I had all bar three (14, 20, 25) done in less than 13 minutes (or thought I had), but then took ages to finish that corner off, only to find on submission (on the Times website puzzle page) that I had one wrong. I couldn't find that after a few minutes hunting about, and then, after clicking the Reveal button, I was red-faced to see I'd fallen for the old 'I know what the answer is, I won't bother to parse the clue properly' - or 'until the ruddy end', as CS Lewis used to say - trick.
I wonder how many of you will join me in donning the Dunce's Hat today, and how many suffered from a terrible bout of vocalophobia (fear of vowels) in the SW corner.
ACROSS
1. SOBER - OBE in SR.
4. HOODWINK - [e]DWIN in HOOK.
8. CLAUSTROPHOBIA - anagram* of AT CLUB OR SHOP + I + A; not claustrophobic!
10. NOTORIOUS - O + RIO in NOT + US.
11. YAHOO - OO on HAY reversed.
12. COIN-OP - whimsical clue for a great British institution.
14. ANTEROOM - ANT + E + MOOR reversed.
17. UPPER-CUT - a type of pugilistic punch.
18. OBERON - [s]OBER + ON reversed.
20. IDOLA - plural of idolum; DO + L in IA. Generous cluing for those who had forgotten this one.
22. LEASTWISE - 'at any rate'; E in LAST + WISE (way once)
24. APPLE CHARLOTTE - C (key) + HARLOT (working girl - no char here) in LATE PPE*. Clever, if rather wasted, wordplay.
25. HUMANELY - 'with sympathy'; sounds like HUGH + MAINLY.
26. DWELT - WEL in DT; 'well' as in 'They live well and vote Labour'.
DOWN
1. SECOND COUSIN - SECOND + [US in CO + IN].
2. BOAST - S in BOAT; a pram is a dinghy with a snub nose, as it were.
3. RESERVOIR - ERRORS + VIE*.
4. HEREON - E in HERON.
5. OPPOSING - OP + POSING.
6. WOOZY - WOO + ZY.
7. NEIGHBOUR - BORING + HUE*.
9. COMMENCEMENT - MEN + CE in COMMENT.
13. IMPROMPTU - um, it's I'M PROMPT + U.
15. EMBATTLED - 'in conflict'; E + MB + [r]ATTLED.
16. CURLICUE - CUR + U in LICE.
19. VAGARY - AG in VARY; seems so easy now...
21. ALLOA - ALL + O + A; a place known to most Sassenachs c/o James Alexander Gordon.
23. ISTLE - T in ISLE; more generous wordplay prevents further embarrassment.
I wonder how many of you will join me in donning the Dunce's Hat today, and how many suffered from a terrible bout of vocalophobia (fear of vowels) in the SW corner.
ACROSS
1. SOBER - OBE in SR.
4. HOODWINK - [e]DWIN in HOOK.
8. CLAUSTROPHOBIA - anagram* of AT CLUB OR SHOP + I + A; not claustrophobic!
10. NOTORIOUS - O + RIO in NOT + US.
11. YAHOO - OO on HAY reversed.
12. COIN-OP - whimsical clue for a great British institution.
14. ANTEROOM - ANT + E + MOOR reversed.
17. UPPER-CUT - a type of pugilistic punch.
18. OBERON - [s]OBER + ON reversed.
20. IDOLA - plural of idolum; DO + L in IA. Generous cluing for those who had forgotten this one.
22. LEASTWISE - 'at any rate'; E in LAST + WISE (way once)
24. APPLE CHARLOTTE - C (key) + HARLOT (working girl - no char here) in LATE PPE*. Clever, if rather wasted, wordplay.
25. HUMANELY - 'with sympathy'; sounds like HUGH + MAINLY.
26. DWELT - WEL in DT; 'well' as in 'They live well and vote Labour'.
DOWN
1. SECOND COUSIN - SECOND + [US in CO + IN].
2. BOAST - S in BOAT; a pram is a dinghy with a snub nose, as it were.
3. RESERVOIR - ERRORS + VIE*.
4. HEREON - E in HERON.
5. OPPOSING - OP + POSING.
6. WOOZY - WOO + ZY.
7. NEIGHBOUR - BORING + HUE*.
9. COMMENCEMENT - MEN + CE in COMMENT.
13. IMPROMPTU - um, it's I'M PROMPT + U.
15. EMBATTLED - 'in conflict'; E + MB + [r]ATTLED.
16. CURLICUE - CUR + U in LICE.
19. VAGARY - AG in VARY; seems so easy now...
21. ALLOA - ALL + O + A; a place known to most Sassenachs c/o James Alexander Gordon.
23. ISTLE - T in ISLE; more generous wordplay prevents further embarrassment.