Solving Time: About 14 minutes, so average or maybe a bit easier. Still I enjoyed it, and it will no doubt be a relief to those sensitive souls still recovering from the rigours of the last week or so. Owing to an admin error I have been asked to step in and do an emergency blog and here it is; not the usual handcrafted Lamborghini, just a teabreak Lada, but a blog nonetheless… I’ll correct any errors as we go
… 30/10/12: further comments blocked owing to spam!
cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(–).
ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online
Across | |
---|---|
1 | recipe – hmm, tricky one to start off. Namely = IE containing parking = P, and open space = REC. It confused me, because about normally = RE, as any fule kno |
4 | crash pad – cold empty = CD containing spots = RASH + PA |
10 | ice creams – *(CRIME CASE) |
11 | Boris – teacher = SIR + OB, all rev. |
12 |
filthy lucre – box = FILE containing your = THY + your = Y + LUC( |
14 | left out.. |
15 | loopier – LOO + PIER |
17 | taming – army = TA + chinese government = MING, the ruling imperial dynasty 1368–1644 |
19 |
beadle – busy sort = BEE containing plug = AD + L( |
21 |
bandage – ha, clever one this: circle = BAND (eg of brothers) + ( |
23 | hit – dd |
24 | eternal city – *(Italy Centre)- the eternal city being Rome |
26 | Burns – dd., though I’m sure there is more to say about dear Rabbie, chieftain o’ the Scottish race |
27 | itinerate – I + tin = CAN + “on-lin price” = ERATE |
29 |
co-worker – COW + ( |
30 |
uncool – UNCL( |
Down | |
1 | rainfall – check = “rein” = RAIN + FALL |
2 | creel – CEL = “non-u clue, perhaps” containing on = RE |
3 | per – PE, like RE a school “subject” for the intellectually challenged, + right = R |
5 |
rose-cut – pink = ROSE + CUT( |
6 | subterminal – *(LAST NUMBER I) |
7 |
pyromania – hmm, another tricky one: P( |
8 | design – DEN containing soldiers = GIS |
9 | Mailer – dd. I know nothing whatsoever about Norman Mailer though I believe he was American. And I’m only assuming he is a “was” because he’s here.. |
13 |
hairdresser – female = HER containing AIRDR( |
16 | overthrow – well, overthrow = ruin. And in today’s cricketing reference, an overthrow is an opportunity to keep running. The womens’ 20:20 match I watched yesterday, in which England trounced the W Indies, contained several of those. But it was a fascinating match nonetheless, and I warmly recommend womens cricket. |
18 |
very well – ( |
20 | eremite – before = ERE + “might” = MITE. Not a common word, especially these days, but easily gettable I think |
21 | Bonnie – EIN NOB rev., ho ho. And Bonnie, as in Clyde Chestnut Barrow, of course |
22 | phobic – shot = PIC containing house = HO + B |
25 | Idaho – even bits of fInD cAsH fOr |
28 | eon – energy = E, working = ON |
*OK, with time taken for typing make that 5th up!
Edited at 2012-09-11 03:44 pm (UTC)
Airdrie has a rather fascinating Wikipedia entry, containing characters such as “Aeddam the Perfidious” and the “Wee Blue Devil.”
Edited at 2012-09-11 04:27 pm (UTC)
A really enjoyable puzzle that took me 41 minutes. Lots to like here but I’ll pick 21dn BONNIE as my COD. That was the answer I had to revise on checking the wordplay as I had previously bunged in BANDIT in an attempt to cut corners and finish under 30 minutes.
ROSE-CUT and SUBTERMINAL were right on the edges of my knowledge and solved entirely from wordplay..
* Car of the Year in the UK, I am told. Muchas gratias, Jerry.
Edited at 2012-09-11 03:40 pm (UTC)
Darryl
As for the puzzle itself, a fairly average 14:05 for me, but I have to mention the brilliant anagram at 24ac which I don’t recall ever seeing before.
‘Pier’ as a wall is new to me. The Wikipedia supports it, but I still think it’ a stretch.
Edited at 2012-09-11 10:17 pm (UTC)
46 mins and missed out two. Phobic and Burns.