Solved in spare moments and blogged in a hurry, hence the later-than-usual post, so it’s even more difficult for me to judge its difficulty.
I thought I was getting bored of all the anagram practice, but the setter’s creative indicators ensured I stayed entertained. On quick reflection, I’d say 13dn was my favourite – simple, readable, funny, and indicating a somewhat unfamiliar word – my COD.
Definitions underlined.
I thought I was getting bored of all the anagram practice, but the setter’s creative indicators ensured I stayed entertained. On quick reflection, I’d say 13dn was my favourite – simple, readable, funny, and indicating a somewhat unfamiliar word – my COD.
Definitions underlined.
| Across | |
| 1 | Returning dog will accept rumpled warm bed, nothing more (8-5) |
| HOMEWARD-BOUND - HOUND (dog) around (will accept) an anagram of (rumpled) WARM BED with O (nothing more). | |
| 8 | Countryside views seen — cry uncontrollably (7) |
| SCENERY - anagram of (uncontrollably) SEEN CRY. | |
| 9 | I was a competitor clad in green? (5) |
| IVIED I and VIED (was competitor). | |
| 10 | The sneaky tricks archaeologists indulge in? (12) |
| SKULLDUGGERY - cryptic definition. | |
| 12 | Join assault after King's lost horse (6) |
| ATTACH - ATTACk (assault) without the ‘k’ (after King’s lost), then H (horse). | |
| 14 | Bad luck loves to follow gangster (6) |
| HOODOO - OO (loves, tennis) after HOOD (gangster). | |
| 17 | Seaport bustling more than expected (2,5) |
| TO SPARE - anagram of (bustling) SEAPORTS. | |
| 19 | Sweet topping, very tempting — first three portions gone (5) |
| ICING - entICING (very tempting) missing the first three letters (first three portions gone). | |
| 20 | Broadcast medium hosting promotion in Brazilian city (5) |
| RADIO - AD (promotion) in RIO (Brazilian city). | |
| 21 | Sprinter, perhaps, allowed in running heat (7) |
| ATHLETE - LET (allowed) inside an anagram of (running) HEAT. | |
| 22 | Isolated amount advanced, we hear (8) |
| LONESOME - homophone of (we hear) “loan sum” (amount advanced). | |
| 23 | Hill-dwellers, when disturbed by National Trust (4) |
| ANTS - AS (when) surrounding (disturbed by) NT (National Trust). | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Organiser of party— lots of people (4) |
| HOST - double definition. | |
| 2 | Take me abroad to capture river mammal (7) |
| MEERKAT - anagram of (abroad) TAKE ME surrounding (to capture) R (river). | |
| 3 | Make circular motion with part of foot (5) |
| WHEEL - W (with) and HEEL (part of foot). | |
| 4 | Translation of Hardy located around one Arab city (6) |
| RIYADH - anagram (translation) of HARDY around I (one). | |
| 5 | Reveal girth, bolting frenziedly (5,2,5) |
| BRING TO LIGHT - anagram of (frenziedly) GIRTH BOLTING. | |
| 6 | Join a Parisian welcoming computers etc. (5) |
| UNITE - UNE (‘a’ in French, Parisian) surrounding (welcoming) IT (computers etc.) | |
| 7 | Insect lands doggedly after turbulence (5-4-4) |
| DADDY-LONG-LEGS - anagram of (after turbulence) LANDS DOGGEDLY. | |
| 11 | Beethoven symphony in historic exam? (8) |
| PASTORAL - PAST 9historic) and ORAL (exam). | |
| 13 | Company is importing meat — antelope (7) |
| CHAMOIS - CO (company) and IS, surrounding (importing) HAM (meat). | |
| 15 | Daughter torn about island allowing vehicular access (5-2) |
| DRIVE-IN - D (daughter) and RIVEN (torn) around I (island). | |
| 16 | Doctor holding delicate fabric up still (6) |
| BECALM - MB (doctor) surrounding (holding) LACE (delicate fabric) all reversed (up).. | |
| 18 | Movable chair some used anywhere (5) |
| SEDAN - hidden in (some) uSED ANywhere. | |