Solving time: 48 mins.
My first leap from the quickie to the (literally) big league. This was a fairly enjoyable stroll with nothing too troubling.
Thanks to our setter.
Across | |
1 | STAFF NURSE – Hospital Workers = def. RUN (rev) inside STAFFS + E |
6 | ON ONE’S UPPERS – Impecunious = def. ONE SUPPER inside O+ N+S [Old Poles] |
14 | RECEDED – Withdrew = def. RE (Engineers) + CEDED (gave up) |
15 | CHOCTAW – Skating move = def CHOC + TA (volunteers) + W (welcomed, initially) |
16 | AFRICAN – Somali, perhaps = def. FRI (24 hrs) inside A CAN (a prison) |
17 | PARA – Doiuble definition. Shortened name for a type of soldier and the name of a state in Brazil. |
18 | CRECHE – CREC(Y) [Battle, endlessly] = HE Day Nursery = def. |
20 | OVERCROP – Misuse land? = def. OVER (Chief) + COP (Constable) with R (run) inside. |
24 | A TASTE OF ONE’S OWN MEDICINE – Double def with one cryptic. Retribution / something a good GP would never need to do. i.e. treat themselves. |
25 | DANSEUR – E.g. Nijinsky = def. DAN (Book of Daniel – see Chambers) + RUES (rev). Hmmm. |
26 | SOLUTION – Double def with one cryptic. Homogenous mixture and how Sherlock viewed his addiction “Holmes’s addiction to cocaine is developed out of the opening scene of Conan Doyle’s The Sign of Four. In that scene, Holmes describes the cocaine with which he is injecting himself as “a seven-per-cent solution.” |
27 | LINNET – Singer = def. INN (the King’s Head?) inside LET. |
29 | NOBLESSE OBLIGE – Another double def with one cryptic.Responsibility + the title of a Nancy Mitford work. |
31 | CRITIQUE – Review = def. CRI(ME) [wrongdoing ignoring ME] + TIQUE (quite, unexpectedly, i.e. an anagram). |
34 | GUERNSEY – S (SMALL) inside ERNE (bird of prey) inside GUY. Island = def. |
36 | INARTICULATELY – In halting manner = def. IN ARTIC (on board lorry) + LATELY (recently) with U (United) inside. |
39 | TOPICS – They’re talking points = def. TO + PICS (Where film buffs go). |
41 | REASSIGN – Freshly allocated = def [shouldn’t this have been present tense?] A S+S (a couple of shillings) inside REIGN (rule). |
43 | DRAWN UP – Come to a halt = def. DRAW (lottery) + PUN (rev) |
46 | WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE – Get with it = def. WAKE UP AND SMELL (become alert and sense) + THE COFFEE (something that leaves grounds). |
47 | RANCHERO – Farmer = def. RA (one painting) + NERO with H inside. |
48 | AVERSE – To be opposed = def. AVERS (States) + E (European) |
49 | VETO – Disallow = def. TOVE (something slithy, ref Jabberwocky) switching halves. |
53 | CHARLES – Possible name = def. C (key) + ARLES (French city) with H inside. |
54 | HYGIENE – Homophone for the way to greet a woman. |
56 | ENDORSE – Advocate = def. AIM (end) + ‘ORSE (Arab, type of horse to a Cockney) |
57 | TEENY-BOPPERS – Youngsters = def. EEN (even) + YB (BY rev, flipping) inside TOPPERS. |
58 | MARSHALSEA – Imprisoned here! = def. R (debtor, finally) inside an anagrma of SHAME ALAS. http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FMarshalsea&ei=R3h3U8-2Hs7SPKn8gOgL&usg=AFQjCNHJtUkIbuVZ-fc205ylRPyxi685ZQ&sig2=Kka9htKz-NCNJw_LL6O6aw&bvm=bv.66917471,d.ZWU |
Down | |
1 | SCRAPYARD – Steptoes’ place = def. SCRAP (Set-to) + YARD (DRAY reversed). |
2 | ASCERTAINABLE – That can be verified = def. I CANTER (anag) inside A SABLE (A fur). |
3 | FADE – Dim = def. F (female) + AD (Notice) + E (4th [letter] of June) |
4 | UNDERNOURISHED – Would appear poorly fed = def. Anagram of US OUR DINNER HE. |
5 | SIC – In this way = def. SIC(K) [catering for the macabre, mostly). |
7 | NUTS – Bananas = def. NUS (Seamen’s representatives) with T (first of these) inside |
8 | NEWSVENDOR – N E W S (Directions) + VEN (abbrviation for an Archdeacon) + ROD (rev). |
9 | SEA-GREEN – Shade = def. AGREE (correspond) inside SEN (old nursing abbreviation). |
10 | PORTRAITIST – E.g. Lely = def. PT (part) with OR (golden) + TRAITS (qualities) with I inside. |
11 | EXCEPTION – Double def with one part cryptic. A special case is one definition, and something taken by an objector. |
12 | SAND – French novelist, George = def. S (son) before (in superior position) + AND (with) |
13 | FORETELL – Anticipate = def. FOR (supporting) + E (English) + TELL (William, the archer). |
19 | CROSSBOW – Double definition with one part cryptic. If you went between the two points you’d traverse this district of London. |
21 | ATHENE – Goddess = def. A + THEE with N inside. |
22 | COTTAGER – Country-dweller = def. A G (a good) with COTTER (pin) about it. |
23 | HEATHERY – One of those, I solved but not 100% about it. Like Erica = def. HEAT (ardour) + HER Y (unknown by a woman). |
28 | GROUNDLESSNESS – Cryptic definition here. What could stop a cricket team playing home matches is defined as a poor justification. |
29 | NIGHT OWL – Double cryptic definition. A name for someone who stays up all night – puzzled about ‘he doesn’t give a hoot’ because in the other sense of the word it does! |
30 | LONESOME – Solitary = def. ONES OM (Individual’s order [of merit]) inside LE (the French) |
32 | QUEEN OF HEARTS – Double (almost) cryptic definition again. From nursery rhyme, a lady who baked some tarts and the name of a playing card. |
33 | VIGNETTE – Character sketch = def. Anagram of E (Head of English) + VETTING |
35 | NOCTURNALLY – At night = def. NOC (homophone of knock, loudly criticise) + TURN ALLY [Friend under (supporting) revolution}. |
37 | AMAZON – Double def. A female warrior from mythology + something that flows through various countries of S America. |
38 | LEADERSHIP – Authority of captain = def. LEADER (Homophone of LIEDER, songs) + SHIP (vessel). |
40 | POKER FACE – Impassive expression = def. Anagram of ‘OF PACKER’ + E (end of sale). |
42 | ILL-FATED – Unhappy = def. L (Liberal) + FAT (carying weight) inside DELI rev. |
44 | PHENOMENA – Prodigies = def. Anagram of HE MEN + PIANO minus I (one). |
45 | MACHISMO – Virility = def. MACH (Austrian physicist) + MO (doctor) with I (island) inside. |
50 | SCOT – Double def with one cryptic. Someone from Aberdeen + Something that goes with ‘free# to give an expression meaning unpunished. |
51 | AGAR – Jelly = def. A + RAG (rev). |
52 | EDDA – Collection of Norse poems = def. Hidden answer inside STUDIED DAILY. |
55 | ETA – Double def with one cryptic. Greek letter or ATE (rev, eaten up). Note question mark here showing something dodgy going on. |
In 26ac I just took solutions to cases as being what Holmes often sought, rather than cocaine.
Chadwick Ong’ara,
Nairobi,
Kenya.