This puzzle was not attributed, but if the normal order of things was followed, it should be a Tim Moorey Mephisto – it certainly feels like it, since there’s a bit of cricket, the usual crafty wordplay, and some pop culture references (though this time I thing I get them).
Oh dear, and in writing this, I just realized it must be Tim Moorey as he appears in one of the answers. Wonder if that threw anyone.
Definitions, the first of which is underlined, can be verified in Chambers.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Sailors to meet Italian topless ladies — with any luck! (9, two words) |
| ABSIT OMEN – ABS(sailors), IT(Italian) then WOMEN(ladies) missing the first letter | |
| 11 | Catches in practice area (4) |
| NETS – double definition, with nets being a practice area for cricket | |
| 12 | Nausea or runs associated with spidery stuff (8) |
| ARANEOUS – anagram of NAUSEA,OR | |
| 13 | Lamb made by TV cook needing bit of dill (4) |
|
ELIA – pseudonym of the author Charles Lamb, the TV cook is DELIA Smith, remove the D |
|
| 14 | Constant publicity absorbing state bodies (8) |
| CADAVERS – C(constant), then ADS(publicity) containing AVER(state) | |
| 15 | Relish pop of recent times (6) |
| PALATE – PA(pop), LATE(of recent times) | |
| 16 | Kind of skirt oddly twee around posterior (5) |
| TASSE – alternating letters in TwEe surrounding ASS(posterior) | |
| 17 | Glossing over distant sound (7) |
| FARDING – FAR(distant), DING(sound) | |
| 20 | Mean types restricting time for flowers (7) |
| LOTUSES – LOUSES(mean types) containing T(time) | |
| 24 | Indian board game is one behind chap playing (7) |
| PACHISI – IS, I(one) after an anagram of CHAP | |
| 25 | Depressions turbulent in Tunis after vacation (7) |
|
TROUGHS – ROUGH(turbulent) inside T |
|
| 27 | Public disgrace, alas trapping yours truly (5) |
| ATIMY – AY(alas) containing TIM (the compiler) | |
| 30 | Mean guy confronting lad in trouble (6) |
| RIBALD – RIB(guy, tease) and an anagram of LAD | |
| 31 | Get into a queue shortly for an antiseptic (8) |
| FORMALIN – shorten FORM A LINE | |
| 32 | Note Income support racket from before (4) |
| UTIS – UT(musical note), IS(income support) | |
| 33 | Binge drinking in public gets ridicule (8) |
| FLOUTING – FLING(binge) containing OUT(in public) | |
| 34 | To some extent, one thrifty European country (4) |
| NETH – hidden in oNE THrifty | |
| 35 | Cheapskate brought round guide, one to take you for a ride (9) |
| MISLEADER – MISER(cheapskate) containing LEAD(guide) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Book on English party: discuss at length (8) |
| BELABOUR – B(book), E(English) then the LABOUR party | |
| 3 | Fired up in argument getting dagger (8) |
| STILETTO – LIT(fired) reversed in SET-TO(argument) | |
| 4 | Patriarch lives with one about to get up (5) |
| ISAAC – IS(lives) with A(one), then CA(about) reversed | |
| 5 | Discretion is needed on motorway getting taxis! (7) |
| TACTISM – TACT(discretion), IS, M(motorway) – biological taxis | |
| 6 | Furious head accepted in religious college (7) |
| MADRASA – MAD(furious), RAS(headland), A(accepted) | |
| 7 | Democrat gets welcome up in North American state (6) |
| NEVADA – D(democrate) and AVE(welcome) reversed in NA(North American) | |
| 8 | Deer is active (4) |
| DOES – double definition (deer can be plural) | |
| 9 | Hard balls reduced runs (4) |
| NURS – anagram of RUNS | |
| 10 | Idiot, for example that’s in Air defence speared and wounded (9) |
| ASSEGAIED – ASS(idiot), EG(for example) then IE(that’s) inside AD(air defence). This word always reminds me of W.C. Fields in The Bank Dick | |
| 15 | Axes partner overlooking English county (9) |
| PALSTAFFS – PAL(partner), then STAFFS(Staffordshire, English county) | |
| 18 | Followed meditation working on cast (8) |
| IMITATED – anagram of MEDITATION minus ON | |
| 19 | Voters pick mineral (8) |
| NOSELITE – the voters are NO’S, then ELITE(pick) | |
| 21 | Spot record sun, nothing less (7) |
| EPHELIS – EP(record) then HELIOS(sun) missing the O(nothing) | |
| 22 | Surround one arresting cake decoration, not the first one (7) |
| ACCINGE – ACE(one) containing ICING(cake decoratiion) missing I | |
| 23 | Bath’s unpleasant smell? Not a word (6) |
| HUMMUM – HUM(unpleasant smell) and MUM’s the word | |
| 26 | Rock cake inside for head of church (5) |
| ABUNA – AA(crosswordland’s favorite rock), with BUN(cake) inside | |
| 28 | Weight in India much served up (4) |
| TOLA – A LOT(much) reversed | |
| 29 | Mostly hard to get Revolver (4) |
| IRON – I think this is meant to be a shortening of IRONY or IRONIC leading to the gun | |
I’m another with the Bank Dick association with ‘assegai’.
Thanks to George for parsing NURS (“reduced” in a culinary sense I guess ?), and ABUNA, where “aa” was a DNK.
Hard to imagine getting 27a, as I didn’t know the compiler’s name, “ay” for “alas” or the actual answer!
Struggled (obviously) with ATIMY, though I can’t really blame the absent attribution as I often don’t see it anyway. Eventually put it in absit, um, Latin for alternatives.
One of those where the usual obscurities seemed somehow inevitable.