I found this one to be a puzzle of two halves – the top half filled in extrmely quickly, with some head-scratching over the bottom half. Don Manley has, as usual, treated us to a feast of wordplay for unusual words, though I’m not entirely sure about my parsing of 17 across.
First definitions in all clues are underlined.
Away we go…
Across | |
1 | Spread gossip about work with German stock company (9) |
PROPAGATE – PRATE(gossip) surrounding OP(work) and AG – aktiengesellschaft… which does look like it needs an abbreviation | |
11 | Music-maker and I set about invading Scottish town (8) |
TENOROON – ONE(I) reveresed inside TROON(Scottish town with a well known golf course) | |
12 | After short time fellow in charge becomes stupid (7) |
MORONIC – MO(short time), RON(fellow) IC(in charge) | |
13 | Muslim belonging to student group becomes revolutionary (5) |
SUNNI – belonging to the student group means you are IN NUS… reverse it | |
14 | Old-fashioned cast excited tots after end of play (5) |
YTOST – anagram of TOTS after |
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16 | Secret place for entertainment — any number coming in for day (6) |
ARCANE – ARCADE(place for entetainment) with N replacing the D | |
17 | Little Mary about to cross a river — plan needed (6, two words) |
MAP OUT – I think this has to be correct from the definition. If the river is A PO then that leave MUT, which appears to be an Egyptian name that can mean creator? Is MUT a shortening of Mary I can’t find anywhere? The setter himself popped in to point out what I was missing – “little Mary” is in Chambers as a term for the stomach used by J.M. Barrie, creator of Peter Pan. So it is TUM reversed. Thanks DM! | |
18 | Palm maybe concealing diamonds at start of bad card game (8) |
TREDILLE – TREE(palm, maybe) surrounding D(diamonds), ILL(bad) | |
19 | After time bishop’s no longer driven around — one facilitates rail transport (8) |
TRACKBED – T(time) then B(bishop) with RACKED(driven) surrounding it | |
25 | A dance’s spinning around in need of good piece of music (6) |
SONATA – A TANGO’S reversed missing the G | |
26 | Optical illusion down under for 120 seconds? (6, two words) |
MIN MIN – 120 seconds would be two MINutes | |
28 | Eager no end, mum provides beef cooked Indian-style (5) |
KEEMA – KEE |
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29 | Woman, a deputy blocking entrance (5) |
ADELE – A DELEGATE(deputy) missing GATE(entrance) | |
30 | Like some ashes at home, swept under (7) |
INURNED – IN(at home) then an anagram of UNDER | |
31 | What to expect with ’elpful territory across the Channel (8) |
NORMANDY – NORM(what to expect) and HANDY dropping the aitch | |
32 | Must I hiss, rubbishing reform movement? (9) |
HUSSITISM – anagram of MUST,I,HISS |
Down | |
1 | Little woman entertained by Irishman in nationalist organisation (6) |
PAMYAT – AMY(little woman) in PAT(Irishman) – a rather unsavory group | |
2 | Attempt to undermine port’s unruly behaviour (6) |
RIOTRY – TRY(attempt) after RIO(port( | |
3 | No amateurs superb? Mostly term “dull” (9) |
PROSAICAL – PROS(no amateurs), AI(superb), then CAL |
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4 | Scientist measuring radiation finally ascending mountain (6) |
GEIGER – |
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5 | Romance beginning to go off? It would make one inflamed (6) |
ANCOME – anagram of ROMANCE without the first letter | |
6 | Friendly Scottish chum (4) |
TOSH – double definition | |
7 | Night’s beginning with single chaps in bed finding comfort (11) |
CONSOLEMENT – N |
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8 | Foreign agent tricks university lecturer (6) |
CONSUL – CONS(tricks), U, L | |
9 | Higher education establishment bothered member of Christian community (6) |
UNIATE – UNIversity then ATE(bothered) | |
10 | Singer, kind to stand outside showing bony bits (11) |
TROCHANTERS – CHANTER(singer), with SORT(kind) reversed outside | |
15 | Organ or harpsichord with second note jammed (9) |
SPINNERET – SPINNET(harpsichord) containing RE(second note of the scale, after DO) | |
19 | African people giving thanks when eating bird (6) |
TSWANA – TA(thanks) containing SWAN(bird) | |
20 | Noise of drum brings quarrel — party women! (6) |
ROWDOW – ROW(quarrel), DO(party), W(women) | |
21 | Endless vile wickedness being admitted, creating depressions (6) |
BASINS – BAS |
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22 | Workers restricted by editor’s changes (6) |
EMENDS – MEN(workers) inside ED’S | |
23 | Sailors with expressions of surprise heading off (6) |
LIMEYS – BLIMEYS(expressions of surprise) missing the first letter | |
24 | Wreath remembering a maiden, one neglected (6) |
ANADEM – anagram of A,MAIDEN missing I(one). Thing re-membering for the anagram | |
27 | Dandy bit of formal wear from what we hear (4) |
BEAU – sounds like BOW |
Edited at 2018-08-26 01:01 pm (UTC)