Greetings, barred-grid fans.
Tricky puzzle, I thought, with the usual witty Robert Teuton clues. I’m glad to be reunited with my laptop and Chambers, don’t think I would have finished this without it.
| Across | |
| 1 | Staff to stumble round pilgrimage that’s about a year’s travelling (10) |
| WANDERJAHR – WAND (staff), then ERR (stumble) surrounding HAJ (pilgrimage) reversed | |
| 11 | Cane resoundingly hit reprobate’s rear-end — twice! (7) |
| WHANGEE – WHANG (resoundingly hit) then the last letter of reprobatE twice | |
| 12 | Greek dialect almost defeating English (5) |
| KOINE – KO-ING (defeating) minus the last letter, then E (English) | |
| 13 | Will’s to increase say, passing without issue (4) |
| EECH – SPEECH (say) minus SP (sine prole, without issue) | |
| 14 | What’s ailing a nag somewhat? (5) |
| NGANA – hidden inside ailiNG A NAg | |
| 15 | My albert surprisingly sold at a fair years ago (8) |
| BARTLEMY – anagram of MY,ALBERT | |
| 17 | Medieval instrument to urge on one protesting against tolls (7) |
| REBECCA – REBEC (medieval instrument), then CA’ (urge on) | |
| 18 | Gloomy, without sun except when … (6) |
| UNLESS – SUNLESS (gloomy) minus S (sun) | |
| 20 | … swell in some parts straight away (6) |
| STROUT – STR (straight), OUT (away) | |
| 22 | Crispy flatbread’s insipid, about average (6) |
| LAVASH – LASH (insipid) surrounding AV (average) | |
| 24 | Life’s having no depth in scope (6) |
| BREATH – remove D (depth) from BREADTH (scope) | |
| 25 | Make rough antiquated engraving on bar (7) |
| ENGRAIL – ENG (engraving) next to RAIL (bar) | |
| 29 | Greek’s chosen Byzantine silver coin (8) |
| GROSCHEN – GR (Greek) and an anagram of CHOSEN | |
| 30 | Kindle say, wood that’s cut right? (5) |
| EBOOK – EBON (wood) minus the last letter, then OK (right) | |
| 31 | Old couple intending to avoid AI (4) |
| MING – AIMING (intending) minus AI | |
| 32 | Standard ulceration of cheek implicating extreme of hunger (5) |
| NORMA – NOMA (ulceration of cheek) containing the last letter of hungeR | |
| 33 | Sling your hook over a brood of elvers (7) |
| EELFARE – FLEE (sling your hook) reversed, then ARE (a). The first part is in Chambers under Sling one’s hook | |
| 34 | Moaning one docked sailing-vessel in beauty of a place on river (10) |
| BELLYACHER – YACHT (sailing-vessel) minus the last letter inside BELLE (beauty of a place) then R (river) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | With acceleration jalopy piled up once (5) |
| AHEAP – A (acceleration) and HEAP (jalopy) | |
| 3 | Shellfish — note a very large amount (5) |
| NACRE – N (note), ACRE (a very large amount) | |
| 4 | Lacking in self-confidence travel in happiness returning to Sweden (7) |
| EGOLESS – GO (travel) inside SELE (happiness) reversed, then S (Sweden) | |
| 5 | Daydreamer’s cutting uniform’s lapels? (6) |
| REVERS – REVEUR’S (daydreamer) minus U (uniform) | |
| 6 | Flunkey dressing Earl in overcoat (6) |
| JEAMES – E (Earl) inside JAMES (overcoat found under JEMMY in Chambers) | |
| 7 | Lamb’s trivial verse hard for the beginner (8) |
| HOGGEREL – DOGGEREL (trivial verse) with H (hard) at the beginning | |
| 8 | Incursion overthrown inside Moroccan palace (4) |
| RIAD – RAID (incursion) with the middle two letters switched | |
| 9 | Fish kept back almost cut off inside dam (7) |
| ANNICUT – TUNA (fish) reversed containing NICK (cut off) minus the last letter | |
| 10 | Developing a base quality, perhaps crawling in the main (10) |
| SEA-BATHING – anagram of A,BASE then THING (quality, perhaps) | |
| 13 | Landslide ousting head of union constraining Greek parliament (10) |
| EBOULEMENT – remove the top of CEMENT (union) and insert BOULE (Greek Parliament) | |
| 16 | Dreaded more safe cracking (8) |
| FEARSOME – anagram of MORE,SAFE | |
| 19 | Very small machine reflecting goods in fashion (7) |
| NANOBOT – BONA (goods) inside TON (fashion), all reversed | |
| 21 | Rituals involved three-pronged spear (7) |
| TRISULA – anagram of RITUALS | |
| 23 | Multitude of Scots less rich losing two thirds on retirement (6) |
| HIRSEL – remove the third letters of LEsS and RIcH and reverse | |
| 24 | This I fancy could be “boy-like” (6) |
| BLOKEY – anagram of BOY-LIKE minus I | |
| 26 | Period of mourning unsettling British Muslim (5) |
| SHIAH – SHIBAH (period of mourning) minus B (British) | |
| 27 | Info about literary style (5) |
| GENRE – GEN (info), RE (about) | |
| 28 | Herb beneficial to taste of broth (4) |
| FORB – FOR (beneficial to) and the first letter of Broth | |
Certainly harder than the previous one, though I still “finished” on Monday. Scare quotes because (I blush to admit) I had given up on parsing EELFARE—but only until Friday, when I was kicking myself for not recognizing “sling your [one’s] hook” as an idiom.
I was able to finish, but had to put my knowledge of of various languages to work. Some of the answers were easy – groschen, koine, fearsome. I was quite surprised at my first try at whangee – I looked it up, and there it was. I did nearly put jeeves instead of jeames, but I couldn’t quite get it to work. I finished with eboulement – boule is a classical Greek word for counsel or advice, and it occurs frequently in Homer – Διὸς δ᾽ ἐτελείετο βουλή.
Didn’t find this too bad. Basically finished on Sunday evening with the wordplay of a couple to sort out later.
I was reading Jeeves in the Offing last week where whangee appears in reference to Bertie’s school days. I’m sure I’ve seen that before in Wodehouse.
Yes this was a tricky one. I confess I cheated on a couple where I realised the only way I was going to get them was through a lengthy and tedious alphabet trawl. Of course I now can’t remember which.
Thanks George and Robert,
I had to reveal a few clues on this- couldnt manage to solve in my allocated time, even after extending it! Learnt a lot from this, although doubtless will forget it by the next time they come up in a mephisto.
My one quibble was ‘ousting head of union’ for cement- that construction seems unusual to me.
13A what does eech actually mean
Second definition in Chambers – to augment. It’s hidden a little, you’ll find it under ECHE.
Thanks does the will in the clue refer to Shakespeare
Yes, Chambers gives it as a word Shakespeare coined (and maybe has never been used since, until here).