Solving time : 18:18, which is on the higher end of my solving times, so I was finding this one a challenge. I see on the Crossword Club timer that there is an 8 minute time in, so it might just be that my vocab was deceiving me, as there were a number of entries that I had to come back to wordplay in order to figure out, and in the end I was relieved to see it come back with no errors.
There is an element in the grid, and strangely enough I did not get it on the first pass though! Yikes.
Away we go…
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | BLATHERSKITE: anagram of THIS TALKER inside BE. Even though I saw what the wordplay should be, I needed all of the checking letters to get this |
| 9 | SWAMP: M(1000, so many) inside SWAP |
| 10 | CHARACTER: double definition |
| 11 | APHORISM: an anagram of RO |
| 12 | SKINNY: INN in SKY |
| 13 | DOCUSOAP: US, OAP(old age pensioner) after DOC – an ugly portmanteau word for an even uglier form of “entertainment” |
| 15 | BENIGN: BENIN containing G |
| 17 | BARI,UM: the answer to “what do you do with a dead chemist?” |
| 18 | GOOSE,GOG: there’s a statue of GOG inside a mall in Melbourne, so I always get a smile when I see him popping in to a crossword – another name for a gooseberry |
| 20 | CASTLE: L in CASTE for the man in chess |
| 21 | PEA GREEN: PEN surrounding AGREE |
| 24 | PRIMITIVE: RIM in PIT, then I’VE |
| 25 | ‘AITCH: or A ITCH |
| 26 | INCANDESCENT: anagram of NICE,AND followed by SCENT (sense as in smell) |
| Down | |
| 1 | BUSTARD: you might be waiting if BUS TARDY, take the ending off |
| 2 | AGATHA CHRISTIE: A, GATH, then (CHARITIES)* |
| 3 | HYPER: hidden in toucHY PERson |
| 4 | ROCK STAR: TAR after ROCKS |
| 5 | K,HAN |
| 6 | THANKLESS: H |
| 7 | STINGING NETTLE: NETTLE(bug) after |
| 8 | C |
| 14 | SQUILLION: QUILL,1 in SON |
| 16 | BONEHEAD: ONE,HE inside BAD |
| 17 | BICEPS: BIS(once again in music) with CEP inside |
| 19 | GUNSHOT: this one I got from the definition – a SNUG ROOM is a small room in a bar, so that is reversed then an anagram of THO’ |
| 22 | GRASS: double definition, skunk meaning marijuana here |
| 23 | VISA: VIA containing S |
Rob