Solving time: Just under 40 minutes
I got the four 13 letter answers quite quickly, which helped a lot at the start, but I ran into trouble towards the bottom with 22/23/25/26/27 all taking a long time to crack, particularly 26.
Anyway, I don’t have much time at the moment as it’s my son’s birthday today, and my wife isn’t very well.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
Across | |
---|---|
1 | FRENCH HORN – I’m not entirely sure how this works. I think it’s a couple of references to famous people. Comedienne Dawn French (‘Funny Girl’) and author Nick Hornby. I got it from the enumeration and checkers – although my first thought was double bass. |
6 | C + ROC |
9 | ROUTE = ROUE about |
10 | BEAUTIFUL = AU (gold) in BET (punt) + I (one) + FUL |
12 | ADMINISTRATOR = (SINATRA + ROD + |
14 | OPEN FIRE – dd – a ‘heater’ being a colloquialism for a gun |
15 | PARDON – dd |
17 | LOGJAM – cd |
19 | LILLIPUT = “LILLEE” + PUT – Dennis Lillee was an Australian fast bowler in the 1970s and early 80s. |
21 | TURN THE CORNER – dd |
24 | REFURBISH – (FIRE + BRUSH)* |
25 | ELUDE = UD |
26 | LEEK = LEE (a river in Southern Ireland, flowing through Cork) + K (Kilobyte = a lot of bits) – My LOI and I wasn’t keen on it. ‘Some food’ seems a very vague and unsatisfactory definition, and the river is a little obscure. |
27 | FEATHERBED – cd – a play on down for feathers. |
Down | |
1 | FARE – dd |
2 | EDUCATE = E (English) + E (Earl) about DUCAT (old gold coin) |
3 | CREAM OF TARTAR = (FARM TEA + CARROT)* |
4 | HABANERA = HERA about (A + BAN) – I didn’t know the dance but worked it out from the wordplay |
5 | RE(A)DS |
7 | REFUTED = REF + (DUET)* |
8 | CHLORINATE = (O + CLARINET + |
11 | TURN A BLIND EYE = (UNDENIABLE TRY)* |
13 | COLLATERAL – ‘Security’ is the definition, and LATERAL is ‘by side’ or perhaps ‘side by side’, but I don’t see where the COL comes from. A col is a mountain pass but that doesn’t help me. I thought L might be ‘side’ which would leave ‘running’ for CO, but that doesn’t seem to help either. I’m sure I’m missing something obvious. |
16 | PINOCHET = (O + CHE) in PINT |
18 | GIRAFFE = GAFFE (howler) about (I + R) |
20 | PERTURB = PERT (gay) + B about |
22 | EXILE = IL (the Roman, i.e. Italian for ‘the’) in EXE (river in Devon) |
23 | DEED – DE is part of the alphabet, and mirrored it becomes DEED. Another weak clue I thought. |
Re 13dn I wonder if COL = mountainside + LATERAL was intended, thus making a side by a side.. but I would say a col was a saddle between two sides, rather than a side in itself.
Sometimes Jeff Pearce does excellent crosswords, and sometimes not. This time, not..
I also don’t like 26 nor do I understand COL in 13dn. Not entirely convinced about ‘bet’ = PUT at 19ac and ‘gay’ = PERT at 20dn either.
Anyway, I enjoyed the 58 minutes I spent solving this, and thought LOGJAM a beaut.
Edited at 2013-07-28 12:29 pm (UTC)
“Hey, what’s the big idea?”
“I have no ideas. In fact, I’m quite bewildered.”
“Now don’t get gay with me!”
“Gay, sir? I’m far from gay.”
Does that help? It’s used as in intro to a track by a, shall we say, uncompromising rapper – MF Doom. Definitely not for your maiden aunt!
Otherwise, there’s a similar usage of it in Raymond Chandler’s The Long Goodbye (the book, but perhaps it made it into the film):
“Don’t get gay with me, cheapie. You’re out of time for all that. You got told and you got told nice. When I take the trouble to call around personally and tell a character to lay off – he lays off, or else he lays down and don’t get up.”