I found this not as hard as Pedro’s yesterday, but still a tricky enough challenge from Tracy today to end the week. There are one or two stretchy definitions and an unusual double anagram, but nothing too obscure, I think. 8A was my FOI and 15A was my LOI. It was good to get a visit from the Pink Panther and the Monty Python seabird morsel (my COD), adding extra smiles to my solve, which took me 5:36. Thank you Tracy! How did everyone get on?
Addendum: Thanks to all who had a go at my amateur QC The Eccentric Horitculturalist two weeks ago and for the kind comments. Encouraged by the response I’ve had, one of our well-known contributors (and expert solver), Phil Jordan has had a go at compiling a Saturday Quick Crossword for you all to try too. You can find it and links to PDF and interactive versions and solution here. Many thanks Phil for adding to the extra-curricular fun!
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, deletions and [] other indicators.
| Across | |
| 1 | Top comedic actor’s books sold in large numbers (11) |
BESTSELLERS – BEST (top) SELLERS (comedic actor) – Peter Sellers had a long and distinguished career with his best known roles being one of the Goons and Chief Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther films. Gosh. It’s nearly 40 years since he died. Image from Britannica |
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| 8 | Out of bed, drunk is nervy (7) |
| UPTIGHT – UP (out of bed) TIGHT (drunk). | |
| 9 | A pot I ordered for courtyard (5) |
| PATIO – (a pot I)* [ordered]. | |
| 10 | Reverses through, then goes (9) |
| OVERTURNS – OVER (through) TURNS (goes; as in a game). You need to separate “reverses through” to get the definition. | |
| 12 | Stuff farm animal (3) |
| RAM – Double definition. A bit of a chestnut this one. | |
| 13 | Mark sailor has to achieve (6) |
| TARGET – TAR (sailor) GET (achieve). I was slightly dubious about this but Chambers has “an object to be aimed at” for Mark, so that’s all good. [Update: As zylanthic has pointed out below this could also be parsed as a semi-&lit as referring to the points in a yachting course]. | |
| 15 | Operation on cheek for career (6) |
| GALLOP – OP (operation) [on] GALL (cheek). Another where I thought the definition was a bit of a stretch, but it is in Chambers too. | |
| 17 | Bird frequenting quagmire, mudlark (3) |
| EMU – Hidden in [frequenting] quagmirE MUdlark. | |
| 18 | Disgusting ruling involving opener for Peterborough United (9) |
| REPUGNANT – REGNANT (ruling) outside [involving] first letter of [opener] Peterborough U (United). | |
| 20 | Understand king needing knight’s backing (5) |
| LEARN – LEAR (king, as in the Shakespeare play) N (knight in chess notation). | |
| 22 | One in record book, typical example (7) |
| EPITOME – I (one) [in] EP (extended player; record) TOME (book). | |
| 23 | Vigorous rubbing of joint with oil (5,6) |
| ELBOW GREASE – ELBOW (joint) GREASE (oil). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Take a swim in city close to seaside (5) |
| BATHE – BATH (city) and last letter of [close to] seasidE. | |
| 2 | Tourist showing sense — wise man (9) |
| SIGHTSEER – SIGHT (sense) SEER (wise man). | |
| 3 | Ridicule side’s leader, a bore (6) |
| SATIRE – Side’s [leader] A TIRE (bore). | |
| 4 | Cheek, and other facial feature (3) |
| LIP – Double definition. | |
| 5 | Rental stupidly parked across hotel entrance (7) |
| ENTHRAL – (Rental)* [stupidly] outside [parked across] H (hotel in the phonetic alphabet). I’ve not seen “parked across” as an inclusion indicator before. | |
| 6 | Morsel, pretty poor for an oceanic bird (6,6) |
| STORMY PETREL – (Morsel pretty)* [poor]. A bird I can’t see the name of without thinking “…on a stick”. Albatross, anyone? | |
| 7 | Without warning, released article about old female, depressed (3,2,3,4) |
| OUT OF THE BLUE – A five part charade here – OUT (released) THE (article) [about] O (old) F (female), then BLUE (depressed). | |
| 11 | Hangs out with dreadful liar in imaginary paradise (7-2) |
| SHANGRI-LA – A double anagram – (hangs)* [out] and [dreadful] (liar)*. | |
| 14 | Plant with edible stalks? Nonsense (7) |
| RHUBARB – Double definition. | |
| 16 | Get here, a soft fruit (6) |
| APPEAR – A P (piano; soft) PEAR (fruit). Slightly odd definition, I thought. | |
| 19 | Pay for part of that on expenses (5) |
| ATONE – Hidden [part of] thAT ON Expenses. | |
| 21 | Recently discovered tailless amphibian (3) |
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NEW – NEW |
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