Solving Time: Just over 22 minutes. An easy start but it took me a while to mop up the last few, down the rhs. Then copying it into the club website I found I had one wrong, a simple typo as it turned out. Oh well. It was a nice crossword, so no complaints otherwise
cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(–), homophones indicated in “”
ODO means the Oxford Dictionaries Online
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Across |
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|---|---|
| 1 | Traitor’s Gate – TRAIT (characteristic) + *(STORAGE) for the famous entry to the Tower of London |
| 9 | Nolan – hidden, rev., in emulsioN ALONg. I suppose it must be this chap, with whom I am not familiar |
| 10 | commodore – CO (officer) + MOD (Whitehall dept) in MORE, extra. |
| 11 | thalamus – (poiro)T + HAL (computer, from the film 2001 Space Odyssey) + AMUS(e). |
| 12 | Haggai – HAGGA(rd) (gaunt, with the way = rd removed) + I. A minor prophet from the bible |
| 13 | pince-nez – PIN (stick) + CE (church, ie of England), + ZEN rev. Though saying Zen = meditation, is pretty much the same as saying Christianity = prayer |
| 15 | owlish – O + L(eft) in WISH (want). This meaning is well-supported in dictionaries, but do owls look solemn to you? They look rather fierce to me |
| 17 | canape – dd., the first indicating CAN APE |
| 18 | deprives – ExPeRt in DIVES, seedy nightclubs |
| 20 | lustre – *(RESULT), a clever anagram |
| 21 | so-called – SOC(i)AL (party ones left) + LED, a light, the def. being “not real” |
| 24 | plaintive – V(ery) in PLAIN TIE |
| 25 | glade – GLAD (pleased) + (haz)E |
| 26 |
hospital pass – HOSPITAL (scene of operations) + PASS (I don’t know). Collins: “”(informal) (sport) a pass made to a team-mate who will be tackled heavily as soon as the ball is received”” |
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Down |
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| 1 | tank top – TANK + POT rev. ODO says: “A close-fitting sleeveless top typically worn over a shirt or blouse.” Is that a jumper, then? |
| 2 | a flea in one’s ear – sounds like “A flee” or bolt… |
| 3 | tonga – N(oon) in TOGA, what your Roman wears. Tonga, it turns out, is a type of cart used in India, as well as a Polynesian island nation with a fine rugby team |
| 4 | recouped – COUPE (sports car) in RED |
| 5 | gamy – G(ood) + AMY. Whether gamy means spoilt, or even rotten (as opposed to slightly high), is debatable |
| 6 | Trojan War – TROJAN (malware, a type of computer virus) + WAR (conflict). The def. being “Extensive investment,” the Greeks having invested Troy for ten years or so.. |
| 7 |
bougainvillaea – *(UNAVAILABLE I GO). A clever clue for a beautiful flower. Here is one, outside my daughter’s house in Qatar:
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| 8 | delish – DELI (food store) + SH (can it, ie shut up) |
| 14 | Esperanto – ESP (intuition) + ERA (time) + *(NOT) |
| 16 | redolent – REDO (again go over) + LENT, that part of the church year where you pretend to give something up |
| 17 | caliph – CAL(m) + IPH, sounds like “IF” |
| 19 | sadness – END (die) + AS (when), both rev., + SS (ship) |
| 22 | angel – G(rand) in (p)ANEL, a jury without the P(age) |
| 23 | wisp – W (ith) + ISP, an Internet Service Provider.. |
As I am now retired (living in the south of France) I find myself with time on my hands and delighted to get back into doing the crosswords which I haven’t had time for, for about 20 years. Your answers and comments have been so helpful, thank you.