With the first five across clues going straight in the top half was a breeze. The bottom was a bit harder, but not a lot, so overall a relatively easy solve.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | PRESS,CHARGES – two meanings; a hack is a journalist; too easy for an answer that spans the whole grid; |
| 10 | ROUSE – RO(U)SE; rouse-2 = bumper; |
| 11 | INULIN – IN(s)ULIN; “s” from s(tarch); carb used in processed foods; |
| 12 | IN,REASON – IN-RE-A(r)SON; concerning=IN RE; |
| 13 | SAKI – S-A-KI(d); is=S; pen name of Hector Munro 1870-1916; |
| 15 | CAITIFF – CAI(n)-TIFF; tribute=cain; mean, base; |
| 16 | SUTLERY – (result)*-Y; a sutler’s (camp follower’s) shop for selling all sorts to soldiers; |
| 17 | CIVET – C-I’VE-T; |
| 18 | TRIP,HOP – TRIP-HO-P(arty); flock (of sheep)=trip-2; a type of modern electronic music; |
| 24 | METAYER – ME(TAY)ER; a tenant farmer; |
| 26 | A,FOND – A-FOND; fond=fand-2=old word for try; |
| 27 | PAD-TREE – PAD(T)RE-E; it=T; Spain=E; a wooden or metal frame for harness; |
| 29 | HANGARS – (gran has)*; crates is slang for aircraft; |
| 31 | AWDL – A-W-(Eistddfo)D-L; Welsh bardic verse – nice clue; |
| 32 | LACE,INTO – (ali etc on)*; to carpet is to tell off=LACE INTO; |
| 33 | STOOGE – theatre=”stage” then replace “a” by “oo”=you and I in Scotland; feed is the definition; |
| 34 | SPAER – two meanings 1=one who fortells 2=a person in a spa!?; |
| 35 | AWKWARD,SQUAD – (h)AWK-WARDS-QUAD; |
| Down | |
| 1 | PRIEST – P(RI)EST; RI=Religious Instruction; good if easy clue; |
| 2 | RONDURE – R-ON-D(rama)-URE; take=R; forward=ON; old word for use=URE; Elizabethan globe; |
| 3 | EURO – O-RUE reversed; battleground for finanz-blitzkreig; |
| 4 | SEAME – SE(s)AME; s=”salty” at first; but=remove; pork lard; |
| 5 | CAS,CROM – (“sam coerces” without “see”)*; see “caschrom” in C; a spade in Sutherland; |
| 6 | ANNICUT – ANN-I-CUT; widow’s money=ANN; in=I; see anicut=a dam; |
| 7 | RUSTICATE – RUST-I-CAT-E(clogue); |
| 8 | GLAIVE – G(LA)IVE; a pole with a blade attached to it; |
| 9 | SNIFTY – S-NIFTY; slang for smelling nice (curry more than girls I think); |
| 14 | ALPENGLOW – (nepal)*-GLOW; sunrise and sunset on snow capped mountains – another good if rather easy clue; |
| 19 | HIDALGA – HI-(GLAD reversed)-A; Spanish noblewoman; |
| 20 | PEASCOD – P-(coed)* surrounds A-S; a shuck (as like as two peas in a pod); |
| 21 | BEEF,TEA – BEE-F-TEA(m);Johnston’s Fluid Beef otherwise known as Bovril – you love it or you hate it; |
| 22 | BAHASA – BA-HAS-A; bears=HAS; advanced=A; Indoneasian language; |
| 23 | PONDOK – POND-OK; stew-2=fish pond; affordable housing South African style; |
| 25 | RECORD – RE-CORD; slightly odd definition, why the kettle as against say the curtains? |
| 28 | DRESS – D(RES)S; DS=darmstadtium – a synthetic element that was first produced in Darmstadt, Germany, from which it takes its name.One of the rarer abreviations; |
| 30 | UNAU – U-NAU(ght); the two-toed sloth; |
I took SPAER as AE (one) in SPR(ing), but your reading is much more fun!
The Mephisto setters give us so much pleasure each week (a couple of hours for me, rather less for Jimbo) that I hate to carp, but I must take Paul to task on his legal knowledge (again!- see 2666).
To “press charges” is to maintain an accusation of criminal conduct with a view to initiating a prosecution. To “sue” is to bring a lawsuit in a civil court. Not the same thing at all.
Very interested in your legal commentary – it demonstrates yet again the misuse of technical language with a very specific meaning in everyday affairs. I wasn’t aware of this key distinction, so thank you.
I had the same thought as Essex Man about PRESS CHARGES. Also TRIP HOP is not a dance, as the clue defines it. It is a type of music originating in Bristol that is more likely to make you want to have a nap than dance. These are minor quibbles though in another excellent puzzle. I’m enjoying these more and more.
I got quite stuck in the SE corner with this one and had to “cheat” (in my own personal terms) by looking up “sloth” in Bradford’s to get UNAU. I didn’t help myself by spending ages looking for a single word for 32ac.
Now to go back to Saturday’s puzzle, which is proving a bit of a stinker. I spent nearly 20 minutes on it earlier and have less than half done…