I’m in a hurry again today, have to leave shortly; solving the puzzle correctly took me twenty-five minutes, but I have to confess, as I write this little intro I have not fully parsed two clues; it was a biffing day. So when you find two below not totally explained, please add your usual wise comments and I’ll amend the blog later to make it seem as if I knew all along. (No, I’ll give credit where it’s due). EDIT: After an hour of tootling through the peaceful Lot-et-Garonne paysage, the penny dropped on 10a, so am amending; thanks for the feedback below, seems this was not a piece of cake for most of us.
Across |
1 |
COCKER – Cryptic definition. |
4 |
ASBESTOS – AS (while) BEST (the most suitable) O (old) S (perilous, ultimately); def. incombustible material. |
10 |
POURBOIRE – French for a tip ‘have a drink, waiter; Insert I into pour (tip) and bore. Not PLUMBLINE as I previously had. |
11 |
CRIER – Def. one calling, as in town crier; Reverse of RE (on) IR (Irish) C (community). |
12 |
CHINWAG – Insert W (wife) into CHINA, then G(ood); def. conversation. A nice clue, I was looking for an -ING answer at first. |
13 |
PONTOON – P (player’s opener) ONTO ON (cricket side); def. bridge. |
14 |
TANGO – TAN (brown), GO (green light); it takes two to tango. |
15 |
RHODESIA – (OH DEAR IS)*, old African state; my FOI. |
18 |
MARMOSET – A MARMOT is a rodent, about SE(E) = to spot, tailless; def. primate. |
20 |
AMPLE – ALE (drink) around MP, def. enough. |
23 |
QUARREL – Double definition; a quarrel is or was a heavy crossbow bolt. |
25 |
ISOLATE – I (current), SO LATE = very deep into the night; def. disconnect. |
26 |
AIRED – AIRE (river in Yorkshire), D (dance’s first); def. broadcast. |
27 |
UNLEASHED – (USE HANDLE)*; def. released. |
28 |
EMMANUEL – EMMA (novel) N (name) U E (used, alternate letters), L (Handel’s last; def. Messiah.( |
29 |
TERROR – T (far edge of bat), ERROR (slip); def. dread. |
Down |
1 |
CAPACITY – A CITY (a metropolis) after CAP (top); def. role. |
2 |
CAUTION – CATION (positive ion) insert U(niversity); def. discretion. |
3 |
ELBOW ROOM – (ROMEO L)*, insert BOW (‘having ‘to submit’ in’); def. play. Did you spend a while thinking of names of stage plays with a W ending the first word? I did. |
5 |
SHEEPDOG TRIALS – (ERASED SO PLIGHT)*; def. animal testing. My COD. |
6 |
EX-CON – Double definition, ex-convict or ex-Conservative. |
7 |
TRIPOLI – TRIP (gaffe) (OIL)*; def. Lebanese port. Not the one in Libya of same name. |
8 |
STRING – STING = smart, as in hurt; insert (‘dresses’) R; def. strand. |
9 |
BIG GIRL’S BLOUSE – Comic cryptic defiintion; Bertha being by reputation a big girl (or a big gun), blouse being a garment. I have a little golf club known to all as my ‘girl’s blouse wood’, magic on long par 3’s, so I twigged this quickly. |
16 |
ELABORATE – Double definition; a chestnut, I think. |
17 |
DEFENDER – DEFER (put off), insert END (goal); def. certainly no striker. |
19 |
ANAGRAM – ‘IS ONE’ is an anagram of NOISE. Thanks Kevin. |
21 |
POACHER – PO (river) A CHE (Guevara, red) R, def. illegal hunter. |
22 |
SQUARE – Double definition. |
24 |
RADON – RAN (managed) insert DO (party); def. that’s inert; radon being radioactive and after xenon in the Group 8 elements, the inert or noble gases. |
In other news: dnk QUARREL as a missile, or CATION.
Yes, def COD for SHEEPDOG TRIALS
Also solved quite a bit from definitions, like ASBESTOS for example, and then reverse engineered the cryptic. Not my favourite way getting answers.
Edited at 2015-08-12 09:19 am (UTC)
But I like the word. And it did, I’m afraid, start the part of my mind I can’t control (nurse!) off on a rewrite of Bohemian Threnody …
I’m just a pourboire,
Absinthe pours into me
Because I’m easy come, easy go,
Little high, little eau,
Hit me with the vin chaud —
Doesn’t really matter to me ….
To me …
Edited at 2015-08-12 08:13 am (UTC)
Unbelievably, I knew CATION…
Nice puzzle with plenty to get ones teeth into.
Thanks setter and blogger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3di8J7ZnnRQ
I liked this one: there was some neat misdirection. And I have to disagree with those who don’t like 1ac: I think it is a very fine clue, and I am in no way biased.
Many thanks to Sotira for the ‘Mercurial’ parody. Brilliant.