The first puzzle of 2016 and a standard offering that shouldn’t unduly trouble seasoned solvers
Across | |
---|---|
1 | BILLED – B(ILL)ED; “divan for one”=”divan is DBE”; caressed=BILLED (and cooed); |
5 | INCITE – INC-IT-E; |
10 | LAND-PIRATE – LAND-P-IRATE; P=priest; thief in Tilbury perhaps; |
11 | SPIVVY – SP(I-V-V)Y; Arthur English no doubt; |
13 | TOPOI – TOPO-I; climber’s map=TOPO; stock themes is definition; |
14 | AMOEBAS – A-MO-BAS(E promoted); stand=base then “back first” gives EBAS; |
15 | OVOLO – OV(er)-(loo)*; a moulding; |
16 | FORPINE – F(lower)-ORPINE; stonecrop=ORPINE; antiquated go to pot is definition; |
17 | NEPTUNE – (punnet)*-(grap)E; |
23 | OAK,TREE – (take over – v)*; reference Charles II fleeing Roundheads; |
25 | KIP,DOWN – K-I-P-DOWN; turn in is definition; |
28 | ICTAL – hidden (lunat)IC-TAL(ks); |
29 | ASTRAND – A-STR-AND; acting=A; strong=STR; |
30 | DHOBI – D(HOB)I; pleural of deus=DI; rustic=HOB; washerman is definition; |
31 | FLITED – FLI(t)TED; flitt=move house in Motherwell; see “flyte” for quarelled in Queensferry; |
32 | EVANISHING – EVA-(SIN reversed)-(t)HING; |
33 | DURESS – D(U)RESS; |
34 | EDGERS – (reeds)* surrounds G=good; |
Down | |
1 | BOSTON – (SOB reversed)-TON; card game – bit like whist; |
2 | IMPOVERISH – IMP-OVERISH; gamin=IMP; |
3 | LAVOLTA – LAV-(a lot)*; can=toilet=LAV; old dance; |
4 | ENVIOUS – E-N(VI)OUS; |
5 | IPOMOEA – I-POM-OE-A; grandbairn=OE; about=A; morning glory is definition; |
6 | NIDOR – RODIN reversed; the smell of meat cooking; |
7 | CREEP – CREE-P(anic); snake is definition; |
8 | IAMBIC – I-AM-BIC; |
9 | EEL-SET – E(ELSE)T; a net; |
12 | DANCE,A,BEAR – (a beer ad can)*; to exhibit a twirling teddy – don’t see need for “under pressure” in definition; |
18 | NOWNESS – N(OWN)ESS; |
19 | SKID,LID – S(KID)LID; slang for crash helmet; |
20 | ETCHING – ETC-HING; what have you=ETC; curry ingredient=HING; carving and Victorian euphamism; |
21 | OKAYED – O(KAY)ED; |
22 | UPTEAR – UP-TEAR; |
24 | ELIDES – SEDILE reversed; |
26 | DRONE – DR-ONE; |
27 | OASIS – OAS-IS; |
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