Solving time 18:02, which seemed pretty quick for this one. Indeed, after 5 minutes I only had three answers in place, but then something clicked and I raced away with the rest of it. Great puzzle, with a lot of cricket references if you look hard enough. The best clue has to be 4dn though – has a surface reading ever been so far removed from the answer?! 7dn also deserves a mention for the long hidden.
Across |
1 |
ADHESIVE – HE’S (man’s) inside A DIVE (a place that’s seedy). |
5 |
H-BOMBS – alternate letters of “the bloom a bush”. |
9 |
TUTELAGE – E.G. (for one) + ALE (drink) + TUT (we don’t approve of this), all reversed. |
10 |
PLUCKY – LUCKY (happy) following (in pursuit of) P (cuP ultimately). |
12 |
READY, STEADY, GO – STEADY (firm) + GO (attempt) after READY (money). |
15 |
HUMID – ID (passport for example) replacing the P (page) of HUMP (sulk). |
16 |
BLASPHEME – SHE (female) around P(ressure), all inside BLAME (rap). |
17 |
VENEZUELA – EZ (Euro Zone initially) inside VENUE (place) + LA (“the” in French, Italian or Spanish). |
19 |
PROWL – PROW (where you’ll find stem, “a curved timber at the prow of a ship”) + L(arge). |
20 |
ST CRISPIN’S DAY – (Son is dynastic PR)*. Famous speech by the king in Shakespeare’s Henry V. |
22 |
ELIJAH – J(udge) + I (one) inside HALE (fit), all reversed. |
23 |
VITAMIN A – TA (I’m obliged) + MIN(ute) (half the time) inside VIA (by way of). |
25 |
LEG BYE – BYE (so long) next to LEG (stage). An extra in cricket. |
26 |
AS IT WERE – (grac)E after (waiter’s)*. |
Down |
1 |
AFTERSHAVE – AFTER (in search of) + SH (peace) + AVE (hail). |
2 |
HAT – WHAT (pardon) minus the first letter. |
3 |
SPLAYED – S.P. (starting price, betting) + LAY (not ordained) + ED (boss to run daily). |
4 |
VEGETABLE OIL – (leg, a love bite)* |
6 |
BELLY-UP – cryptic definition. |
7 |
MICROSECOND – hidden in “Academic rose, condemning” |
8 |
SKYE – SKY (put up) + (slim)E. An inch is a small Scottish island. |
11 |
BANANA SPLITS – BAITS (enticements) around NANA’S (grandmother’s) PL(ace). |
13 |
ADMONISHING – A (article) + DISHING (serving) around MON (a day). |
14 |
SELL-BY DATE – LL (fifties) + BY (times) inside SEDATE (collected). |
18 |
ZACHARY – CHARY (guarded) next to alternate letters of zeal. |
19 |
PENDANT – PANT(s) (short trousers) around END (design). |
21 |
VEIL – (live)* |
24 |
ICE – NICE (precise) minus the N (some number). |
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home…
A few lines further on it mentions “To-morrow is Saint Crispian”, but in the context of reliving it in later years if you survive.
Edited at 2013-08-03 08:48 am (UTC)