The easiest set of down clues in a long time with 1D to 17D inclusive simple write-ins. Had the top finished in next to no time and no more than 30 minutes for the whole thing. No french clues this time from our Gallic master but one whole answer instead – magnifique!
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | WRITERS – W-RITE(R)S; sellers of Stock Exchange options; |
| 7 | REIGN – RE-IGN; unknown (Latin)=IGN; |
| 11 | SCHANTZE – S-CHANT-Z(on)E; cover from gunfire in SA; |
| 12 | SNORTS – SN-ORTS; tin=SN; remains=ORTS; quick drinks; |
| 13 | RAGU – (s)UGAR reversed; sauce is definition; |
| 14 | TENIAE – (I-NET reversed)-AE; difficulty=NET; aged=AE; ribbons in Rhode Island is definition; |
| 15 | PSALMS – PS-ALMS; |
| 16 | EGYPTOLOGIST – E-GYP-TOL(d)-O-GIST; Earl=E; college worker at Cambridge=GYP; O=of; ref Howard Carter, famous for finding King Tut; |
| 18 | BANSELA – BANS-E-LA; highest pitch=E-LA; gratuity (tip) in Africa; |
| 22 | OPSONIN – (onions + p=positive)*; |
| 24 | RESIGNEDNESS – (needs ingress)*; |
| 26 | TUAREG – TU(ARE)G; traveller; |
| 27 | FEEBLE – hidden (cof)FEE-BLE(nd); |
| 29 | SINE – SIN-(off)E(nce); Latin for “without”; |
| 30 | STOLON – STOL-ON; aircraft landing system=STOL; acceptable=ON; a plant runner; |
| 31 | CHANCIER – CH-(racine)*; |
| 32 | HASTY – H-A-STY; before=A; |
| 33 | GREENER – GREE-NER(d); old word for rank=GREE; anorak=nerd; definition is one recently here (newly arrived); |
| Down | |
| 1 | WASTE – (tawse)*; |
| 2 | RENEGATE – (teenager)*; |
| 3 | IRON – I-R(est)-ON; |
| 4 | THRIPS – TH-RIPS; |
| 5 | ESTATE,AGENCY – (taste)*-E(A)GENCY; acting=A; |
| 6 | SHIPLAP – S(HIP)LAP; |
| 7 | RAISON,D’ETRE – (tiredness or a)*; |
| 8 | ENRAGE – EN-RAGE; in (French – YSL=Yves Saint Laurent)=EN; vogue=RAGE; |
| 9 | ITALIC – IT-ALIC(e); IT=childish game; |
| 10 | NEUSTON – N-EUSTON; pond life; |
| 17 | SKI,SLOPE – SK-IS-LOPE; piste; |
| 18 | BORTSCH – BORT-SCH; soup; |
| 19 | LONG,PIG – (going limp – i’m)*; cannibal dish; |
| 20 | ASANAS – AS(ANA)S; gull=fool=ASS: possessions=ANA; |
| 21 | VIRENT – VIRE-NT; transfer funds=VIRE; National Trust=NT; old word for fresh; |
| 23 | ONE-ONE – O(NEON)E; grandchild in Glasgow=OE; |
| 25 | SENOR – S(ONE reversed)R; SR from S(antende)R; |
| 28 | BLIN – B-(NIL reversed); book=B; Spenser word for cessation; |
Nice idea – shiplag!