Solving time 20:11, one mistake (2D)
I found this quite tricky and got stuck for a while half way through, then finally got one of the clues I was stuck on and suddenly the rest all fell into place. It goes like that sometimes.
Across
| 1 | ONE-TO-ONE – tricky wordplay here: O (sport centre), then ET inside NO-ONE, with the indication for NO-ONE referring back to the rest of the surface reading. |
| 5 | PRO,PUP – “new setter, perhaps” for PUP is easy enough to spot here, but in another clue might have indicated N,I. |
| 11 | PA(RE)R – definition is “one prunes”, with the rest of the clue an instruction to put RE inside PAR. |
| 10 | UNI,CORN – the unicorn represents Scotland in the Royal coat of arms. |
| 16 | SOLOMON GRUNDY – MO in SO LONG + RUN + D(odg)Y. “Died on Saturday/Buried on Sunday“, so only lived for six days. Here‘s the full nursery rhyme. |
| 20 | ADELPHI (Helipad*) – big theatre on The Strand in London, currently showing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. |
| 21 | TAN,KT,OP – OP (work) “on”=next to TAN (leather, as in to thrash someone) + KT (abbreviation for knots – nautical mph). At first I thought TAN was “work on leather”, but that left OP unaccounted for. |
| 23 | GI JOE – first letters of “greater interest jealous of Europe”. |
| 26 | S,KEG,NESS – seaside resort in Lincolnshire, site of the first Butlins holiday camp. |
Down
| 1 | O,C(CUP)Y – the CY being a hollow C(avit)Y |
| 2 | EMOT,E – TOME rev + (scen)E, &lit. I originally had EVOKE for this and only spotted the correct answer when I was trying to figure out the wordplay for the blog. |
| 3 | OF SORTS – can’t really understand the wordplay here. I assume group=SORT, but how does “circulation following orders” give OFS? At least the definition’s OK, unlike in the T2 crossword on the same day, where it was defined as “of a somewhat inferior kind”. After a couple of wrong guesses from Bill and myself, “Anonymous” came up with the right answer – O=”group in circulation”, i.e. blood group, F=following, SORTS=orders. Brilliant clue! |
| 4 | NO(OIL,PAIN)TING |
| 7 | PURP(OS,E)LY – E = the drug Ecstasy, i.e. tablet. |
| 14 | KILN,ER,JAR – ER is RE rev. (mounted on). A Kilner jar is a glass jar with an airtight lid, used for preserving fruit and veg. |
| 15 | ESCARGOT – cryptic definition, but not a great one. |
| 18 | NAN,KING – ha ha! |
| 19 | SPA,SMS |
| 22 | THOLE (hotel*) – a thole is a pin in the side of a boat to keep the oar in place. Hard word, easy clue. |
circulation = reversal indicator
following = F
orders = standing order(s) = SO
=> following orders = FSO
=> circulation following orders = OSF
Bill
I’ve looked at it again and come up with an idea:
in circulation = anagram indicator
so ORTS = sort*
That is following OF’S = orders, as OF can be Oddfellow, i.e. a member of the Ancient Order of Oddfellows, and the Order is just known as “The Oddfellows”.
A bit of a stretch, but everything comes out in the right order! Still not convinced though.
Bill
There are 9 “easies” left on the bench:
9a Is showing off bottom a sign of age? (5-4)
CROWS FOOT. This was obvious once I stopped trying to fit MOON into the answer!
12a Membrane’s energy conserved by more than one (7)
PL E URAL
14a Be reconciled after brush with constitution (4,3,4,2)
KISS AND MAKE UP
24a Excess, I sense, not easy to shake off (9)
GLUT I NOUS
25a Abuse sort of winds around one (6)
T 1 RADE
6d After accepting a little money, remains a model (7)
RE P LIC A
8d Old man runs and trips over roots (8)
PA R SNIPS
10d Vehicle rumbles above, so one can’t speak? (13)
THUNDERS TRUCK
17d Crude (poem had)* one shocked (7)
MOPHEAD