After getting off to a flying start at the top of the grid, I ended up thinking this was quite a difficult quickie. There’s certainly some reference to general knowledge that one might not need to drag up every day, and I have a few questions for the hive mind (outlined in the blog), in particular around 16dn, which I cannot parse.
23ac just pips 4dn for me in the COD stakes - both such clever wordplay. Thanks Hurley.
As usual, definitions are underlined.
|
| Across |
| 1 | Most untidy officers’ area that is beside street (8) |
| MESSIEST - MESS (officer’s area), IE (that is), and ST (street). |
| 5 | Abandonedport (4) |
| LEFT - double definition. |
| 9 | Rascal from South, affected (5) |
| SCAMP - S (south) and CAMP (affected). |
| 10 | Fowl list absorbing Oscar initially (7) |
| ROOSTER - ROSTER (list) containing (absorbing) first letter of (initially) Oscar. |
| 11 | Sun’s effect cheers knight (3) |
| TAN - TA (thanks, cheers) and N (knight in chess notation). |
| 12 | Home cider seen brewing (9) |
| RESIDENCE - anagram of (brewing) CIDER SEEN. |
| 13 | On return, refer to work in verse (6) |
| POETIC - CITE (refer to) and OP (opus, work) all backwards (on return). Although I can’t think of a sentence in which I could substitute verse for poetic. |
| 15 | Maybe fly home — southeast Connecticut (6) |
| INSECT - IN (home), SE (southeast), and CT (abbreviation for Connecticut). |
| 17 | Male adjusted flute container’s capacity (9) |
| BUCKETFUL - BUCK (male), with an anagram of (adjusted) FLUTE. |
| 19 | One active at nightclub? (3) |
| BAT - double definition, but cleverer than most. |
| 20 | Root for extremist (7) |
| RADICAL - double definition. Root (radical) change and someone with extreme views. No botany involved! Thanks again to tyrotim.I would have sworn that the botanical radicle is spelt thus. Unfortunately I am in the process of moving house so my reference books are in a box somewhere in the garage, and google is not giving me a definitive answer. Is this a variant spelling? |
| 21 | Dodge real hurdles on regular basis (5) |
| ELUDE - every other letter of (on a regular basis) rEaL hUrDlEs. |
| 22 | Such an accountant, earthy of course (4) |
| TURF - a turf accountant is a bookmaker. I think this may be a triple definition? If so, I’m not convinced of the second. I’ve probably missed something. |
| 23 | Tips on rare case, not likely, used not long ago (8) |
| RECENTLY - first and last letters of (tips on) RarE, CasE, NoT, and LikelY are used. |
|
| Down |
| 1 | Error from teacher upset her favourite? (7) |
| MISSTEP - MISS (teacher), with PET (her favourite) backwards (upset). |
| 2 | Small nuisance in country (5) |
| SPAIN - S (small) and PAIN (nuisance). |
| 3 | Rudeness of men, recipient distraught (12) |
| IMPERTINENCE - anagram of (distraught) MEN RECIPIENT. |
| 4 | Classes very restless, teacher stressed at first (5) |
| SORTS - SO (very) and first letters of (at first) Restless, Teacher, and Stressed. |
| 6 | Understanding French in shelter ultimately possible (7) |
| ENTENTE - EN (French for in), TENT (shelter), and lest letter of (ultimately) possiblE. |
| 7 | Weary English in Scottish island (5) |
| TIREE - TIRE (weary), with E (english) inside. I’m not entirely on side with tire=weary, but that might just be me! |
| 8 | Once felled e.g. can become subject of myth (6,6) |
| GOLDEN FLEECE - anagram of (can become) ONCE FELLED EG. |
| 14 | Creator of secret message enclosed on German river (7) |
| ENCODER - ENC (enclosed) on ODER (German river). |
| 16 | Game of chance has time for learner, unsteady (7) |
| TOTTERY - I cannot parse this clue, please help! As seen in the comments, lOTTERY (game of chance) with T (time) in place of L (learner). |
| 17 | Headwear from Aube retailer? (5) |
| BERET - hidden in auBE RETailer. |
| 18 | Iron also reduced inside? Not true (5) |
| FALSE - ALSo (missing last letter, reduced) inside FE (iron). |
| 19 | OutspokenSoviet spy (5) |
| BLUNT - double definition, the second referring to Anthony Blunt. |