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