I think I was on Paul McKenna’s wavelength here, as I solved most of this without dictionaries nearby and just needed to crib together the last few bits to finish off. Some really fun clues in here. Also a rather interesting grid – 11X13 with a practically American-style block of 3X5 in the top left and bottom right corner.
There were a few I put in without full understanding of wordplay, but as is often the case, it came to me while I was writing up the blog. So I think everything is in order.
Away we go…
Across | |
---|---|
1 | STOMPS: S(special), TOM(punk) next to PS(prompt side) |
6 | PIKER: K in PIER |
10 | NO FAIR: wonder if Obama has said that lately? |
11 | OJIME: hidden |
12 | INFRA DIG: IN FR, A DIG(poke like a joke like a joke is a joke and a poke is a poke but when you poke a bloke it’s no joke) |
14 | KER |
15 | TIN HAT: double def, one cryptic (a hat of tins) |
16 | TASER: TASTER without ‘T. Didn’t know this meaning of TASTER |
17 | SWEETIE-PIE: W in SEE(judge) then TIE, PIE(in a state) |
19 | TOSS: TOSA without A, then S |
21 | E,POS: Electronic Point Of Sale – didn’t know gazunder as a chamberpot |
22 | C,RACK,B,RAIN: wow, RACK has eight meanings in Chambers! |
24 | ADO,B.O. |
26 | B.LIT,HE: I liked the graduate being something other than MA |
28 | LOCO: (COOL)* |
30 | WITBLITS: WIT then L in BITS. A South African spirit. I seem to recall it featuring in an episode of “Three Sheets” and it looked unappealing |
31 | EMEND: ME in END |
32 | MOUSIE: SI |
33 | GARBE: most of GARBage before E(end of TRADE) |
34 | BEST,AD |
Down | |
1 | SNIFTS: FT in SINS reversed |
2 | TONDI: ND in TO(for), I(investigating) |
3 | OFF ONE’S ROCKER: definition and two wordplays, ROCKER being a dove, and Ronnie Corbett often appearing in a big chair (don’t remember if it was a rocking chair) |
4 | MARCHESA: ARCH in MESA |
5 | PIAS: 1,A(about) in P.S. |
6 | POINTED: INT in POE,D |
7 | KINESIPATHIST: KINE(cows), SI(IS reversed), PAT, HIST(silence) |
8 |
|
9 | REMORAS: (MORE)* then RAS |
13 | STICK BY: T in SICK BAY with A(it) gone |
18 | PERIPLUS: (SUPPLIER)* |
19 | T,HA,W,L,EG: HA for hac anno was new to me |
20 | ECOCIDE: CO in EC then IDE |
23 | NEESED: N then sounds like EASED |
25 | DOGMA: DO then MAG with the G on the top |
27 | HUT,I,A |
29 | O.B.,O,E |
I was baffled by the reference to milk production at 28ac – as far as I can see, loco weed has no beneficial effects. Am I missing something?
John