I found this a little harder than of late. This is the first puzzle for some time that I failed to solve from top to bottom. I ended up solving from the bottom upwards, which always makes things a little more difficult.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | MNAS – an anagram of S(ome) N(eedy) A(thenian’s) M(oney); spent is anagrind; mna=mina=100 drachmas; |
| 4 | RUM,PUNCH – RUM=old word for good; PUNCH=thick set short person; boozy trap for the unwary; |
| 10 | COME,AGAIN – (ego maniac)*; eh? is the definition; |
| 11 | GOONDA – GO-ON-D-A; Democrat=D; an Indian political thug; |
| 12 | IDLE – (br)IDLE; |
| 14 | DUCKBILL – body swerve=DUCK; flyer=BILL (that appears on a billboard); |
| 15 | FORA – FOR-A; afternoon=A; |
| 17 | HEPTAD – HE(PT)AD; |
| 20 | FALTERED – F(ALT-E)RED; |
| 22 | VEGANISM – (saving me)*; |
| 24 | NAPALM – NA(PAL)M; china (plate)=mate=PAL; |
| 25 | CHAI – C-HAI(r); coloured=C (South Africa); |
| 26 | BIRDSONG – BIRD’S-ON-G; person=(he’s a rum) BIRD; |
| 29 | IN,ON – (n)INON; |
| 30 | GIAOUR – GI-A-(s)OUR; infadel; |
| 31 | SWEET,FLAG – (gates flew)*; |
| 32 | ATTENDEE – quondam PM=Attlee then change L=line to END=close; |
| 33 | TORE – T-ORE; architect’s moulding; |
| Down | |
| 1 | MCGUFFIN – M(C-GUFF)IN; |
| 2 | AMOK – (r)AM-OK; tup=RAM; |
| 3 | SENNA,TEA – SEN(N)ATE-A; knight=N (chess); about=A; |
| 4 | RADDLE – R-ADDLE; rector=R; |
| 5 | MANCHEGO – MANCHE(t)-GO; dialect (=local) for loaf=manchet; Spanish cheese; |
| 6 | PICK – PIC-(boo)K; but=without; |
| 7 | NUDITY – sounds like “new ditty”; not sure what “unknown” is doing; |
| 8 | COLLAPSAR – COLLA(PSA)R; nick=arrest=COLLAR; psalms=PSA; a black hole; |
| 9 | HEEL – H-(LEE reversed); |
| 13 | GO,AGAINST – GOA-GAIN-ST; |
| 16 | PREMOVED – P-REMOVED; priest=P; |
| 18 | PENCRAFT – P-EN-CR-AFT; on=EN; |
| 19 | DEMIURGE – the same in Latin=idem then lower “i” to give DEMI; desire=URGE; the Gnostic creator; |
| 21 | SPROUT – SP(R)OUT; R from (renoi)R; descendant=SPROUT; |
| 23 | AUGITE – (f)AU(x)-GITE; a mineral; |
| 26 | BIGA – BIG-A; a Roman two-horse chariot; |
| 27 | SAWN – SAW-N; |
| 28 | POLO – hidden reversed (egassa)P OLO(s); |
Peter Biddlecombe, Sunday Times Crossword Editor
I’ve been doing a screenwriting class on Wednesday nights lead by Joe Stinson (best known for putting “go ahead, make my day” in the mouth of Clint Eastwood). Great guy, perceptive screenwriter, riding me for being too theatrical and wordy in my writing, but has a bazillion stories that go on forever. I make sure I have a crossword or two handy while he holds forth.
So long, that while he was telling one story, I did Wednesdays Independent, the Spectator 2099, Jumbo 1022 (which I had already started), Azed 2124 and this. I wondered if he was ever going to finish (though it was a great chance to catch up on crosswords) and then realized he had been telling the same story for almost two hours.
Rather enjoyed this one, I went more from right to left than from top to bottom.