This was very easy fare and presented no problems
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | RICERCAR - RICE-R(ubbra)-CAR; old word for twigs=RICE; an old fugue as used by J S Bach in The Musical Offering; |
| 7 | PERV - PER-V; a=PER; verb=V; very topical, unfortunately; |
| 10 | INANE - IN(s)ANE; |
| 11 | RAOULIA - (ourali + a)*; |
| 13 | PLANATION - PLAN(t)ATION; |
| 14 | MATRIC - MAT-RIC(hard); |
| 16 | ANAN - AN(n)AN; reference Kofi Annan, retired Secretary of UN; |
| 17 | HELIOS - (hostile without "i")*; poll=cut the edges of, hence (tor)I(es); |
| 18 | TIDDLYWINKS - two meanings; 1=unlicensed pawnshop (uncle=slang term for pawnbroker) 2=game involving flipping counters; |
| 20 | HANDSELLING - narration=TELLING then swap T=short time for HANDS=workers; making a start on; ; |
| 23 | ESCROW - (w=with + score)*; |
| 24 | BIOS - two meanings 1=Basic Input-Output System (what underpins Windows) 2=memoires; ; |
| 27 | SAINTS - SA(INT)S; I've no idea how many football clubs are called "The Saints", our nearest is Southampton; |
| 29 | SAWDERING - SA(w=Welsh + diner)*G; spinach=SAG; blarney; |
| 30 | TWIGGEN - TWIG-G-EN; |
| 31 | ENIAC - (Michael) CAINE reversed, not a lot of people know that; |
| 32 | SIZE - sounds like "sighs"; |
| 33 | DEGREASE - DEGRE(AS)E; |
| Down | |
| 1 | RIEM - (marie - a)*; a rawhide thong rather than underwear; |
| 2 | INFANTA - IN-FANTA(d); anxiety=fantad; |
| 3 | CAPTAINCY - (in new capacity without"wien")*; cricket reference Andrew Strauss, retired England skipper; |
| 4 | RELIED - RE-LIE-D; |
| 5 | CRACKLEWARE - CRACKLE-W-ARE; (paper) money=CRACKLE; glazed pottery decorated with fine cracks; |
| 6 | ROAN - (g)ROAN; |
| 7 | PUTELI - I-LET-UP all reversed; flat bottomed Ganges transport; |
| 8 | RIOT - R(I)OT; |
| 9 | VANESSAS - V(A-NESS)AS; red admiral, painted lady, my buddleias were full of them this year; |
| 12 | ANCHYLOSING - A-N-C(H-Y)LOSING; Y from (authorit)Y; more usually ankylosis, stiffening of the joints; |
| 15 | SINNINGIA - SINNING-I-A; South American plant; |
| 16 | ATHEISTS - A-T(HEIST)S; TS from T(hi)S; |
| 19 | KGOTLAS - (talks)* surround GO; public meetings in Botswana; |
| 21 | DREDGE - DR-EDGE; |
| 22 | LOANER - sounds like "loner"; |
| 25 | JAWI - JAW-I; Arabic alphabet used for writing Malay; |
| 26 | REGD - hidden reversed s(REGD)el; |
| 28 | SICE - SIC-(brid)E; a groom or chauffer; |