Another very good wordplay workout from Tim Moorey – I can usually trust my wordplay instincts when I run across an unusual word with him, and this helped a lot here, particularly on the improbable-looking 11, 25 and 28 across and 13 down.
24 down was my last in – I vaguely recalled the hut and I think the Malawi gentleman has been in a crossword before, but it wasn’t ringing bells until I looked it up at the end.
Away we go….
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | BIFF: take AIL out of BAILIFF |
| 4 | PEP(go),LOSES(missed) |
| 9 | UNBRASTE: anagram of (LATE BURNS) less the L |
| 11 | MOUSEPIECE: sounds like MOUSE PEACE |
| 12 | COR(my!),NACRE(shellfish) |
| 15 | ZATIS: A(about) in Z(zero),T,IS(Iceland in IVR code) |
| 16 | SPLEENS: PL(Poland, another IVR) in SEEN(recognized),S(sabbath) |
| 17 | ANOLE: AN, ‘OLE |
| 18 | POODS: O |
| 20 | EARFULS: (REFUSAL)* |
| 23 | IRKED: QUIRKED(twisted) missing the QU |
| 25 | THRAWART: RA(gunners) in THWART(cross) |
| 26 | CLIP JOINTS: JOINT(united) in CLIPS |
| 27 | CREDENZA: DEN in (CRAZE)* |
| 28 | ST HELENA: HELE(hide) in ANTS reversed |
| 29 | REEN: NE’ER reversed |
| Down | |
| 1 | BUNCOS: CO in BUNS(US buttocks) |
| 2 | INCORPORALL: CORPORAL in I,NL(more IVRs) |
| 3 | FRONDE: RONDE(type) under F |
| 4 | PAUAS: PADUA’S missing the D |
| 5 | PTEROSAUR: (USE,RAPTOR)* |
| 6 | 0,RIGA,’N’ |
| 7 | STENTOUR: NETS reversed then TOUR |
| 8 | S, PER SE |
| 10 | SCHILLERIZE: CHILLER in SIZE(glue) |
| 13 | CANEPHORE: anagram of CARPHONE then |
| 14 | B,LO,K |
| 18 | PISCES: reversal of SEC,SIP |
| 19 | DEEPIE: sounds like D,P |
| 21 | FE,W,TER |
| 22 | S,A,THAN: the S and A coming from the respective letters in Ximenes and Araucaria, noted crossword setters |
| 24 | BANDA: double def for the hut and former dictator of Malawi, HASTINGS BANDA |
I thought 14D BLOKEISH an excellent clue
I found this reasonably straightforward. It’s occurred to me a few times of late that I’d make life easier for myself if I memorised some IVR codes, but that’s just not going to happen.