Having blogged a few stiff ones recently this was welcome relief. I cantered through in four and a bit minutes. Lots of lift & separate, and some cracking anagrams.
| Across | |
| 1 | Huge local inn manufactured mind-altering substance (12) |
| HALLUCINOGEN – anagram (‘manufactured’) of HUGE LOCAL INN | |
| 9 | These Europeans couldn’t be further apart (5) |
| POLES – double definition of sorts | |
| 10 | Shakes audibly and chatters, not quietly (7) |
| RATTLES – PRATTLES minus P (quietly) | |
| 11 | Study exquisite pen (7) |
| CONFINE – CON + FINE | |
| 12 | Nothing in urge to reform villain (5) |
| ROGUE – anagram (‘to reform’) of URGE with O inserted | |
| 13 | Doctor Dread beginning to rub part of chest (6) |
| DRAWER – DR (doctor) + AWE + R for rub | |
| 14 | Clever bishop, such a reverend (6) |
| BRIGHT – B + RIGHT. A bishop’s title is Right Reverend | |
| 17 | Charge by a Spanish holiday area (5) |
| COSTA – COST + A | |
| 19 | Tells stories about a steamship for girls from Glasgow (7) |
| LASSIES – LIES around A SS | |
| 21 | Misgiving about extremely large jacket (7) |
| DOUBLET – DOUBT outside of L[ |
|
| 22 | Quantity of paper covering large field of study (5) |
| REALM – REAM over L | |
| 23 | Again found communist is being screened (12) |
| REDISCOVERED – RED IS COVERED | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Short set of maps welcoming worker in Georgian city (7) |
| ATLANTA – ATLA[ |
|
| 3 | Not so much about feeble musical (3,10) |
| LES MISERABLES – LESS outside of MISERABLE | |
| 4 | Restricted where mangy dog sleeps? (6) |
| CURBED – CUR BED | |
| 5 | Character to do duty again in wildlife sanctuary (6,7) |
| NATURE RESERVE – NATURE (character) + RE-SERVE | |
| 6 | Camp originally ghastly, useless looking after guests (5) |
| GULAG – acronym | |
| 7 | Most inquisitive, having no afternoon rest, almost (7) |
| NOSIEST – NO + SIEST[ |
|
| 8 | Tiny mark reported in detailed plan (4) |
| SPEC – sounds like SPECK | |
| 13 | Last month, dire playing in tie-break (7) |
| DECIDER – DEC (the last month of the year) + anagram (‘playing’) of DIRE | |
| 15 | Scowl from serious expert (7) |
| GRIMACE – GRIM + ACE | |
| 16 | Hopelessly drunk as bachelor? Bingo! (6) |
| BLOTTO – B (bachelor) + LOTTO | |
| 18 | Group of players in small courtyard (5) |
| SQUAD – S + QUAD | |
| 20 | Upset crime scene extends across house (4) |
| SEMI – reverse hidden word | |
Made hard work of this one. Completed but fell into the “doctor” bear trap, took ages to spot what was going on with gulag. Inexplicably was convinced there was only one L in local so 1 across.held me up. Didn’t know con for study but bunged it in ‘cos I had nothing else.
FOI Poles
LOI Squad
COD Drawer
Thanks Curarist and Teazel
Very late…. did this on a plane… under 15 minutes which, while slow compared with many, is good for us. Besides, it is the enjoyment, yes? And that being so – a definite yes.
Thanks to all.
Late solve, 13:40, another DRADER, bur eventually cracked it.
Went to see Les Miserables in London a weak ago, still a Fab show.
CON=study is just about crossword-only these days I think.
Away for weekend, took this with me, did just about finish it within the designated 24-hour period. LOI SQUAD. Battled with spelling of HALLUCINOGEN but reckoned if you start with HALLUCIN(ate) the rest just fills the remaining spaces. Good puzzle, thank you, Teazel.
Aarrggh – got CURBED wrong, must admit that is clever. Drat…. but thank you, Curarist, for putting me right.