Solving Time: 1:11:27
Apologies for the delay on this one. I did the crossword last weekend, but haven't written the blog yet. I'll rattle one off now - won't be long.
Not much to say about this one - there were certainly some good clues - 21a, 16a & 6d to pick out a few. There were some others that I wasn't keen on, although I notice that PB has responded to most of my moans already in the official forum, so I'll say no more about it.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (--)*, and removalslike this
Apologies for the delay on this one. I did the crossword last weekend, but haven't written the blog yet. I'll rattle one off now - won't be long.
Not much to say about this one - there were certainly some good clues - 21a, 16a & 6d to pick out a few. There were some others that I wasn't keen on, although I notice that PB has responded to most of my moans already in the official forum, so I'll say no more about it.
cd = cryptic def., dd = double def., rev = reversal, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as (--)*, and removals
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | CATNAP - cd - I get the idea, but I'm not sure it quite works. Cats and dogs are both domestic animals, but they're quite different. |
| 4 | SADDER = LADDER with S for L |
| 9 | CAVA = A + VAC rev |
| 10 | WEARING OUT = (ROUTINE + WAG)* |
| 11 | STATE + R - a coin of ancient Greece, one of those words that only crops up in crosswords. |
| 12 | IN THE AIR - cd, albeit not a very cryptic one |
| 13 | INFECTION = (CONFINE IT)* |
| 15 | AGO + G |
| 16 | CITY = part of the football team Man City, and C |
| 17 | CANDID + |
| 21 | REST HOME = (MOST HERE)* - An &lit, simple but very effective. My COD. |
| 22 | ERSATZ - hidden |
| 24 | PUNCH-DRUNK - just a straight dd, I think. |
| 25 | NOAH - dd - Apparently the founder of the Merriam-Webster dictionary was Noah Webster. I didn't know that, although as a cruciverbalist it's probably fair to assume that I might. The checkers and the first definition were enough though. |
| 26 | SCRAP + E |
| 27 | GNEISS = (GEN |
| Down | |
| 1 | C |
| 2 | TOAST = TOT about (clothing) A |
| 3 | A + TWO + R + ST |
| 5 | ARISTO - hidden |
| 6 | DOG-LEGGED = DOGGED (determined) about LEG (on, cricket side) |
| 7 | R |
| 8 | MAD + IS + ON + A + VENUE |
| 14 | ESTATE CAR = STATE in RACE rev |
| 16 | CHEQUES = "CZECHS" - I've always though of the Czech Republic being part of Eastern Europe rather than being central, so that threw me a bit. But I suppose if you look at a map of Europe, including all the ex-Russian states, then it is quite central, really. |
| 18 | DOES + KIN |
| 19 | CUT + LASS |
| 20 | HOLD-UP - cd |
| 23 | SUNNI = IN NUS all rev |