Apologies for the glitch last week. Stuck in Milton Keynes without net access, sounds like a Dr Who plot.
Anyway, back to today. Flamande is here today with a very elegant puzzle that took a little thinking about. My advice to newer solvers is to read the clue carefully as everything is there, but it just needs a little thought. For example 21 across, ‘first lady is very’ has nothing to do with Eve but is a way of saying ER (The Queen) and V for very. As you progress to the bigger brother puzzle you’ll find more and more of these devices, where you need to think a little more off the wall.
Thanks to our setter for the challenge and I’ll see you next Thursday.
ACROSS
8 CHICAGO – CHIC (fashionable) + GO (travel) around A with the definition ‘US city’.
9 OMEGA – A hidden answer. Concealed inside ‘home games’ is the name of the last character (of the Greek alphabet)
10 DRAMA – DRAM (small drink) + A with ‘play’ as definition.
11 BARRAGE – BAR (the legal profession) + RAGE (anger) and ‘attack’ is the definition.
12 AMENDMENT – MEND + MEN (repair + men) inside A T (the outer letters, i.e. empty APARTMENT, and ‘to make repair alteration’ is the definition.
14 KES – KES (the odd letters of K E E P S) AND ’60’s film’ is the definition.
16 NAP – N (noon) + AP (father, the old man reversed, retired). ‘Sleep’ is the definition.
18 ANTIPASTO – An anagram (indicated by ‘fancy’) of NOT TAPAS I. ‘Italian starter’ is the definition. A nice appropriately worded clue.
21 FERVOUR – As mentioned in the preamble, this was a little harder to tackle and held me up for a while. I saw the answer from the crossing letters, but couldn’t see why. I was just getting ready to write to Our Glorious Leader (the Times Crossword Editor) when it hit me! ER (our ‘First Lady’, the Queen) + V (very) inside FOUR (number) ‘Great enthusiasm’ is the definition.
22 CURSE – CUR’S (unpleasant person’s) + E (ecstasy), ‘Swear’ is the definition.
23 COLIN – C (about, often used in puzzles from the Latin, circa) + an anagram (reordered) of LINO. ‘Fellow’s’ the definition.
24 SIBLING – SI (‘is’ bowled over, i.e. reversed) + BLING (showy jewellery) with ‘Sister, say’ as the definition; an example of a sibling.
DOWN
1 ACID RAIN – A + CI (A Channel Islands) + DRAIN (sewer) with ‘form of pollution’ as the definition.
2 PIRATE – P (pressure) + IRATE (angry) with ‘Sea dog’ as the definition.
3 SAGA – AG (silver) inside SA (abbreviation for the Salvation Army) and ‘It’s a long story’ as your definition.
4 ROUBLE – TROUBLE (bother) minus its first letter. Russian capital, i.e. money is the definition.
5 DOORSTEP – An anagram (chewed) of POOR TED’S gives the name for a thick chunk of bread.
6 REMARK – RE (about) + MARK (former German currency) and ‘comment’ is the definition.
7 BARE – A double definition where one of them is a homophone of the other.
13 DRAGOONS – O (love) with DRAGONS (overbearing females) around (hugging) it. ‘Cavalrymen’ is the definition.
15 STONE AGE – ONE inside STAGE (theatre) with ‘a very long time’ as the definition.
17 PARTLY – PARTY (political group) with L (liberal) inside.
19 THRUSH – T H (First letters of twitter and hopping) + RUSH with ‘bird’ as the definition.
20 STRAIN – S (head, first letter of SECONDARY) + TRAIN (school) ‘tension’ is the definition.
21 FACE – F (Female) + ACE (expert) with ‘confront’ as the definition.
22 CUBA – CUB (small animal) + A and ‘Caribbean location’ is the definition.
Thanks again to our setter, and I’ll see you next week!
L.
Last week the average difficulty was too much for me. This week it has been spot on though I have no problem with the odd stinker.
Granny 68