Best wishes to macavity123 who is indisposed today – I’m a late stand in and am just about to head off down a motorway (M). Fortunately the crossword only took 8 minutes – many going in from the definition before I’d read the whole clue – yes, I agree, a risky approach but I was in a hurry! The blog is necessarily brief so if any regulars could give extra clarification as required that would be appreciated. I will check back in later this evening to clear up any typos etc.
Hope it all makes sense.
Definitions underlined, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition, deletions CROSSED OUT
| Across |
| 1 Woman suffering reverse in July rebellion (5) |
|
   BERYL – The answer is in reverse in the clue juLY REBellion. |
| 4 Frisk medic entering jail (6) |
|
   GAMBOL – MB inside GAOL. |
| 9 Lab gear prepared for lesson in school (7) |
|
   ALGEBRA – Anagram (prepared) of LAB GEAR. |
| 10 Everything is available in M & S shopping centres (5) |
|
   MALLS – ALL in MS. |
| 11 Embarrassed-looking left-winger (3) |
|
   RED – dd. |
| 12 Going round helping to carry biblical books (8) |
|
   ROTATION – Helping (RATION as in food) inside which is OT. |
| 15 One wrongly copies worker installing shop’s interior, you say? (13) |
|
   COUNTERFEITER – Homophone of counter fitter. |
| 17 About fifty falsely accused? There’s no way out of this (3-2-3) |
|
   CUL-DE-SAC – Anagram (falsely) of ACCUSED around L. Surely there is one way out of a cul-de-sac? |
| 18 Piano work that’s heard on Radio One? (3) |
|
   POP – Piano (P), work (OP). |
| 20 Mountain range shown in map book (5) |
|
   ATLAS – dd. |
| 22 Investigate article discovered in former pit (7) |
|
   EXAMINE – A inside EX MINE. |
| 23 Request for assistance just after end of April (6) |
|
   MAYDAY – cd. Just after end of April is May Day. |
| 24 Very little support for drivers west of New York (5) |
|
   TEENY – Support for golf drivers (TEE), NY. |
| Down |
| 1 Oxbridge competition upset old boy a bit (4,4) |
|
   BOAT RACE – Old Boy (OB) backwards (upset), a bit (A TRACE). |
| 2 Unyielding US soldier, free to go outside (5) |
|
   RIGID – GI with RID outside. |
| 3 Set free, one gets told off after end of trial (9) |
|
   LIBERATED – One (I), told off (BERATED) after end of tria(L). |
| 5 This compiler’s pursuing a goal (3) |
|
   AIM – This compiler’s (I’M) after A. |
| 6 During contest the Spanish tenor’s beginning to sing loudly (4,3) |
|
   BELT OUT – EL, (T)enor, inside contest (BOUT). Reference my carol singing! |
| 7 Girl not first in school group (4) |
   LASS – CLASS |
| 8 Surprisingly West Peru’s an unexplored area (8,3) |
|
   PASTURES NEW – Anagram (surprisingly) of WEST PERUS AN. |
| 13 Cutting freshwater fish, worker will keep tail for later (9) |
|
   TRENCHANT – TENCH and ANT keeping tail of late(R). |
| 14 Victorian killer in extremely flashy showy attire (8) |
|
   FRIPPERY – RIPPER in (F)lash(Y). |
| 16 Posh colleague supports you and me as a rule (7) |
|
   USUALLY – U ALLY supporting US. |
| 18 Group of lions were curious, so we’re told (5) |
|
   PRIDE – Homophone of pried. |
| 19 Agricultural establishment not near motorway (4) |
|
   FARM – FAR, M |
| 21 Swimming pool attendant heads for health centre (3) |
|
   SPA – (S)swimming (P)ool (A)ttendant. |
Quite a nice QC, average solving time for me, but there were a couple that I couldn’t parse properly Invariant