Greetings, barred-grid fans
I found this tricky to get started on but once I had some of the longer answers the grid came together pretty quickly. There’s some wonderful collections of unusual letters in this grid, likethe BABAA that starts 30 and the jumble of T’s E’s and S’s that make up most of 16 down.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Whip chestnut Arab’s flanks on week in Scotland … (7) |
| CHABOUK – CH (chestnut) then the external letters of AraB, and OUK (Scots form of week) | |
| 6 | … stud also covers estates there (5) |
| UDALS – hidden inside stUD ALSo | |
| 10 | Myopia’s zero benefits in force (10) |
| MOUSE-SIGHT – O (zero) USES (benefits) inside MIGHT (force) | |
| 11 | Start of labour introducing surprise childbirth technique (6) |
| LAMAZE – first letter of Labour then AMAZE (surprise) | |
| 12 | Hearing of father’s walk in some places … (6) |
| PASEAR – the hearing of father could be PA’S EAR | |
| 14 | … a long, tiring walk — pater’s struggling (5) |
| TRAPE – anagram of PATER | |
| 15 | Previous government’s need to follow rule of law (7) |
| REGENCE – EGENCE (need) after R (rule, in law) | |
| 19 | Perennial largely sewn wildly around in confusion recently (12, two words) |
| SWEET ALYSSUM – anagram of SEWn minus the last letter, then a reversal of MUSSSY (in confusion) and LATE (recently) | |
| 20 | Handle awkwardly in supposed evil confusion and abase oneself (12, three words) |
| EAT HUMBLE PIE – THUMB (handle awkwardly) inside EALE (a possible version of evil) and PIE (confusion) | |
| 25 | Photo by watery parts of a Greek god (7) |
| SERAPIC – PIC (photo) after SERA (watery parts) | |
| 26 | Sport’s a way of escape (5) |
| AMUSE – A, MUSE (alternative spelling of MEUSE, way of escape) | |
| 28 | Wears away ploughs round edges of outfield (6) |
| ERODES – ERES (ploughs, version of EARS) surrounding the external letters in OutfielD | |
| 29 | Protest having time for judge covered in hard case (6) |
| OBTECT – OBJECT (protest) with T (time) replacing J (judge) | |
| 30 | Sweet joke/hoax inspiring cry from Jacob? (10, three words) |
| BABA AU RHUM – found in Chambers under BABA. BAUR (joke) and HUM (hoax, think humbug) containing BAA (cry from a Jacob sheep) | |
| 31 | Old chemist’s to refine direct from whisky needing money (5) |
| EXALT – EX (direct from), then MALT (whisky) minus M (money) | |
| 32 | Sailor sharing sources where wrecks lie? (7) |
| SEABEDS – AB (sailor) inside SEEDS (sources) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Company’s given lieutenant rope’s end for punishment at sea (4) |
| COLT – CO (company) and LT (lieutenant) | |
| 2 | Cattle disease’s two early elements — getting hot first (10) |
| HEARTWATER – EARTH and WATER are the early elements, move the H (hot) to the front | |
| 3 | NY political society skinned magistrate (5) |
| AMMAN – TAMMANY (NY political society) minus the external letters | |
| 4 | Dipper ducking head to rummage on lake (5) |
| OUZEL – remove the first letter from TOUZE (rummage), then L (lake) | |
| 5 | Almost erase menu after hacking network ID (8) |
| USERNAME – anagram of ERASE minus the last letter and MENU | |
| 6 | Routine title of respect given to Rishi (5) |
| USAGE – U (title of respect) next to SAGE (rishi) | |
| 7 | Female entertainers cease to practise around English square (8) |
| DISEUSES – DISUSE (cease to practice) surrounding E (English), then S(square) | |
| 8 | Flour whitener once a determinant of characteristics (5) |
| AGENE – A, GENE (determinant of characteristics) | |
| 9 | Mugger that’s arrested perhaps writing banner headline? (8) |
| STREAMER – STEAMER (a mugger) contaning R (writing – one of the three R’s) | |
| 13 | Rested satisfied having served well curbing rogue cliques out of line (10) |
| ACQUIESCED – ACED (served well in tennis) containing an anagram of CLIQUES minus L (line) | |
| 16 | South African antelope best developed to conserve existence (8) |
| TSESSEBE – anagram of BEST containing ESSE (existence) | |
| 17 | Decapitation from a blade he flourished (8) |
| BEHEADAL – anagram of A, BLADE, HE | |
| 18 | Such large tuna entangled with net causing celebration (8) |
| ALBACORE – anagram of CELEBRATION – NET | |
| 21 | Breakdown company covering mug’s old vehicle (5) |
| AROBA – AA (Automobile Association, breakdown company) containing ROB (mug). You could make a case for Alcoholics Anonymous being a company for people who have had a breakdown. | |
| 22 | Rare sudden rush parking in capital city (5) |
| SPEAT – P (parking) inside SEAT (capital city) | |
| 23 | Prayer beads husband held in backing down! (5) |
| SABHA – H (husband) inside a reversal of A BAS (down) | |
| 24 | Spenser’s to fit question marks in final bits of Faerie Queene (5) |
| QUEME – QU (question), then M (marks) inside the last letters of faeriE queenE | |
| 27 | Menial workers rejecting Malaysian dish (4) |
| ETAS – SATE (Malaysian dish) reversed | |
Even though some of the answers were difficult, the cryptics were quite helpful. Obtect, for example, a word I don’t know, but the cryptic is very explicit. There were a few easy clues to get started, like colt, seabed, and username. I did struggle with the unchecked letter in sabha, and had to go searching.