Morning all. A pleasant offering from Hurley today. Nothing too obscure in the grid, although BROUHAHA is a word you don't write down every day.
There's the usual number of "crossword standards" in the cluing which will be immediately recognisable to most of you. But some people use these blogs to help get started on their cruciverbal journey, so I've made a list....
Page = P
Drink = RUM (if it's not TEA or ALE) (or SUP or LAP, as jackkt points out)
Time = T
Short time = MO
Clubs = C
American = US (or AM)
Posh = U
Resistance = R
Copy = APE
Guy = STAY (or ROPE if it's not KID or TEASE)
Supporter = ALLY (sometimes BACKER, most commonly BRA)
Right = R
That's ten clues today where the semi-experienced solver has an instant headstart over the beginner. The good news for the beginner is that you quickly learn these (and a few hundred others) just by doing lots of crosswords!
Anyway, thanks Hurley, let's get started. Clues are reproduced in blue, with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are bolded and italicised. Then there's the answer IN BOLD, followed by the parsing of the wordplay. (ABC)* is shorthand for "anagram of ABC".
There's the usual number of "crossword standards" in the cluing which will be immediately recognisable to most of you. But some people use these blogs to help get started on their cruciverbal journey, so I've made a list....
Page = P
Drink = RUM (if it's not TEA or ALE) (or SUP or LAP, as jackkt points out)
Time = T
Short time = MO
Clubs = C
American = US (or AM)
Posh = U
Resistance = R
Copy = APE
Guy = STAY (or ROPE if it's not KID or TEASE)
Supporter = ALLY (sometimes BACKER, most commonly BRA)
Right = R
That's ten clues today where the semi-experienced solver has an instant headstart over the beginner. The good news for the beginner is that you quickly learn these (and a few hundred others) just by doing lots of crosswords!
Anyway, thanks Hurley, let's get started. Clues are reproduced in blue, with the definition underlined. Anagram indicators are bolded and italicised. Then there's the answer IN BOLD, followed by the parsing of the wordplay. (ABC)* is shorthand for "anagram of ABC".
| Across | |
| 7 | Page, reserved initially, I am finding formal (4) |
| PRIM - P (PAGE) + R (reserved initially) + IM (I am) | |
| 8 | Reformed lady trio’s great devotion (8) |
| IDOLATRY - (LADY TRIO)* | |
| 9 | Drink belonging to us? Hearsay (6) |
| RUMOUR - RUM (drink) + OUR (belonging to us) | |
| 10 | Stick round beer cask, spherical (6) |
| ROTUND - ROD (stick) round TUN (beer cask) | |
| 11 | Large amount of service fliers before time (4) |
| RAFT - RAF (service fliers) + T (time) That's the "other" meaning of raft, as in "a raft of promises made before the election". | |
| 12 | Sees press officer carrying drink (8) |
| ESPRESSO - Hidden in (seES PRESS Officer) | |
| 15 | Precious stone perhaps I ordered (8) |
| SAPPHIRE - (PERHAPS I)* | |
| 17 | Short time at defensive ditch (4) |
| MOAT - MO (short time) + AT You'd think cluing AT with "at" would be obvious, but it can be cunningly deceptive. | |
| 18 | Clubs do something with American plant (6) |
| CACTUS - C (clubs) + ACT (do something) + US (American) | |
| 21 | Dress: rate it poorly (6) |
| ATTIRE - (RATE IT)* | |
| 22 | Lose sympathy of stranger, at ease initially? (8) |
| ALIENATE - ALIEN (stranger) + AT + E (ease initially) There it is again..."at" means AT! | |
| 23 | Bring uplast part (4) |
| REAR - Double definition | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Brother put on posh sound of laughter — uproar results (8) |
| BROUHAHA - BRO (brother) + U (posh) + HAHA (sound of laughter) U and non-U were terms coined by British linguist Alan Ross in the 1950's, U standing for "upper class". | |
| 2 | Meaning to buy goods from abroad (6) |
| IMPORT - Double definition | |
| 3 | Prime Minister is anti Lear’s ideas being raised? Partly (8) |
| DISRAELI - Reverse hidden in (antI LEARS IDeas) Today's assignment: Why did Cream call their classic second album "Disraeli Gears"? | |
| 4 | Odd bits of plot, ours, disappointing (4) |
| POOR - The odd letters of (PlOt OuRs) | |
| 5 | Free tablet in Waterloo? (6) |
| BATTLE - (TABLET)* This is a DBE (Definition By Example), as Waterloo is an example of a battle. Frowned on by some, but the question mark gets the setter off the hook. | |
| 6 | Cereal prohibition blocked by resistance (4) |
| BRAN - BAN (prohibition) blocked by R (resistance) | |
| 13 | Public Relations copy written up, brightly-coloured, done beforehand (8) |
| PREPARED - PR (Public Relations) + EPA [APE (copy) 'written up'] + RED (brightly-coloured) | |
| 14 | Series of steps from guy absorbing atmosphere with wife (8) |
| STAIRWAY - STAY (guy) 'absorbing' AIR (atmosphere) + W (wife) | |
| 16 | Glib talk as regular arrangement not completed (6) |
| PATTER - PATTERn (regular arrangement, not completed) | |
| 17 | Adult companion grabbing usher’s outside (6) |
| MATURE - MATE (companion) 'grabbing' UR (usher's 'outside') | |
| 19 | Supporter right to leave political gathering (4) |
| ALLY - R (right) to leave RALLY (political gathering) | |