I took 26 minutes to get within three letters of completing the grid but then fell at the final hurdle when my poor recollection of Roman statesmen let me down at 11ac. With X, Y and Z spotted early in the proceedings I was on the alert for a pangram but in the end it came nowehere near it with J, K, Q and V all absent on parade.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | Female star shortened jumper (4) |
| FLEA – F (female), LEA{d} (star) [shortened]. I wondered if there might be a star in the heavens “LEA?” but couldn’t find one so decided on a more mundane explanation. | |
| 4 | Chairman’s doctored minutes exposing policy of exploitation (10) |
| RACHMANISM – Anagram [doctored] of CHAIRMAN’S, M (minutes). A tricky one for overseas solvers, perhaps, or for native youngsters. I’ve pinched this from Wikipedia to save time: Perec “Peter” Rachman was a landlord of Polish origin, who operated in Notting Hill, London in the 1950s and early 1960s. He became notorious for his exploitation of his tenants, with the word “Rachmanism” entering the Oxford English Dictionary as a synonym for the exploitation and intimidation of tenants. | |
| 9 | They once shot dog when crossing river (3,7) |
| BOX CAMERAS – BOXER (dog) containing (when crossing) CAM (river), AS (when). I had one of these as a child but I doubt any survive in general use today so the definition is apt. | |
| 10 | Almost track down North European (4) |
| FINN – FIN{d} (track down) [almost], N (North) | |
| 11 | Roman statesman and senator one recalled (6) |
| SENECA – SEN (senator), ACE (one) reversed [recalled]. I couldn’t think of this from the definition or work it out from the straightforward wordplay, so shame on me. I’m a little concerned that I may only recognise the name because it was that of a character played by Charles Hawtrey in “Carry On Cleo”. I don’t know whether that was supposed to be the Elder or the Younger or possibly neither of them, but hasty research this morning suggests that the statesman referred to in the clue was Seneca the younger. | |
| 12 | Open University right to get in tutor for community work (8) |
| OUTREACH – OU (Open University) + R (right) in TEACH (tutor). Another trip to Wikipedia was needed for this definition, although I knew of it vaguely: Outreach is an activity of providing services to any populations who might not otherwise have access to those services. | |
| 14 | Dairy product put on scales, some might say (4) |
| WHEY – Sounds like [some might say] “weigh” (put on scales). That’d be the some who don’t articulate the “h” in “wh” words. This is what Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet and ate with her curds. | |
| 15 | To unwind, one’s tucked into dip with Rioja, perhaps (10) |
| DISENTWINE – I’S (one’s) contained by [tucked into] DENT (dip), WINE (Rioja, perhaps) | |
| 17 | Nasty, mean prison affecting individuals (2,8) |
| IN PERSONAM – Anagram [nasty] of MEAN PRISON. Wikipedia to the rescue yet again: In personam is a Latin phrase meaning “directed toward a particular person”. In a lawsuit in which the case is against a specific individual, that person must be served with a summons and complaint to give the court jurisdiction to try the case, and the judgment applies to that person and is called an “in personam judgment”. It goes on to contrast it with in rem which applies to all the world and I think also comes up in puzzles occasionally. | |
| 20 | Cover and page missing from early edition (4) |
| ROOF – {p}ROOF (early edition) [page missing] | |
| 21 | Liking song writer at the outset (8) |
| PENCHANT – PEN (writer), CHANT (song). “At the outset” is a nifty misdirection that serves only to tell us how to place the components of the answer, and has nothing to do with using a first letter. | |
| 23 | In church, praise French saint (6) |
| CLAUDE – LAUD (praise) in CE (church – of England). Saint Claude de la Colombière (1641-1682). | |
| 24 | Fairy story’s ending with pictures (4) |
| PIXY – PIX (pictures), {stor}Y [ending]. Two unusual spellings here for me as “pixie” and “pics” are more familiar. | |
| 25 | Child’s undesirable habit / causing anxiety (4-6) |
| NAIL-BITING – Two meanings | |
| 26 | Before crossing sea to France, first go round English lake (10) |
| WINDERMERE – WIND (go round), ERE (before) containing [crossing] MER (sea to France) | |
| 27 | Was unhappy about drive round much of Europe, heading west (4) |
| RUED – DR (drive) containing [round] EU (much of Europe) all reversed [heading west] | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Coppers are suspended for chasing secretary in Cornish town (5,6) |
| LOOSE CHANGE – SEC (secretary) + HANG (are suspended) in LOOE (Cornish town). | |
| 3 | Model young pupils initially enthralled by fantastic teacher (9) |
| ARCHETYPE – Y{oung} + P{upils} [initially] contained [enthralled] by anagram [fantastic] of TEACHER | |
| 4 | Held up detective with weapons, one sawn-off, perhaps, in robbery (3,4) |
| RAM RAID – DI (detective) + ARM (weapon #1) + AR{m} (weapon #2) [sawn-off] all reversed [held up] | |
| 5 | After revolution, Iran coordinates buffer states (6,9) |
| CORDON SANITAIRE – Anagram [revolution] of IRAN COORDINATES | |
| 6 | It’s small, lifted and held by soldiers? (4,3) |
| MESS TIN – IT’S + S (small) reversed [lifted] contained [held] by MEN (soldiers) | |
| 7 | Island that’s part of Fiji, bizarrely (5) |
| IBIZA – Hidden in [part of] {fij}I BIZA{rrely} | |
| 8 | Champ, from German city one knocked out (5) |
| MUNCH – MUN{i}CH (German city) [one knocked out] | |
| 13 | Politician taking steps to secure my agreement (11) |
| CONCORDANCE – CON (politician) + DANCE (steps) contain [secure] COR (my!) | |
| 16 | I’ll guarantee one’s a loud bellicose type? (9) |
| WARRANTER – a WAR RANTER might be a loud bellicose type | |
| 18 | University staff room admitting female reader (7) |
| SCANNER – SCR (university staff room – Senior Common Room) containing [admitting] ANNE (female) | |
| 19 | Ghastly murder oddly around area north of Hackney? (7) |
| MACABRE – M{u}R{d}E{r} [oddly] containing [around] A (area) + CAB (hackney). “North” places A above CAB in a Down answer. | |
| 21 | Fruit pop followed by whisky (5) |
| PAPAW – PAPA (pop), W (whisky- NATO alphabet) | |
| 22 | Reportedly prison’s acceptable for disgraced leader (5) |
| NIXON – Sounds like [reportedly] “nick’s” (prison’s), ON (acceptable). And many thought he was bad! | |
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