I found this fairly straightforward and certainly easier than the last two I’ve blogged on (1084 and 1089). The only clue that gave me real trouble was 25dn, and yet again that was because of my terrible cricketing blind spot!
As usual, * indicates an anagram.
Across | |
1 |
GRASSHOPPER – GRAS |
7 | GO UP IN SMOKE – GO UP + IN + SMOKE |
13 | INAMORATO – hidden in ‘Minnesota, Romanian’, reversed |
14 | SCRATCH – double definition. SCRATCH is a slang term for money |
15 | LAIRD – LAID around R (Rex, indicated by ‘king’) |
16 | SEDATE – SE (south-east, ‘Kent area’) DATE |
17 | GOVERNOR – OVER + NO, in GR |
18 | RETSINA – (tins are)* |
20 | PUT TWO AND TWO TOGETHER – double indication |
23 |
ASTARTE – A |
24 | EPSTEIN – EP (extended play record) + STEIN |
26 | SHAMPOO – SHOO around A MP |
28 |
PACT – P |
29 | PASTRAMI – PAST + RAM (‘butter’, one who butts) + I |
32 | BISHOPRIC – BISHOP (‘man’, as in chess piece) + IC, around R |
35 | STATUETTE – STATE, around TUE + T (‘fourth [letter] of September’) |
36 | DISASTER – DI’S ASTER |
37 | TOFU – hidden in ‘sort of uncooked’ |
39 | TAKINGS – TA (Territorial Army) + KINGS | 41 | ALGIERS – A L, + GIERS (sounds like ‘jeers’) |
44 |
APOSTLE – A + POST + L |
45 | MAD DOGS AND ENGLISHMEN – cryptic indication (in the song with this title, they ‘go out in the midday sun’) |
49 |
INTRUDE – IN + T |
50 | WHEATEAR – HEAT in WEAR |
51 | ANGORA – AN RA, around GO |
53 |
HI-HAT – H in HIAT |
54 |
FUNFAIR – |
55 | MARDI GRAS – MAR, + RA (Royal Artillery) in DIGS |
56 | NEW YEAR’S EVE – (rave Sweeney)* |
57 | WINTERGREEN – W + INTER + GREEN |
Down | |
1 | GRILSE – GR, + (isle)*. A GRILSE is one of the many stages in the life of a salmon – see also smolt, parr, kelt etc. |
2 | A HARD NUT TO CRACK – definition and cryptic indication |
3 | SHORT STORY – SHORTS + TORY |
4 | OPAL – OP (opus) + A L |
5 | PRONOUNCE – PRONOUN (‘he, say’) + CE (Church of England) |
6 | RESPECT – double definition |
7 |
GIRANDOLE – (golden rai |
8 |
UTTER – |
9 | IN HARNESS – IN (‘at home’) + HARNESS (‘tackle’) |
10 | SPLIT THE ATOM – (that milepost)* |
11 | OLIVIER – I in Oliver |
12 | ENDEAR – END (‘intent’) + EAR |
19 |
FORECAST – FOR + E |
21 | OMNIBUS – double definition |
22 | CONCLUDE – CON, + CLUE around D |
23 | APPOSITE – A + P + PO + SITE |
25 | STAND – this is, inevitably, the one that held me up. It’s a double definition. A STAND is, I am reliably informed, a cricketing term for a partnership between two batsmen |
27 | PAR FOR THE COURSE – PA, + FORTH (the river) in RECOURSE. The definition is ‘about 72’, which could be par for a golf course |
30 | THE OAKS – THE on OAKS. THE OAKS is one of the ‘classic’ horse races |
31 | ISSUE – I, + SUE after S |
33 | SCENARIO – (So a nicer)* |
34 | TURNED TURTLE – TURNED, + L in (utter)* |
38 | FOX-HUNTING – FOX + HUNT + IN + G |
40 | SPOKEN FOR – SPOOR, around KEN + F |
42 | GINGER ALE – GI, + (general)* |
43 | SIGNALMAN – SIGNAL + AN, around M |
45 | MATTHEW – MATT + HEW |
46 | EAT CROW – (actor we)* |
47 |
WITHIN – WIT + HIN |
48 | PARSON – P + ARSON |
50 |
WINCE – C |
52 |
BRIE – BRIE |
Martin Hill