answers.