I solved this in 43 minutes but by contrast with the easy time I had of things last week, I found this was one of the most awkward blogs to write that I can remember. I'd done all the parsing as I solved so I was fairly clear in my mind how the clues worked from the outset, but explaining them seemed to go on for ever. I'm sure I've not made the best possible job of it, but I hope it passes muster. I've run out of steam now so without more ado here are the fruits of my labours.
P.S. On much later edit, Kevin Gregg has brought news from the Club forum of a NINA concerning table tennis. Details in his comment below timed at 8:32 am. Thanks for that, Kevin.
As usual {deletions} are in curly brackets and [indicators] in square ones. I have included definitions where I think they may be of assistance to recruits from the Quick Cryptic puzzle, and unusually, a couple of clues that I had the most difficulty putting explanations into words.
P.S. On much later edit, Kevin Gregg has brought news from the Club forum of a NINA concerning table tennis. Details in his comment below timed at 8:32 am. Thanks for that, Kevin.
As usual {deletions} are in curly brackets and [indicators] in square ones. I have included definitions where I think they may be of assistance to recruits from the Quick Cryptic puzzle, and unusually, a couple of clues that I had the most difficulty putting explanations into words.
Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | TENANT - A + {perso}N [ultimately) inside [occupying] TENT (temporary accommodation). The definition is &lit. |
| 5 | BOUDICCA - ACCID{ental} [semi-]unintended) reversed [upset] following [dogs] B (British) + OU (or, French) |
| 9 | BLOOMERS - A straight definition (slips - errors) and a cryptic one with reference to the garments named after one Amelia Bloomer. Insofar as I have any knowledge of them, Bloomers were not necessarily undergarments, but over the years they seem to have become synonymous as such, and that's what appears to be suggested here. But whether they'd be worn under a slip is another matter. |
| 10 | HOSTEL - H (Henry - unit of induction), O (circle), LET'S (why don’t we…?) reversed [back] |
| 11 | ENCYCLICAL - Anagram [misspelling] of CLAY IN ECCL{esiastical} [abbreviated]. Definition: letter from Vatican |
| 13 | GUST - GUTS (midriff) with the last two letters reversed [back twisted] |
| 14 | EIRE - E{mp}IRE (dominion) [parliamentarian - MP - expelled]. Definition: republic |
| 15 | EXALTATION - EX{h}ALATION (blow) with H removed [not heroin] encloses [taking] T (time). Definition: getting high |
| 18 | NEWS VENDOR - NEW (recently arrived), SVEN (Swedish man), ROD (pole) reversed [backed]. Definition: merchant in rag trade |
| 20 | MIDI - I (island) + DIM (cloudy) reversed [over]. Definition: south of France |
| 21 | SLOE - SLO{p}E (inclination) with P removed [skip prime piece of p{assion}] |
| 23 | Leftover combination of factors in processor's output (3,7) END PRODUCT - I'm a bit out of my comfort zone trying to explain this one. In general this is what's left (or leftover, perhaps) at the end of a process. In mathematics, factors are numbers which in combination (i.e. when multiplied together) lead to what's called a product, so an end-product of a different sort. Alternatively its END (leftover), PRODUCT (combination of factors - see above) with "processor's output" as the definition. Thanks to Katie Rose for helping me clarify my thoughts on this one. |
| 25 | ADROIT - A, DRO{p} (fall), IT (thing) |
| 26 | ON THE JOB - TH (thorium) enclosed [ingested] by ONE (a certain), JOB (patient man - Biblical reference) |
| 28 | LEAD-FREE - Anagram [badly] of FARED inside LEE (shelter). Definition: contributing less to toxic environment |
| 29 | PURPLE - PL (place) enclosed by [with a coat of] PURE (undiluted) |
Down | |
| 2 | EGLANTINE - Anagram [sprawling] of INELEGANT. Definition: brier - aka briar |
| 3 | ACOLYTE - ACOL (convention with bids - bridge), anagram [to be arranged] of YET. I didn’t know ACOL today any more than I knew it when it turned up in an ST puzzle in March last year. I thought it might stand for something that would help me to remember it in the future but its simply named after a club in Acol Road, London. |
| 4 | TIE - TIE{r} (level, or most of one) |
| 5 | BASIC - Sounds like [report of] "bay, sick" which with its sections switched would be "sickbay" (school infirmary) |
| 6 | UPHOLSTERER - UP (out of bed), HOLSTER (arm-pouch), ER... (I'm thinking). Definition: I'll make chair covers. |
| 7 | INSIGHT - IN SIGHT (close to being achieved). Definition: understanding |
| 8 | CHESS - Cryptic definition with clever misdirection that might lead one to contemplate matters naval |
| 12 | LIE DETECTOR - Anagram [composed] of OCTET inside [among] LIEDER (German songs) |
| 16 | AID - AI (conscious software - Artificial Intelligence), 'D (would). Definition: help |
| 17 | OLD SCHOOL - HOLDS (retains), COOL (stylishness) with H (hot) moved to the right [later] |
| 19 | STEROID - Anagram [desperately] of TIRED SO. Definition: might be abused at gym. But in other circumstances some types of steroid can be remarkably effective in the treatment of various disorders as I know from my own experience over the past year. |
| 20 | I change colour in first quarter's end, or second's (7) MIDYEAR - I + DYE (change colour) in MAR (first quarter's end, March - accounting). The definition requires that "second's" refers back to "first quarter's end". The second quarter's end in some accounting systems would be June or MIDYEAR. |
| 22 | LEDGE - Hidden [some] in {fril}LED GE{ckos} |
| 24 | DROVE - Two definitions. A company of people or animals moving can be called a DROVE. "Took to the road" is the other definition. |
| 27 | TAP - Two definitions |