Well, this one nearly went on the ‘too hard’ pile. After 8 minutes there were whole swathes of blanks in the grid. 13dn then 3dn cleared the log jam to some extent but I was still left chipping away at some clues. Even then, at 18 minutes I so nearly dnf – 8ac is a very cunning biff trap.
A lot of clever stuff – but before anyone cries ‘foul’, there were also more gimmes than would normally appear in a 15×15.
Good luck!
Definitions are underlined.
| Across | |
| 7 | Square, popular in Tyneside area (4) |
| NINE – popular (IN) inside Tyneside area (NE). 3×3=9. | |
| 8 | Sharp comment with indication about energy in cooking device (8) |
| BARBECUE – sharp comment (BARB) with indication (CUE – I came so close to putting QUE) about energy (E). My LOI needing the checkers. It seems both spellings (C and Q) are valid – the Q version being more American English – but the tla is always BBQ – I suppose it can’t be BBC or we’d have to have a licence. | |
| 9 | Physicist initially well-informed about light particle (6) |
| PHOTON – (P)hysicist, well-informed about (HOT ON). I was looking for a physicist beginning with W. | |
| 10 | Satisfied story is missing a show of courage (6) |
| METTLE – satisfied (MET a condition), story (T)a(LE) missing a. | |
| 11 | Last characters in church to feel godly or saintly (4) |
| HOLY – churc(H) t(O) fee(L) godl(Y). | |
| 12 | Support backing people in fierce speech (8) |
| DIATRIBE – support – aid – backing (DIA), people (TRIBE). | |
| 15 | Rector’s first boy brought in some bells for his own use? (8) |
| PERSONAL – (R)ector and boy (SON) inside some bells (PEAL). | |
| 17 | Good individual no longer with us (4) |
| GONE – good (G), individual (ONE). | |
| 18 | A thing about boarding old British plane (6) |
| OBJECT – about (C – circa) getting inside (boarding) old British plane (O B JET). | |
| 21 | Maker of uniforms possibly to follow common soldiers (6) |
| TAILOR – follow (TAIL), common soldiers (OR ordinary ranks). | |
| 22 | Declining to accept sources of any really hoary old theatre piece? (3,5) |
| WAR HORSE – declining (WORSE) to include (A)ny (R)eally (H)oary. I dont really see War Horse as old – it was first staged on 17th October 2007. I suppose age is relative (it’s what my grandmother told me!) so maybe, to someone younger than me, 15 years ago makes it old. Or it could be that the clue isn’t quite right – but every time I think that I’m proved wrong. It seems to be so in this case as well. Thanks to the posts below for continuing my education – a war horse is any much performed (hence old) piece of music in an opera or theatre. | |
| 23 | Something to revolve around a half-dozen turns (4) |
| AXIS – a (A), half-dozen – six – turns (XIS). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Sensible to capture pencil marking on part of avian skeleton (8) |
| WISHBONE – sensible (WISE) holding the marking on a pencil (HB) and on (ON). Cleverly constructed clue. I was thinking wingbone for a while then thought I’d never know this piece of obscure gk – then the pdm when I realised I knew it all along. | |
| 2 | Saint occupying extremely religious office (6) |
| VESTRY – Saint (ST) inside extremely (VERY). | |
| 3 | Town near Oxford, note, toured by a major university figure (8) |
| ABINGDON – note (N) around which is a (A) major (BIG) university figure (DON). I found this really, really hard not being familiar with the town – although when I eventually pieced it together it did ring a bell. Note – is often clued as a musical one. Abingdon is about 7 miles SSW of Oxford. | |
| 4 | A lot of dirt is ghastly (4) |
| GRIM – a lot of (not all of) dirt (GRIM)e. Not a hidden clue then! | |
| 5 | Comedian’s mocking cry absorbing street (6) |
| JESTER – mocking cry (JEER) around street (ST). | |
| 6 | A Parisian brought up a couple of lines without significance (4) |
| NULL – a Parisian – un – upwards (NU), a couple of lines (LL). | |
| 13 | Confused everybody offshore? (3,2,3) |
| ALL AT SEA – everybody (ALL), offshore (AT SEA). | |
| 14 | One moving into residence after aristocrat kept up great friendliness (8) |
| BONHOMIE – one (I) moving inside residence (HOME) after aristocrat – nob – upwards (BON). | |
| 16 | Observe article that makes you show anger (6) |
| SEETHE – observe (SEE), article (THE). | |
| 17 | Stringed instrument mostly good for Scottish sailor (6) |
| GUITAR – most of the Scottish for good (GUI)d, sailor (TAR). The whole guid thing (it’s in Collins) didn’t leap to mind but the definition was pretty clear. | |
| 19 | Partiality shown by arts graduates around India (4) |
| BIAS – arts graduates (BAS) around India (I). | |
| 20 | Some optimism returns after reflecting for a period (4) |
| TERM – some of optimis(M RET)urns backwards – after reflecting. | |
Gary A
For once, I must’ve been on the right wavelength for the setter, or my crossword skills are finally improving
FOI: Holy. LOI: War horse Liked: 8, 10, 15, 1, 3, 6.
For once, didn’t biff anything!
Sarah