One or two tricky clues here, I thought, but after last week’s run of disasters (apart from Monday) I was pleased to finish within my target with time to spare. This was a very uncomplicated puzzle to blog so I find myself with little to add to the basic explanations.
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 | Referring maybe to crossing lacking interest (10) |
| PEDESTRIAN | |
| Two meanings | |
| 7 | Old Church article seen in the water (5) |
| OCEAN | |
| O (old), CE (church), AN (article) | |
| 8 | Councillor conceals difficult situation, leading to ill humour (6) |
| CHOLER | |
| CR (councillor) contains [conceals] HOLE (difficult situation). My LOI. Not a word I was expecting and it only came to mind once all the checkers were in place. Prior to that I only got as far as CR for ‘councillor’. | |
| 10 | One parliamentarian, potential mischief-maker? (3) |
| IMP | |
| I (one), MP (parliamentarian). A well-roasted chestnut. | |
| 12 | Fruit from Moroccan port (9) |
| TANGERINE | |
| I’ve indicated two meanings but since the fruit is named after the city and originally came from thereabouts it could all count as one definition. | |
| 13 | Arrive originally by means of railway to see bird enclosure (6) |
| AVIARY | |
| A{rrive} [originally], VIA (by means of), RY (railway) | |
| 14 | Sweet tango dancing — Uruguay’s first to enter (6) |
| NOUGAT | |
| U{ruguay} [‘s first] contained by [to enter] anagram [dancing] of TANGO | |
| 17 | Painting rocky place with sand (9) |
| LANDSCAPE | |
| Anagram [rocky] of PLACE SAND | |
| 19 | Viewer, wise, savvy, astute in the end (3) |
| EYE | |
| {wis}E, {savv}Y, {astut}E, [in the end] | |
| 20 | Revenue of popular company by this writer (6) |
| INCOME | |
| IN (popular), CO (company), ME (this writer) | |
| 21 | Person welcoming English in Asian capital (5) |
| SEOUL | |
| SOUL (person) containing [welcoming] E (English) | |
| 23 | German leader‘s opportunity, getting backing of list of names (10) |
| CHANCELLOR | |
| CHANCE (opportunity), then ROLL (list of names) reversed [backing] | |
| Down | |
| 1 | A plot, brief, extraordinarily remunerative (10) |
| PROFITABLE | |
| Anagram [extraordinarily] of A PLOT BRIEF | |
| 2 | Expected of French to go around university (3) |
| DUE | |
| DE (of, French) containing [to go around] U (university) | |
| 3 | Politician in delicatessen, a Tory (7) |
| SENATOR | |
| Hidden [in] {delicates}SEN A TOR{y} | |
| 4 | Called about Channel Islands sports activity (6) |
| RACING | |
| RANG (called) containing [about] CI (Channel Islands) | |
| 5 | Guy in outskirts of Airdrie building home (5) |
| ABODE | |
| BOD (guy) contained by [in] A{irdri}E [outskirts] | |
| 6 | Silly urge in me for cake (8) |
| MERINGUE | |
| Anagram [silly] of URGE IN ME. I wouldn’t necessarily have described this as cake, but the word appears in some dictionary definitions. | |
| 9 | Footballer George with, it’s said, store of wine that’s market success (10) |
| BESTSELLER | |
| BEST (footballer George), then SELLER sounds like [it’s said] “cellar” (store of wine) | |
| 11 | Moment to introduce good news article initially evoking pity (8) |
| POIGNANT | |
| POINT (moment) containing [to introduce] G {ood} + N{ews} + A{article} [initially]. The parsing delayed me a little here until I thought of ‘up to that point / moment’. | |
| 15 | Manage some cricket by bishop’s place (7) |
| OVERSEE | |
| OVER (some cricket – 6 balls), SEE (bishop’s place) | |
| 16 | Cheers very short, beginning to need somewhere to drink! (6) |
| TAVERN | |
| TA (cheers), VER{y} [short], N{eed} [beginning] | |
| 18 | Quiet about group’s reluctance to work (5) |
| SLOTH | |
| SH (quiet) containing [about] LOT (group) | |
| 22 | Bird a little way along window ledge (3) |
| OWL | |
| Hidden in [a little way along] {wind}OW L{edge} | |
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