13:26. Nothing too taxing here, but for the second time in a row I have the blogger’s nightmare of being unable to explain something. In fact this week there are two clues I don’t understand so I've put in what seems to be the right answer based on what I can see. No doubt someone will be able to put me out of my misery in the comments before too long…
Definitions are underlined, anagrams indicated like (THIS)*, anagram indicators like this.
Definitions are underlined, anagrams indicated like (THIS)*, anagram indicators like this.
| Across | |
| 1 | Crazy tripper drops off to see beautician |
| MANICURIST - MANIC, | |
| 6 | Lively group of workers head off |
| WARM - | |
| 9 | Bishop is admired after wrestlingimportant wedding guest |
| BRIDESMAID - B, (IS ADMIRED)*. | |
| 10 | Nick is to feel unwell on January the first |
| JAIL - J | |
| 12 | One taking part in the French and German songs |
| LIEDER - ‘the French and German’ gives LE, DER. Insert I (one). | |
| 13 | Love to leave instrument and join close neighbour in Brixton? |
| CELLMATE - CELL | |
| 15 | Collect prisoner in front of judge carrying a little bit of money |
| CONCENTRATE - CON(CENT), RATE. The definition is a bit oblique but ODO gives the example ‘the nation's wealth was concentrated in the hands of the governing elite’, which works for me. | |
| 18 | The main players carry detonating devices around |
| PRIME MOVERS - PRIME(MOVE)RS. | |
| 21 | Hung around 12 to change |
| LOITERED - (LIEDER, TO)*. Strictly speaking this is an indirect anagram, but the anagram fodder is at least there in the puzzle… once you’ve solved 12! | |
| 22 | Seat outside American mansion |
| PALACE - P(A)LACE. Again, a slightly oblique definition for PLACE here. I guess ‘keep my seat/place’ would be interchangeable in some circumstances. | |
| 24 | English butter served first in spread |
| PATE - PAT, E. | |
| 25 | From such a low-down place boozers might get the sack |
| WINE CELLAR - CD. | |
| 26 | Top lady entertaining a large peer |
| EARL - E(A)R, L. | |
| 27 | Enter latrine and fit switch |
| INFILTRATE - (LATRINE, FIT)*. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Body that’s left in locomotive |
| MOBILE - MOB, I(L)E. Again, ‘body’ for MOB seems a bit loose to me, but I think the required sense is a ‘body’ of people. Then IE (that’s) has L (left) in. | |
| 2 | Last of gunmen was ill being arrested |
| NAILED - | |
| 3 | Very smart couple take delight in college upbringing |
| CLEVER-CLEVER - not sure how this one works. The best I can do is that we have REVEL for 'take delight in', and then C for college, reversed. The word 'couple' is then somehow supposed to indicate that this is to be repeated. I don't really see how it does though, and I'm also unhappy with 'take delight in' for REVEL. Surely this would need to be REVEL IN? So I'm not really happy with this explanation but like I say it's the best I can do. | |
| 4 | One with an inclination to swindle |
| RAMP - DD. | |
| 5 | Cut out alcohol and with complaint? That’s beastly! |
| SWINE FEVER - again, not sure about this one. I can see SEVER containing WINE, but I can’t account for the F. | |
| 7 | Repeatedly use a cloth over jelly |
| AGAR-AGAR - A, reversal of RAG, twice. | |
| 8 | Being sick on ferry – just off Calais ? |
| MAL DE MER - CD. At least I think so. I thought I must be missing some clever wordplay but if it’s there I’m still missing it. | |
| 11 | Head of Oxford keen to accept daughter to examine some books |
| OLD TESTAMENT - O | |
| 14 | One’s surrounded by an ocean! |
| INDONESIAN - IND(ONE’S)IAN. &Lit. | |
| 16 | Tasty pastry is an order that’s just fine |
| APPLE PIE - reference to the phrase ‘APPLE PIE order’. | |
| 17 | One found in a church |
| MINISTER - MIN(I)STER. &Lit. | |
| 19 | Girl putting personal appearance first is a dish |
| PAELLA - PA, ELLA. I don’t remember seeing ‘personal appearance’ for PA before. | |
| 20 | Does a third one mean tough questions? |
| DEGREE - reference to the expression ‘the third DEGREE’. | |
| 23 | There’s still one monster |
| YETI - YET, I. | |