Solving time : Didn’t record a time, I was working on this during breaks in the pub quiz tonight, but I can add in an extra half hour or so as I started typing this blog, and then in trying to add some HTML markups, I seem to have deleted it. It may have gone into the submit queue, in which case I’m sorry if there’s two blogs and one is incomplete.
Back to the drawing board – there’s a few things I’m not sure I understand, but they could be just cryptic definitions, which I’m not great at spotting
Away we go (again)
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | HARDBACK: cryptic definition based on a hardback having rigid covers |
| 5 | CHUBBY: C(100) then HUBBY |
| 9 | LOVE SONG: (GO,NOVELS)* |
| 10 | BIG BEN: GB in BIEN |
| 12 | SECOND INNINGS: cryptic definition based on cricket and someone who has lived a long time |
| 15 | EM,MET: the EM coming from pavEMent |
| 16 | ELECTORAL: (RELOCATE)*,L(50) |
| 17 | LOUISIANA: OUI,SIAN in LA |
| 19 | FRANC: RAN in Liverpool F.C. |
| 20 | SOME LIKE IT HOT: one of those fun clues where you work backwards from the answer, which can be read as cryptic wordplay for KEITH |
| 22 | COUP(stroke of genius),ON(covering) |
| 23 | our across omission |
| 25 | ORKNEY: OR, then N in KEY(island) |
| 26 | HEAR HEAR: A,RHEA in HER |
| Down | |
| 1 | HELLS BELLS: double definition, one cryptic |
| 2 | REV: VER |
| 3 | BASINET: new word for me – A, SIN in BET |
| 4 | CONSIDERABLE: double def |
| 6 | HAIRNET: (THE,RAIN)* |
| 7 | BABY’S(invention’s) BREATH(instant) |
| 8 | our down omission |
| 11 | UNREMARKABLE: (A,REAL,NUMBER) with K(1000) inside |
| 13 | COME UNSTUCK: double def |
| 14 | FLYCATCHER: got this from the “bird” definition – not sure I quite see the connection with gawper |
| 18 | SOMEONE: ME in SOON, E(uropean) |
| 19 | FRITTER: double def |
| 21 | ECHO: double def – the other being from the legend of ECHO and NARCISSUS |
| 24 | UTE: hidden in compUTErised |
not common but one has seen the expression