I'm subbing for Verlaine today as he's sleeping in a tent in a field somewhere, I believe, so I'm afraid those who have come here for their usual Friday fix of wit and erudition are in for a disappointment, however I hope I've got the essential business of the day covered. This one took me over an hour with one answer remaining to be looked up at the end of that time, but it was a steady solve and an enjoyable one. The outstanding answer (at 8ac) was a word I knew but it eluded me today. By contrast I didn't know 14dn at all but the wordplay was friendly and I was able to work it out. Here's my blog...
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds and other indicators in square ones]
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | Call for help involving British politician’s sad tale (3,5) |
| SOB STORY - S.O.S. (call for help) enclosing [involving] B (British), TORY (politician) | |
| 5 | Drive, reversing that French brand of car (6) |
| MARQUE - RAM (drive) [reversing], QUE (that, French) | |
| 8 | Fitting on a collar is ultimately difficult for sect member (10) |
| ANABAPTIST - A, NAB (collar), APT (fitting), IS, {difficul}T [ulimately]. This was my last one in and I resorted to aids. I've met it before but couldn't bring it to mind or work it out from wordplay. Its last appearance here was in 2012. | |
| 9 | Evil king's decline (4) |
| SINK - SIN (evil), K (king) | |
| 10 | Film car’s attempt to advance across area (8,2,4) |
| MINISTRY OF FEAR - MINI'S (car's), TRY (attempt), then OFFER (advance) enclosing [across] A (area). I'm not familiar with this film made by Fritz Lang in 1944. | |
| 11 | Criticised way in which setter is included only every now and then (7) |
| ROASTED - ROAD (way) enclosing [in which...] S{e}T{t}E{r} [...is included] [only every now and then] | |
| 13 | Phoned detective — phoned again after connection initially failed (7) |
| DIALLED - DI (detective), {c}ALLED (phoned) [connection, initially failed]. Since nobody's dialled for years I wonder whether this usage will disappear in time. | |
| 15 | Ice cream son accepted in house in Rome, with thanks (7) |
| CASSATA - CASA [house in Rome] with S (son) inside it [accepted], TA (thanks) | |
| 18 | Bridge players in one club, say, joining more bridge players too (7) |
| BESIDES - E+S (bridge players) in BID (one Club, say), E+S (more bridge players) | |
| 21 | Spot of trouble on a campsite with turf cut badly (5,2,1,6) |
| STORM IN A TEACUP - Anagram [badly] of ON A CAMPSITE TUR{f} [cut] | |
| 22 | Brave fellow captured by the Roundheads (4) |
| HERO - Hidden inside [captured by] {t}HE RO{undheads} | |
| 23 | Back home unwell after cream cake and pasta (10) |
| TORTELLINI - TORTE (cream cake), then IN (home) + ILL (unwell) reversed [back] | |
| 24 | Sweet drink to swallow, say, with salt (6) |
| NECTAR - Sounds like [say] "neck" (swallow), TAR (salt - sailor) | |
| 25 | We'll take a break about one, being most exhausted (8) |
| WEARIEST - WE, A, REST (break) enclosing [about] I (one) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Fraudster’s book sent up in university staff room (7) |
| SCAMMER - EMMA (book) reversed [sent up] in SCR (university staff room - Senior Common Room) | |
| 2 | Clever people translating in Arabic succeeded (9) |
| BRAINIACS - Anagram [translating] of IN ARABIC, S (succeeded) | |
| 3 | Passage shortly starting off (7) |
| TRANSIT - Anagram [off] of STARTIN{g} [shortly] | |
| 4 | Stopped working, on getting drowsy (7) |
| RETIRED - RE (on), TIRED (drowsy) | |
| 5 | Here they forecast non-skaters assembled so? (3,6) |
| MET OFFICE - If non-skaters had got together, they would have MET OFF ICE | |
| 6 | Start to resent hype possibly surrounding American philosopher (7) |
| RUSSELL - R{esent} [start to], US (American), SELL (hype - as in "hard sell"). Dear old Bertie! | |
| 7 | Athlete heading off with very little energy, upset (7) |
| UNNERVE - {r}UNNER (athlete) [heading off], V (very), E (little energy) | |
| 12 | Riots with team getting trounced, I guess (9) |
| ESTIMATOR - Anagram [getting trounced] of RIOTS TEAM | |
| 14 | Row about one GP with a local anaesthetic (9) |
| LIDOCAINE - LINE (row) containing [about] I (one) + DOC (GP) + A. I didn't know this but the wordplay was clear. | |
| 16 | Australian with contract to export a white wine (7) |
| AUSLESE - AUS (Australian), LE{a}SE (contract) [to export a]. I used to know all the grades of German wine and have forgotten most of them but this one remained. | |
| 17 | Empty chamber pots and put loos in order (4,3) |
| SLOP OUT - Anagram [in order] of PUT LOOS | |
| 18 | Live sports fixture covering say cricket? (7) |
| BEASTIE - BE (live) + TIE (sports fixture) enclosing [covering] AS (say - for instance). Scottish dialect for a small animal or insect, according to SOED. | |
| 19 | Way listener catches lines like great performer? (7) |
| STELLAR - ST (way - street), EAR (listener) encloses [catches] L L (lines). Having the quality of a star entertainer, performer, etc. according to SOED | |
| 20 | Very good handwriting for a reporter, I argue (7) |
| SOPHIST - SO (very good - as in "just so"), sounds like [for a reporter] "fist" (handwriting) | |