Greetings barred-grid fans.
I had quite a few question marks around my grid, usually meaning wordplay or definition I had to look up. I didn’t start this until fairly late in the week so I was trying to rush through, but I think I have all the wordplay figured out.
There is not a chance I could have done this without Chambers.
Definitions (the most direct of which is underlined) can be confirmed in Chambers, so I will focus on wordplay here.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Whimsically Cain became one east of Eden escorting stranger (6) |
| NODDER – last letter in edeN with ODDER(stranger). LAND OF NOD is in Chambers as the place Cain went to after killing Abel | |
| 6 | Songs about diminished county (6) |
| CHANTS – C(about), HANTS(county) | |
| 10 | Tender name, possibly (10) |
| ENDEARMENT – anagram of TENDER,NAME, an all-in-one | |
| 11 | Flipping fourth stock online message (5) |
| E-CARD – the fourth stock would be a D RACE, reverse it | |
| 12 | In Tacitus by the way see developing porky (5) |
| OBESE – OB(obiter, by the way), then an anagram of SEE | |
| 14 | Bear in mind dropping a penny could get you this dosh sorted (8) |
| RENMINBI – anagram of BEAR IN MIND, minus A, D(penny) | |
| 17 | After docking lively rating’s rung (7) |
| RATTLIN – remove the last letter from RATTLING(lively) | |
| 18 | Rab C’s abuse is unexpected and quiet without pressure (5) |
| SNASH – SNAP(unexpected) and SH(quiet) missing P(pressure) | |
| 19 | Government barristers freeing Baron’s teens (6) |
| GRIEFS – G(government) then BRIEFS(barristers) minus B(Baron) | |
| 20 | Jump to a conclusion about lieutenant needling suspect (6) |
| SALTUS – A(about), LT(lieutenant) inside SUS(suspect) | |
| 22 | Bingo’s destiny — time together with love (5) |
| LOTTO – LOT(destiny), T(time) and O(love) | |
| 23 | Looked for wonder-struck papist denying odd points within (7) |
| AWAITED – AWED(wonder-struck) containing alternating letters in pApIsT | |
| 25 | Barking’s councillor beside the necessary beauties (8) |
| CRACKERS – CR(councillor) and ACKERS(money, the necessary), with a bonus definition of beauties | |
| 28 | Old relation sinks back clutching what’s still to be found (5) |
| SYBBE – EBBS(sinks) reversed, containing Y(the dependent variable, what would need to be found) | |
| 29 | Force in Arabia, one term for spirit (5) |
| AFRIT – F inside AR(Arabia), I and the last letter of spiriT | |
| 30 | In offensive way during last month amiably dismissing leader (10) |
| INDECENTLY – IN(during), DEC(December, last month), then GENTLY(amiably) missing the first letter | |
| 31 | Old hawks backing speech in Senate (6) |
| NYASES – SAY(speech) inside SEN(senate) all reversed | |
| 32 | Number to call, say, written alongside a muzhik’s wagon (6) |
| TELEGA – TEL(phone number), EG(say) with A | |
| Down | |
| 1 | When pigs fly? Sure enough about grasping it (4) |
| NEER – hidden reversed in suRE ENough | |
| 2 | Rarely any woe with Cain involved (10, four words) |
| ONCE IN A WAY – anagram of ANY,WOE and CAIN | |
| 3 | Doyens in court watchers wanting one date (5) |
| DEANS – DEDANS(watchers in real tennis) missing one D(date) | |
| 4 | Right off ruddy fodder (6) |
| EDDISH – remove R(right) from REDDISH(ruddy) | |
| 5 | Somerset’s channel blowing the lid on gullible — one looking up (4) |
| REEN – remove the first letter of GREEN(gullible), and as a bonus wordplay, one down is NEER, so NEER reversed | |
| 6 | Shut up! Abbess invested in that stole from old Savile Row (8) |
| CABBAGED – CAGED(shut up) containing ABB(abbess) | |
| 7 | Goal confines one playing (8) |
| AMBITION – AMBIT(confines), I(one), ON(playing) | |
| 8 | Among Scots Mister Johnny Hallyday’s the pinnacle of rock (6) |
| NEEDLE – NEED(necessity, mister), then since Johnny Hallyday was French, his the would be LE | |
| 9 | Back to boat due to native impounding schooners (8) |
| STERNSON – SON(native) containing TERNS(schooners, ships) | |
| 13 | Breaking finger isn’t going to be the cause of whimpering (10) |
| SNIFTERING – anagram of FINGER,ISN’T | |
| 15 | He ices a couple of out-of-date cakes on the spot (8) |
| ASSASSIN – I am not sure of the wordplay here. I want to think that it is two ASSes(cakes) an IN(on the spot), but I might be mistaken | |
| 16 | We cut fresh sweet basil flowers (8) |
| ASTILBES – anagram of SWEET,BASIL minus WE | |
| 17 | To do with minister to special TA, say (8) |
| RESERVES – RE(to do with), SERVE(minister to), S(special) | |
| 21 | Dear Father (as some have it) in a letter of Cavafy’s (6) |
| LAMBDA – LAMB(dear), DA(father) | |
| 22 | Find only child coming in after the expected time (6) |
| LOCATE – OC(only child) inside LATE(after the expected time) | |
| 24 | Hostel in present poet’s praise (5) |
| HERYE – Y(youth hostel) inside HERE(present) | |
| 26 | Old gossip’s reach, no time in disappearing (4) |
| AUNT – AMOUNT(reach) missing MO(no time) | |
| 27 | Zeno’s lecture arena is beside Academy (4) |
| STOA – ‘S, TO(beside), A(academy) | |
Edited at 2021-03-21 10:50 am (UTC)