I liked this crossword but I didn’t find it easy. The top half went in OK but the rest needed a second session to finish off. Midrange, I would say, which is just how I like it. What did you think?
I use the standard conventions like underlining the definition, CD for cryptic definition, DD for a double one, *(anargam) and so forth. Nho = “not heard of” and in case of need the Glossary is always handy
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Book magazine for mature audience runs out of merchandise (3,4,7) |
| THE GOOD SOLDIER – GOODS (merchandise) in THE OLDIE + R(uns). The “out of” is partly there for the surface reading, but it works, it is outside the goods. Usually a reference to a book by Ford Madox Ford, which I haven’t read, though my father always praised The Good Soldier, by Field Marshal Wavell, which I have. A book which is hard to find, these days, though still very relevant to soldiering… The Good Soldier Schweik is different again but also a very good and amusing read. | |
| 9 | University backed faculty boss checking papers without staff? (7) |
| UNAIDED – U + DEAN, rev. with ID in it. Staff are really useful. Everyone should have some. | |
| 10 | Intend secret to be kept from family (7) |
| DESTINE – (clan)DESTINE. Clan = family, and this took me a while to parse! Why does the word look so strange? Does anyone ever use it? As opposed to destined, which is common. We need a word to describe words only ever used in crosswords: cruciwords! is this a cruciverb? I daresay there are crucinouns, too.. | |
| 11 | Safe seat finally accepted by member of House of Lords (5) |
| PETER – (sea)T in PEER. Another cruciword, assuming you are not a habitual criminal. Peter = safe. I like peterman, a safebreaker. | |
| 12 | Bold study reflected uncertainty and evidence of impact (9) |
| CONFIDENT – CON (study) + IF rev., + DENT, evidence of impact. My car has several of those. | |
| 13 | Mad race around island involves flying boat performing stunts (9) |
| AEROBATIC – Well it is *(BOAT) + I(sland), all inside *(RACE). Hope that helps! I got part way there and then just wrote it in. Having discarded acrobatic, that is. | |
| 16 | Television also broadcast fight (3-2) |
| SET-TO – SET (TV) + TO, sounds like “too.” | |
| 18 | Gave drugs to note first signs of side effects directly (5) |
| DOSED – DO (a note. Do, a deer, a female deer..) + S(ide) E(ffects) D(irectly). | |
| 20 | Childhood implies those cases presenting as most depressed superficially? (9) |
| DIMPLIEST – one of those I would call a DD, one jocular. Your mileage may vary. And yet another cruciword, I fear. | |
| 22 | Union member doing fine in correctional facility (9) |
| BRIDEWELL – BRIDE (union member, ha ha) + WELL. Originally a palace, later it became one of London’s many interesting prisons. How many of its inmates were ever “corrected” is open to debate. | |
| 24 | Important piece of music that man encountered when cycling (5) |
| THEME – HE MET, with the T “cycled.” Like it or not, it is here to stay 🙂 .. | |
| 25 | Advertisement reinvented retail therapy essentially (7) |
| TRAILER – *(RETAIL), + (the)R(apy). A trailer for your favourite sitcom, perhaps.. | |
| 26 | Threatening to incarcerate Liberal in protective housing (7) |
| COWLING – L(iberal) in COWING (threatening) | |
| 27 | Novel exploit restricted to most of these hosts (7,3,4) |
| BETWEEN THE ACTS – ACT (exploit) in BETWEEN (restricted to) THES(e). My loi, not being aware of this, Virginia Woolf’s final (and posthumously published) novel. | |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eccentric president introduces advantageous measure (5,4) |
| TRUMP CARD – TRUMP (president) + CARD (eccentric). ’nuff said. Let’s please not go there.. | |
| 2 | One demanding money from former company employee (7) |
| EXACTOR – EX ACTOR, ah, that sort of company.. | |
| 3 | Religious group summons state of harmony (5) |
| ORDER – a TD, triple definition | |
| 4 | Diligent editor in charge of obsolete presses (9) |
| DEDICATED – ED(itor) + IC, in charge of, inside DATED, obsolete. | |
| 5 | Former blonde wanting bleach primarily for new style (5) |
| OLDEN – *(BLONDE), less the B(leach). | |
| 6 | Notice society girl in The Face (9) |
| DISMISSAL – S(ociety) + MISS, in DIAL, your face. Hands up those who, like me, spent ages trying to fit DEB in there somewhere.. | |
| 7 | Great rapper failing to hold last note regularly (7) |
| EMINENT – EMINE(m) + N(o)T(e). Well done setter, for referencing the one and only rapper I’ve actually heard of. Though I suppose I will now need to add Mr Bad Bunny to that list. Apparently Feb. 8th has been officially named Bad Bunny Day. | |
| 8 | Faculty originally translated nunc est bibendum the wrong way (4) |
| BENT – T(ranslated) N(unc) E(st) B(ibendum), reversed. Collins: Bent – personal inclination, propensity, or aptitude. | |
| 14 | Associate academic finishes teaching course (9) |
| BEDFELLOW – B.ED (teaching course) + FELLOW (academic) | |
| 15 | Firm sanctioned about member involved in dodgy deals? (9) |
| COMPLICIT – MP (member) in CO(mpany) + LICIT (legal, sanctioned) | |
| 17 | Overcomes unacceptable methods of Speaker (9) |
| OUTWEIGHS – OUT (unacceptable) + WEIGHS, sounds like “Ways,” methods | |
| 19 | Benefit surrounding success mushrooms (7) |
| SHITAKE – HIT (a success) in SAKE, a benefit as in “I did it for her sake/benefit” | |
| 21 | Opening of epic Gaelic novel written in verse form (7) |
| ELEGIAC – E(pic) + *(GAELIC). I initially wrote ELEGAIC, not for the first time, which made 26ac tricky.. | |
| 22 | Flyers typically seen in night clubs (4) |
| BATS – A very neat DD. A fine clue. And bats are great, one of our most interesting mammals. | |
| 23 | English nation turning strangely frightening (5) |
| EERIE – E(nglish), + EIRE rev. | |
| 24 | What may be used to flog waste ground (5) |
| TAWSE – *(WASTE), another neat clue. Tawse, a leather strap cut into strips at one end. Painful, don’t ask me how I know this but Calday Grammar School, I’m thinking of you. (Though Mr Thraves usually preferred a cane). | |
A toughie! Thanks for the blog, and even more for the neologism!