Interesting puzzle, this one – I did it in one session, but there were a few that I did not get the wordplay on at all, and my first version of the grid had four big question marks next to it. We’ll see if a re-parsing while writing this up helps, but I may need a bit of assistance to get through the last of these. In most cases the definition clearly matches a word that has the same definition in Chambers, but it’s the wordplay that’s failing me. So there’s also the chance I’ve picked the wrong variant.
Nobody’s perfect, right?
Away we go
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | T,EPHRA |
| 5 | COPECK: PE (price/earning ratio) in COCK(small pile, hence BANK) |
| 9 | RHOEADALES: RHEAS surrounding DALE, then insert an 0 |
| 11 | NANOWIRE: (policeme)N then A, NO, W, IRE |
| 12 | DRAKE: cryptic definition (a skipping stone) and an allusion to Francis Drake |
| 13 | TROMP?: I think this is a double definition, a TROMP produces a blast of air and it can also mean to stamp out something Edit: as noted in comments, I picked the wrong double definition, TRUMP fits better |
| 14 | IAGO: half of SANTIAGO |
| 15 | FERREL: R,R, (repeated queens) in FEEL |
| 18 | DRONING: D then IRONING without I |
| 20 | OM,AY,YAD: the last part is DAY reversed |
| 22 | IPECAC: (ICE-CAP)* |
| 24 | P, |
| 25 | SNEED: (autum)N in SEED(corn) |
| 26 | MOSEL: MOSEY with Y replaced with L |
| 28 | TIRRIVEE: RIVE(split) in TIRE(to dress, third entry in Chambers) |
| 29 | DOCETISTIC: DO(complete), then CE,IS,TIC with T(tense) in the middle |
| 30 | MEINEY: I in MEN, YE reversed |
| 31 | HI-TECH: HITCH with E inside |
| Down | |
| 1 | TRADITOR: D in TRAIT, OR |
| 2 | POD,AGRA: school of whales in this case |
| 3 | HECK: as HECKS would sound like HEX |
| 4 | ADAWED: I didn’t know this story, but Ada Byron after whom the ADA computer language is named, married William King, heir to the title of Lovelace |
| 5 | CAN,ER: the head person is the queen here |
| 6 | PEWRENT: WREN(member of the Women’s Royal Naval Service) in PET |
| 7 | CARMEN,ERE,S(upper) |
| 8 | KEEP: since there’s only one fielder keeping the wickets. Run as in maintain. |
| 10 | PRAEMUNIRE: (REMAIN,PURE)* |
| 13 | TRONC: aaaah, I’ve got it now – it’s PATRON without PA, then C(about) |
| 15 | FAYED: YE in FAD |
| 16 | A,GAL,LOCH: Wordplay easier than definition – AGALLOCH is another name for eaglewood, which is a type of daphne |
| 17 | HYPERON: HYPERION without the I |
| 19 | IRISATE: IRISH HATE without any H’s |
| 21 | DALETH: LET in DAH(knife) |
| 23 | COVEY: Not sure I get the wordplay here either – is it based on COVE being an old chap? |
| 25 | STUM: (MUST)* |
| 27 | ONST: hidden |
23D is two meanings 1=brood and 2=a form of “cove” =old chap
I thought this was a little harder than of late and I felt as if I was working at it quite intensely
A nice alternative to AZED when I can’t do one of his ‘specials’.