Greetings barred-grid fans
This is a classic Tim Moorey puzzle, a few cultural references, crafty wordplay and some fun surfaces. I did find this a little more difficult than the previous few weeks, not helping myself by being utterly unable to spell some of the stranger words (4 and 35 in particular, both words I have run across in other puzzles).
I’m writing this up in advance since I know I will not be around on Sunday morning, so if I’ve slipped up on anything, please check comments first.
Away we go…
Add your introduction here
Definitions underlined in italics, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 4 | Cook liked a lot of chana for dumplings (9) |
| KNEIDLACH – anagram of LIKED and CHANA missing the last letter | |
| 10 | First from Europe came out after Tesla hybrid (7, two words) |
| TEA ROSE – first letter of Europe and AROSE(came out) after T(tesla as a unit) | |
| 11 | Image that’s backed before show once (5) |
| EIKON – IE(that’s) reversed then KON(show, found under CON in Chambers) | |
| 12 | Childhood home gets love from Will (7) |
| INFANCY – IN(home) and FANCY(love, Shakespean style) | |
| 13 | Know-all heading off for movie (5) |
| MARTY – SMARTY(know-all) missing the first letter. Feel free to wax lyrical, and I know it won the best film Oscar, but I thought this was one of the most boring, slowest, painful movies of all time. | |
| 14 | Island clubs connected to network (5) |
| CRETE – C(clubs) next to RETE(network) | |
| 15 | A leader in angling is getting fish that are ferocious (6) |
| PERAIS – PER(a), the first letter in Angling and IS | |
| 17 | Recall touchy Republican agreed talks in Wellington (7) |
| KOREROS – SORE(touchy), R(Republican) and OK(agreed) all reversed | |
| 21 | Monster with deep blue colour (7) |
| WINDIGO – W(with), INDIGO(deep blue colour) | |
| 23 | Auxiliary is sharing two minutes for dietary disease (7) |
| MAIDISM – AID(auxiliary), IS inside two M’s(minutes) | |
| 26 | A maiden by Bishop lifted the West Indian paceman (7) |
| AMBROSE – A, M(maiden), B(bishop), ROSE(lifted). Curtly Ambrose – I was there for him dismantling Australia in the 1988 Boxing Day test. | |
| 29 | Potato dish needing injection of salt from the east (6) |
| PRATIE – PIE(dish) containing TAR(salt) reversed | |
| 30 | Ginger loves the going rate (5) |
| OOMPH – O and O(loves) then MPH(miles per hour, the going rate) | |
| 31 | Joe’s recipe needing large Greek dish (5) |
| GIROS – GI Joe, then R(recipe, take), OS(large) | |
| 32 | Can finally get makeshift shelter (7) |
| TWIGLOO – LOO(can, lavatory) after TWIG(get) | |
| 33 | Prince runs from sensational story leak (5) |
| SLASH – remove P(prince) from SPLASH(senational story). Colloquial term for urination. | |
| 34 | Cover with stones surprisingly repairable, publicity put out (7) |
| BEPEARL – anagram of REPAIRABLE missing AIR(publicity) | |
| 35 | Set on protecting shield designed for Indian officer (9) |
| TEHSILDAR – TAR(set on) containing an anagram of SHIELD | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Armed force command could be the making of me! (9, three words) |
| STICK EM UP – you can make ME by sticking ‘EM up | |
| 2 | Info right on Japanese Elder Statesmen (5) |
| GENRO – GEN(info), R(right), O(on) | |
| 3 | Thin piece of iron used in fighting (5) |
| WAFER – FE(iron) inside WAR(fighting) | |
| 4 | Time for my comment about large wine mixer (6) |
| KRATER – T(time) instead of M(my) inside REMARK reversed. You have to dig a little in Chambers to find M = my, but it is as in m’lud | |
| 5 | Latest in online business boasts deeds held by third party (7) |
| ESCROWS – last letters of onlinE businesS then CROWS(boasts) | |
| 6 | Network with no end of reach in Dell estate (7) |
| DEMESNE – MESH(network) missing the last letter of reacH inside DENE(dell) | |
| 7 | Wake up and it’s sort of grey in Glasgow (5) |
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| 8 | Ask to be involved with aria showing lack of self-discipline (7) |
| AKRASIA – anagram of ARK and ASIA | |
| 9 | Chatterer caught suggesting head should be sacked by Academy (7) |
| COTINGA – C(caught) then NOTING(suggesting) missing the first letter beside A(academy) | |
| 16 | Fire room support after OK set mistreated (9) |
| STOKEHOLD – HOLD(support) after an anagram of OK,SET | |
| 18 | Following month in France, Elephant’s Head for a glass (7) |
| FAVRILE – F(following), AVRIL(month, April in French), then the first letter of Elephant | |
| 19 | Large instrument picked up and it’s accepted inside travelling box (7) |
| PITARAH – HARP(large instrument) revesred containing IT, and A(accepted) | |
| 20 | One wrestles with Chancellor taking risks regularly (7) |
| RIKISHI – the current Chancellor of the Exchequer is RISHI Sunak, insert alternating letters in rIsKs | |
| 22 | Confined without acting, intention is to get cast (7) |
| IMMEWED – remove A(acting) from AIM(intention) then MEWED(cast) | |
| 24 | Message received after day in W Indian boat (6) |
| DROGER – ROGER(message received) after D(day) | |
| 25 | Side of crag is for parking during breaks (5) |
| STOSS – ‘S(is) replacing P(parking) inside STOPS(breaks) | |
| 27 | Indian staff ring up about little money (5) |
| OMLAH – HALO(ring) reversed containing M(money) | |
| 28 | Cutlery left almost entirely in Slovakia (5) |
| SPORK – PORT(left) missing the last letter inside SK(Slovakia) | |
At least, I put LIARD in my submission, and it is now showing a pink square for the D.
But either would work, more or less.