Solving time: 36:47
A decent crossword, not too tricky. A couple had me puzzling over the wordplay for a while post-solve – 26a & 24d. I had no quibbles. There was a certain amount of uproar about the reference to stoning in 18d in the forum, to which PB responded, but it didn’t bother me at all. Assuming I have parsed it correctly, then I think 26a works quite well, so it gets my COD.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (–)*, and removals like this
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | STRAIGHT FOR WARD |
| 9 | NET LOSS – cd |
| 10 | VA + L + |
| 11 | A + V(O)W |
| 12 | DECREE NISI = (IS DIRE |
| 13 | DEAD (passed on) + PAN (slam) |
| 15 | DU (of the French) + MB (doctor) + ASS (clot) |
| 17 | GUESSES = (EG USES + S |
| 19 | TOPICAL = (CAPITOL)* |
| 20 | ABOVE BOARD = (BROAD)* after ABOVE (over) – ‘Fairly’ is the definition, i.e. in a fair way |
| 22 |
|
| 25 | DORMICE = (MEDICO + R)* |
| 26 | ELEMENT – Clearly Al is an element (Aluminium). I’m not entirely sure about the ‘No’. No is also an element (Nobelium), which I think is what the setter was getting at, hence the capital N in ‘No’ in the clue. |
| 27 | GASTROENTIRITIS = (STATION REGISTER)* |
| Down | |
| 1 | SENNA = ANNE’S rev |
| 2 | RATION ALE |
| 3 | IRON – dd |
| 4 | HAS-BEEN – (BASE)* in HEN |
| 5 | F(EVE)RED |
| 6 | RELIEF MAP = (A MERE FLIP)* |
| 7 | ASSAI |
| 8 | DI(S + MISS)AL |
| 13 | DOG EAT DOG – cd, a reference to the Afghan Hound |
| 14 | POSTERIOR = (TOES)* in PRIOR |
| 16 | A + SC(END)ENT |
| 18 | STONE ME – dd – This raised more than a few eyebrows on the forum. I my opinion, any similarity to recent news stories is clearly unintentional, so why should it cause offence? |
| 19 | T + OR + MEN + T |
| 21 | OGRES – rev hidden |
| 23 | NOTES = SET ON rev |
| 24 | RE |
So far as 18dn is concerned the only offensive thing is what the Saudis do, especially to women.
I didn’t like 18dn: I’m not concerned with offending the Saudis on this sort of subject but I think it’s in poor taste to make a joke of it.
The brouhaha about 18d seemed a bit overcooked – cf Life of Brian – but that was the 70s and I can surely see it as borderline now. What struck me about the debate on the Forum was that it was a little odd in context, because the whole Charlie Hebdo thing was about borderline stuff that wasn’t all that amusing in itself and was certainly tasteless (to me) but was clearly to be protected from such appalling consequences. And lamented accordingly afterwards.
Edited at 2015-01-18 12:33 pm (UTC)
Edited at 2015-01-18 02:26 pm (UTC)
Thanks for the explanation of 26ac, where I was struggling to understand the No.
Must admit I thought 18dn was most amusing (albeit slightly dodgy taste), as was 2dn.
2. Declare nothing found in a car = AUTO (“aught” and/or O)
14. And alcohol *re*formers may RE-TITRATE
Not that the wordplay works at all for that one, but I was convinced enough about #2 that I couldn’t see any alternative.
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