There were a lot of very easy clues here so it was quite late in the proceedings that I realised I would have difficulty finishing off because I simply didn’t know the term at 6dn which seems out of place in such benign surroundings. Only one biff today, at 10ac where the answer was obvious but I was unable to parse the first part of the clue until later.
{deletions} [indicators]
{deletions} [indicators]
Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | OWNS UP - OW (that hurts), NS (poles), UP (in court) |
| 8 | MUSCATEL - Anagram [drastically] of CUT MEALS |
| 9 | TRIMMING - TRIM (adjust), MING (one type of pottery) |
| 10 | QUORUM - QUO{d} (stir - prison), RUM (drink). Didn't know (or had forgotten) this slang word for prison. |
| 11 | PEDESTAL - PAL (comrade) encloses anagram [wayward] of STEED |
| 12 | WILIER - Billy Wilder (US director) has D (died) substituted by I (one) |
| 13 | EMBLAZON - Anagram [criminal] of BLAME, Z (last character), ON |
| 15 | BOLD - BOD (fellow) encloses {gir}L |
| 17 | DESK - Hidden in {ma}DE SK{etch} |
| 19 | REKINDLE - RE (religious teaching), KINDLE (reader) |
| 20 | LATEST - TE (note) inside LAST (wear) |
| 21 | CLAVIERS - Anagram [playing] of C{los}E RIVALS |
| 22 | ROOKIE - ROOK (man on board - chess), IE (that is) |
| 23 | ON THE RUN - N (knight - chess again) inside OTHER (unrelated), UN (one abroad - French). Definition: fugitive |
| 24 | SUFFERED - F (female) + REF (judge) reversed inside SUED (prosecuted) |
| 25 | RESIST - IS inside REST (balance) |
Down | |
| 2 | WARMED TO - Anagram [scuffles] of TWO ARMED. Time lost here thinking I was looking for WAR plus a second type of conflict or the name of a battle. |
| 3 | SIMPERED - S{k}IM (cream), PER (for each), ED (journalist) |
| 4 | PRINTABLE - P{o}R{t}I{o}N, TABLE (put forward) |
| 5 | MAGELLANIC CLOUD - ALLEG{e} (claim) reversed inside MAN (chap), IC (in command), anagram [upset] of COULD. Definition: stars. Didn't know this one. |
| 6 | CAUTION - AU{c}TION (sale) with C {ustomers} moved to the front |
| 7 | TERRIBLE - T (time) replaces the first B in BIBLE (sacred books). ERR (blunder) goes inside. |
| 8 | LIMERICK - LIME (tree), RICK (pile - as in hay rick) |
| 14 | OLD MASTER - Double definition of sorts, the first with reference to Mr Chips, the retiring schoolmaster in the novel by James Hilton; the second to popular paintings. |
| 15 | BOLLARDS - B (black), {l}OLLARDS (reformers) |
| 16 | LIFTS OFF - Oh dear! The astronaut Neil Armstrong would have lifted off on his space adventures and a lift (elevator) being out of order might be a reason for using the stairs. I find both of these cryptic clues a bit odd as the tense seems wrong in the first one, and I don't believe anyone would ever say the second. But this is Crosswordland where allowances for whimsy are often made so perhaps I'm being picky. |
| 17 | DELIVERS - DELVERS (diggers) enclose I (island) |
| 18 | SOURPUSS - S (son), OUR PUSS (the family cat) |
| 19 | RESTIVE - REST Others), I'VE (the setter's) |