My thanks to George for standing in for me whilst I was on holiday.
This was the first puzzle I tackled on my return and thankfully it was not over taxing. I don’t think there’s anything here to delay experienced solvers but I do have a slight query at 17A over the use of “shell out”. It was my last in and solved by looking up MOIR? in Chambers and then constructing a parsing by finding “moidore” in Chambers. Previously I had been looking to remove the front and back from a word rather than the middle.
I must remember now to blog this week’s puzzle as my return favour to George
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SCAW – S(C)AW; C from c(yclist); a low headland; |
| 7 | SCRAM – two meanings; 1=go away 2=shut down a nuclear reactor in an emergency; |
| 12 | MAN-YEARS – MANY-EARS; |
| 13 | OLENT – O-LENT; |
| 14 | BEDROPT – (bored)*-PT; sprinkled with drops; |
| 15 | SHIELD-MAY – (m hilda yes)*; an Amazon; |
| 16 | IBEXES – IB-EXE-S(ing); in the same place =IB; |
| 17 | MOIRE – MOI(do)RE; gold coin=moidore; prepare=do; shell out=removal indicator for “do”? I associate “shell out” with topping and tailing rather than de-coring. The definition is “fabric”, MOIRE being watered silk; |
| 18 | NAMASTE – hidden (minio)N-A-MASTE(r); an Indian greeting; |
| 22 | SARANGI – SA-RANG-I(ndian); it=sex apeal=SA; called=RANG; an Indian stringed instrument; |
| 24 | PHYLA – PHYL-A; sounds like “file”-A; the groupings of the animal kingdom; |
| 25 | MINNIE – M(INN)IE(n); look=mien; two definitions, a mother in Motherwell and Micky’s mate; |
| 27 | STRINGENT – STRIN(e)-GENT; |
| 28 | PROCYON – PRO-C(onservatives)-YON; a star in the Lesser Dog constellation; |
| 29 | ARRAH – A-RR-A-H; bishop=Right Reverend=RR; husband=H; |
| 30 | CITRUSSY – CIT(RUSS)Y; Sauvignon Blanc; |
| 31 | TEENE – hidden (articula)TE-ENE(my); |
| 32 | SEEL – two meanings; 1=heel over suddenly 2=to blind (as in hawking); |
| Down | |
| 1 | SMOKING – S-MO-KING; |
| 2 | CALABASH,TREE – (a chelsea brat)*; |
| 3 | ANELE – AN-ELE sounds like “eel”; |
| 4 | BETHESDA – (hates bed)*; a place of healing in Jerusalem; |
| 5 | BABIST – BA(B-IS)T; bishop=B this time as in chess; |
| 6 | PREEVE – P-REEVE; old word for proof; |
| 8 | CORDOBA – CO-(board)*; readies in Nicaragua; |
| 9 | ROOMIE – ROO-MIE sounds like “rue me”; a room mate; |
| 10 | ASPARAGINASE – (an air passage)*; an enzyme; |
| 11 | MITY – sounds like “mighty”; full of mits; |
| 17 | MARINARA – (A-RANI-RAM all reversed); a sauce; |
| 19 | ALLICIN – ALL-I(C-I)N; exhausted=ALL IN; cold=C; an antibiotic; |
| 20 | DIETHYL – DIE-THY-L; lecturer=L; |
| 21 | PYROPE – PY-ROPE; PY sounds like “pi”; string of pearls=ROPE; a gemstone; |
| 22 | SAGOIN – S(AGO)IN; a small monkey; |
| 23 | AMENTS – A(MEN)TS; ATS=old name for WRAC, Womens Royal Army Corps; people needing psychiatric help; |
| 26 | NORSE – NO(R)SE; R from (solve)R; |
| 27 | SPET – S(P)ET; power=P; a SPET scanner is used to scan the brain; |
Rednim