Time: 45 minutes
Music: O melhor de João Gilberto
I would call this a moderate puzzle for a Monday, but it seems like I was a little slow on some of the clues. I wasn't really in a hurry, anyway. There are no obscure allusions or answers, so you can't really complain. If you're looking for trouble, try Dean's Sunday offering, and you'll get all you can handle. I found Mephisto much easier.
We have some small personnel changes in the works here at TfT, and I will probably make the official announcement in my next blog. I would like to thank all our tireless bloggers, who manage to show up promptly at their appointed times and deliver entertaining and informative blogs.
Music: O melhor de João Gilberto
I would call this a moderate puzzle for a Monday, but it seems like I was a little slow on some of the clues. I wasn't really in a hurry, anyway. There are no obscure allusions or answers, so you can't really complain. If you're looking for trouble, try Dean's Sunday offering, and you'll get all you can handle. I found Mephisto much easier.
We have some small personnel changes in the works here at TfT, and I will probably make the official announcement in my next blog. I would like to thank all our tireless bloggers, who manage to show up promptly at their appointed times and deliver entertaining and informative blogs.
| Across | |
| 1 | Superman's girl is about to drop Italian dish (7) |
| LASAGNE - LA(SAG)NE, not LOIS, but LANE. | |
| 5 | Rubbish plant used as dessert (7) |
| RHUBARB - double definition | |
| 9 | Large tomb, parent bagging a posh one (9) |
| MAUSOLEUM - M(A U SOLE)UM | |
| 10 | Fine no longer having clean teeth (5) |
| FLOSS - F + LOSS. This doesn't quite work, as the exact equivalent of 'no longer having' would be LOST. | |
| 11 | Mink possibly, clothing slave? (7,6) |
| FASHION VICTIM - Double definition. | |
| 13 | Ne'er-do-well has to settle a fight (8) |
| LAYABOUT - LAY A BOUT. | |
| 15 | Several loons? (6) |
| DIVERS - Double defintion | |
| 17 | Excellent advice corporation rejected (6) |
| TIPTOP - TIP + POT backwards, not TUM. | |
| 19 | I issued new clasps good for mask (8) |
| DISGUISE - anagram of I ISSUED around G. | |
| 22 | Silly Eccles thick, or a serious jerk? (8,5) |
| ELECTRIC SHOCK - anagram of ECCLES THICK, OR | |
| 25 | Head of playwright missing, commit to the ground (5) |
| INTER - [p]INTER, one of the few playwrights generally used in puzzles. | |
| 26 | Labouring we do in the beginning? (9) |
| SPADEWORK - Cryptic definition. | |
| 27 | Material that's checked poorly leaving Medway town (7) |
| GINGHAM - G[ill]INGHAM - a town I had never heard of, but presumed must exist. | |
| 28 | Idiot with fanciful idea penning articles (7) |
| FATHEAD - FA(THE, A)D | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Green gunk, skimmed (4) |
| LIME - [s]LIME | |
| 2 | Having had a few seconds, one brushed up on geometry in the end (7) |
| SQUIFFY - S +_ QUIFF + [geometr]Y | |
| 3 | Entire amount, repellent (5) |
| GROSS - double definition | |
| 4 | Flag yours truly raised, with America retaining title (8) |
| EMERITUS - TIRE ME upside down + US | |
| 5 | Male feeding horses in book (6) |
| ROMANS - RO(M)ANS. | |
| 6 | Fun unfortunately suffering for sure (9) |
| UNFAILING - anagram of FUN + AILING | |
| 7 | Way to stuff a European champion (7) |
| APOSTLE -A PO(ST)LE | |
| 8 | American man crushing queen like a snake (10) |
| BUSHMASTER - BUS(H.M, AS)TER. | |
| 12 | Flexible parts to deliver, chattering away (10) |
| BLITHERING - B(LITHE)RING | |
| 14 | Wind light — it's a scorcher? (9) |
| BLOWTORCH - BLOW + TORCH in different senses. | |
| 16 | Lean man, legal official (8) |
| TIPSTAFF - TIP + STAFF | |
| 18 | Fast approaching northern English city (7) |
| PRESTON - PRESTO + N, the musical direction. | |
| 20 | Trying exotic Eskimo rolls, initially (7) |
| IRKSOME - anagram of ESKIMO R[olls] | |
| 21 | Chinese food that's totally stupid? (3,3) |
| DIM SUM - Double definition, one factitious. | |
| 23 | Heart of stone, a shade open (5) |
| OVERT - [st]O[ne] + VERT, a heraldic shade. | |
| 24 | Slip, small, on child (4) |
| SKID - S + KID, one from the Quickie. | |