At 27 minutes I had solved all but 19ac and 19dn, then after a further 5 minutes I cracked 19ac. Then I gave up.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
|
Across |
|
| 1 | Poster about Clio perhaps was entertaining (6) |
| AMUSED : AD (poster) containing [about] MUSE (Clio perhaps). One of the four of the nine I manage to remember; History was her department. | |
| 5 | One way into books at hotel, ideal spot for a swift dip? (8) |
| BIRDBATH : I (one) + RD (way) contained by [into] BB (books), then AT, H (hotel – NATO alphabet). Cryptic definition. | |
| 9 | I must leave schools with German radio (8) |
| TRANSMIT : TRA{i}NS (schools) [I must leave], MIT (with in German) | |
| 10 | Relish good book, cracking open bitter (6) |
| SAVOUR : AV (good book – Authorised Version of the Bible) contained by [cracking open] SOUR (bitter) | |
| 11 | It often gets thrown on entrance to church (8) |
| CONFETTI : C{hurch} [entrance], anagram [thrown] of IT OFTEN | |
| 12 | Discover heartless mob in command (6) |
| RUMBLE : M{o}B [heartless] contained by [in] RULE (command) | |
| 13 | Just over half of trivial article forming badge of office (8) |
| INSIGNIA : INSIGNI{ficant} (trivial) [just over half of…], A (indefinite article) | |
| 15 | Cereal bargains the regulars picked out (4) |
| BRAN : B{a}R{g}A{i}N{s} [regulars picked out] | |
| 17 | I live with cross Alpine climber (4) |
| IBEX : I, BE (live), X (cross). High on a hill… | |
| 19 | Say State accepts denial (8) |
| NEGATION : NATION (state) contains [accepts] EG (say – for example) | |
| 20 | Clumsily built cottage up north accommodates clubs (6) |
| BOTCHY : BOTHY (cottage up north) contains [accommodates] C (clubs – cards). A bothy is a labourer’s hut or cottage often with only one room. I wondered if BOTCHY might be an escapee from the Uxbridge English Dictionary, but it does actually exist. | |
| 21 | Superior joint brings in awfully huge revenue initially (6-2) |
| HIGHER-UP : HIP (joint) contains [brings in] anagram [awfully] of HUGE R{evenue} [initially] | |
| 22 | Shambolic gunners joke about first of tanks (6) |
| RAGTAG : RA (gunners), then GAG (joke) containing [about] T{anks} [first of …] | |
| 23 | Where teacher’s pet is? That’s close to bull! (4,4) |
| NEAR MISS : A cryptic hint precedes a slightly vague literal, a ‘near miss’ being something that just fails to hit its target or in this case ‘bull’ short for bull’s-eye. | |
| 24 | Sabre fitted with guard primarily that gleams (3,5) |
| CUT GLASS : CUTLASS (sabre) containing [fitted with] G{uard} [primarily] | |
| 25 | Biased big shot at Lord’s returns in group (6) |
| SEXIST : SIX (big shot at Lord’s – cricket ground) is reversed [returns] and contained by [in] SET (group) | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Second traveller swallows tablet on top of that (8) |
| MOREOVER : MO (second – moment), then ROVER (traveller) contains [swallows] E (tablet) | |
| 3 | Rebellious Finns join a German party (4,4) |
| SINN FEIN : Anagram [rebellious] FINNS, then EIN (a in German). Irish Republicans. | |
| 4 | Met up in fall where there may be grounds (9) |
| DEMITASSE : SAT (met) reversed [up] contained by [in] DEMISE (fall). The committee met / sat. | |
| 5 | They’re obscuring changes in habit around front in Margate? (7,8) |
| BATHING MACHINES : Anagram [obscuring?] of CHANGES IN HABIT containing [around] M{argate} [front]. Semi&lit at least, though it might just stretch to a full one. | |
| 6 | Count up a large university club for one (7) |
| DRACULA : Reversal [up] of A + L (large) + U (university) + CARD (club, for one). I remember a horror film in which a Mr Alucard moved into the village hoping that no-one would see through his disguise! | |
| 7 | A grave old doctor, one of two ending conflict (4,4) |
| ATOM BOMB : A, TOMB (grave), O (old), MB (doctor) | |
| 8 | Spray around right shrub container at Badminton (8) |
| HORSEBOX : HOSE (spray) containing [around] R (right), BOX (shrub). Badminton in Gloucestershire hosts an annual horse trial event. | |
| 14 | Fishy stuff indicating location of one’s tipple? (9) |
| ISINGLASS : A straight definition and a cryptic hint leading to the alternatively spaced IS IN GLASS. Like the curtains in The Surrey with the Fringe On Top. | |
| 15 | Wicked Poles cut diamonds (8) |
| BARBARIC : BAR BAR (poles), IC{e} (diamonds) [cut] | |
| 16 | Sealed off main road just outside entrance to town (8) |
| AIRTIGHT : A1 (main road), RIGHT (just) containing [outside] T{own} [entrance] | |
| 17 | Mingle during period before nine (8) |
| INTERMIX : IN (during), TERM (period), IX (nine) | |
| 18 | Almost condone American suppressing Republican discussion (8) |
| EXCURSUS : EXCUS{e}(condone) [almost] containing [suppressing] R (Republican), US (American). I knew the word vaguely but not its exact meaning, The wordplay was kind. | |
| 19 | It’s heard in a haunt possibly at heart of Guadalajara (7) |
| NAHUATL : Anagram [possibly] of A HAUNT, then {Guada}L{ajara} [heart]. I gather it’s a language. I’m tempted to think this is revenge for remarks I made recently about setters running out of steam and bunging in easy clues at the end, in which case it was certainly effective. Nevertheless it will not deter me from having yet another go at setters cluing obscure foreign words as anagrams so that one can only get to the answer by knowing the word or by guesswork. I wasn’t even sure I was looking for an anagram as ‘possibly’ is not the strongest of anagrinds. | |
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