| Quite straightforward this month, with fewer unknown words than usual and some clues that wouldn't be out of place in the daily cryptic, such as 10ac or 4dn.. took me about 40 minutes in all, quicker than usual for me. |
| Also, I have previously mentioned my quirky habit of seeing how far I can get through the clues, without finding a proper noun .. well, for the first time ever that I can remember, this one has none at all! Arguably jacuzzi should perhaps have one, being a trademarked brand name, but I shall ignore that. |
| cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, anagrams are *(--), homophones indicated in "" |
| Dictionaries: The Club Monthly uses several dictionaries as sources, and why not? The main ones are the Concise Oxford Dictionary (COD), Collins, and Chambers. I however can't afford all those, so I use Chambers, the online Collins dictionary and the ODO (Oxford Dictionaries Online). I use the online Oxford English Dictionary too (OED) though it sometimes goes beyond what we may reasonably be expected to know |
| Across |
| 1. For investment I’ll borrow shillings as well, with almost nothing (7) |
| stoozer - S( |
| 5. Mark taking in jaunt slaughtered small deer (7) |
| muntjak - *(JAUNT) in MK (mark) |
| 9. Commonwealth member in charge splits following American quite agitated (9) |
| frenzical - NZ (commonwealth member) + IC (in charge) in F + REAL (American quite). a real tricky clue |
| 10. Knock down old butcher’s (5) |
| decko - DECK (knock down) + O. I would spell it dekko, myself but it is in Collins |
| 11. Wasting time in pub in Paris, the lowest one, last character bled (13) |
| phlebotomized - PH (public house, ie pub) + LE (in Paris, the) BOT( |
| 13. Tons more sensible as a measure of distance? (8) |
| waywiser - WAY (tons, ie a great deal) WISER (more sensible) |
| 15. Good stroke for curling hot part of lamp (6) |
| inwick - IN (hot) + WICK (part of lamp) |
| 17. Whistle-blower depressed when tide turns? (6) |
| reflow - well I suppose it is REF (whistle-blower) + LOW (depressed). Not a very precise definition.. |
| 19. Good rebuke in a sweet thing Jesus said (8) |
| agraphon - G( |
| 22. Perhaps dishy leader’s position among the deficient could be a fluke (13) |
| platyhelminth - PLATY (perhaps dishy) + HELM (leader's position) + IN (among) + TH( |
| 25. One who sees much potential in egg’s round, endless prospect (5) |
| ovist - O + VIST ( |
| 26. Weather-changing event, mostly in short tapering form, rapidly changing direction for snow (9) |
| wedelning - EL NIN( |
| 27. Force joint daughter twisted in Perth (7) |
| fankled - F( |
| 28. Once covered in fat, work off with a welcoming gesture? (7) |
| enarmed - I think it is OPEN ARMED, ( with a welcoming gesture), with the OP (work) removed |
| Down |
| 1. Religious mystic provided bone from the south (4) |
| sofi - IF (provided) + OS (bone), both rev. Sufi a more common spelling.. |
| 2. Bend too much in full view when back of garment yields to pressure (7) |
| overply - OVERTLY (in full view), with the T replaced by P( |
| 3. Chipmunk of variable proportions apart from small and large (5) |
| zizel - tricky to parse! It is Z (variable) + ( |
| 4. Coolness in R&B, always for poetry’s sake? (4,4) |
| rice beer - ICE (coolness) in R+B, + EER, poetic "ever." Cunningly hidden def... |
| 5. Drug carrier volunteers as red rag to a bull? (6) |
| muleta - MULE (drug carrier) + TA (volunteers) |
| 6. Egg cases repelled noise? I accept that, thanks (9) |
| nidamenta - DIN (noise) rev., + AMEN (I accept that) + TA (thanks) |
| 7. Sailor shortened gun with duplication in underwater jet system (7) |
| jacuzzi - JAC( |
| 8. Selling direct to Europe affected only Denmark’s extremists and ruler (10) |
| klondyking - *(ONLY + D( |
| 12. Second bit of language on editor’s printout unaffected by cuts? (10) |
| swordproof - S(econd) + WORD (bit of language) + PROOF (editor's printout) |
| 14. So, hail spread about even is linked to matching rain (9) |
| isohyetal - YET (even) in *(SO HAIL) |
| 16. Reptilian family beset by article probing generation (8) |
| agamidae - AMID (beset by) + A (article) in AGE (generation) |
| 18. Female arrested in possession of ring is former lover (7) |
| franion - O (ring) in F + RAN IN (arrested). Useful word.. |
| 20. ANC leaving human chain in disarray as elements were called earlier (7) |
| hahnium - *(HUMAN CHAIN), with the ANC removed. Hahnium, in honour of Otto Hahn, was a suggested name for Dubnium, element 105. |
| 21. In Glasgow, crazy guy runs up to pinch wife (3-3) |
| red-wud - W(ife) in DUDE (guy) + R (runs) rev. |
| 23. Indian ravine protected by international law (5) |
| nalla - hidden in internatioNAL LAw |
| 24. Ancient heavens spread evenly across Rio Grande (4) |
| igad - alternate letters of rIo GrAnDe |
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Club Monthly 20191 - August 2016
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