It's only three puzzles since we last heard from Joker! I forgot to note my starting time but I don't think this delayed me longer than 10 minutes. I'm working under adverse conditions at the moment so I'll get straight on with the blog.
Definitions {deletions} [indicators]
Definitions {deletions} [indicators]
Across | |
---|---|
1 | Best part of golf club: desserts and something to smoke (5,4) |
SWEET SPOT - SWEETS (desserts), POT (something to smoke) | |
6 | Company beginning to deliver fish (3) |
COD - CO (company), D{eliver} | |
8 | Zappa heartlessly rendered on big instrument is thin material (7) |
ORGANZA - ORGAN (big instrument), Z{app}A | |
9 | Piece for nine? No, slightly more than that, on reflection (5) |
NONET - TEN (slightly more than nine) + ON, all reversed | |
10 | Benefactor giving gold to college fellow (5) |
DONOR - DON (College fellow), OR (gold) | |
12 | Move quickly to discipline killing leader (6) |
HASTEN - {c}HASTEN (discipline) | |
14 | Wild ancestors rebuilt historic English stronghold (7,6) |
WINDSOR CASTLE - Anagram [rebuilt] of WILD ANCESTORS | |
16 | So Mint has to move as close to the centre as possible (6) |
INMOST - Anagram [move] of SO MINT | |
17 | Part of nice dark forest might contain this (5) |
CEDAR - Hidden inside {ni}CE DAR{k} | |
19 | Spot something round in a glass of beer (5) |
POINT - O (something round) inside PINT (glass of beer) | |
20 | Hailed deer get confused (7) |
GREETED - Anagram [confused] of DEER GET | |
22 | What's regularly present in greasy fish (3) |
RAY - {g}R{e}A{s}Y | |
23 | Good reason to limit the supply of alcohol (9) |
RATIONALE - RATION ALE (limit supply of alcohol) | |
Down | |
1 | Final confrontation bringing theatrical production low (8) |
SHOW DOWN - SHOW (theatrical production), DOWN (low) | |
2 | With which every goose generally starts (3) |
EGG - E{very}, G{oose}, G{enerally} | |
3 | Male voice choir finally finishing off the empty number (5) |
TENOR - T{h}E [empty], NO (number), {choi}R | |
4 | Act as if not interested in very abstruse drama? (4,4,2,3) |
PLAY HARD TO GET - Two definitions, one straight, one cryptic | |
5 | Mediterranean country is one tucking into fish (7) |
TUNISIA - IS + I (one) inside TUNA (fish) | |
6 | Happy with convict living under canvas (9) |
CONTENTED - CON (convict), TENTED (living under canvas) | |
7 | Daughter consumed fruit (4) |
DATE - D (daughter), ATE (consumed) | |
11 | Intent on working out Bletchley's last cipher (9) |
NONENTITY - Anagram [working out] of INTENT ON, {Bletchle}Y | |
13 | Resent, for example, being held by one like O. Twist or D. Copperfield (8) |
BEGRUDGE - EG (for example) inside B. RUDGE (Barnaby Rudge cf O{liver} Twist and D{avid} Copperfield) | |
15 | Gunman beginning to spread alarm (7) |
SHOOTER - S{pread}, HOOTER (alarm). Oh dear, an unfortunately topical clue and solution, and even more so in the same puzzle as 5dn. | |
17 | Company infiltrated by communist belief (5) |
CREDO - RED (communist) inside CO (company) | |
18 | Knocks over in fight (4) |
SPAR - RAPS (knocks) reversed | |
21 | Group of footballers, say, mostly drink (3) |
TEA - TEA{m} (group of footballers, say) |