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and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as
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TfTT. You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here.
Some hints and tips:
Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.
Hints...
- 9A is not an anagram of "laces ten".
- Swapping sides in 21A can be done in two ways to get the same answer.
- 4D may be unfamiliar (as it was to me) but the checkers and wordplay leave no doubt as to the answer.
- The graduate at 19A is either American or a medic.
And click on this label to get the solution.
Solution and explanation of the answers...
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other indicators.
Across
4
Poorly love? Pervert! (5)
SICKO – SICK (poorly) O (0; love).
7
Restrain Spooner's intrepid journalist (4,4)
HOLD BACK – Spoonerism of BOLD (intrepid) HACK (journalist).
8
Sailor and undergraduate aim to meet band (4)
ABBA – AB (Able-bodied seaman) BA (undergraduate aim).
9
Laces ten bad drinks (8)
ENTWINES – (ten)* [bad] WINES (drinks).
10
Give permission for arsenic to be dispatched (6)
ASSENT – AS (Chemical symbol for Arsenic) SENT (dispatched).
13
Noblemen discovered in Cuba, Ron said (6)
BARONS – Hidden in CuBA RON Said.
14
Bright rodents return to railway (6)
STARRY – RATS (rodents) [returned] -> STAR, RY (railway).
15
Loved America - did one reach East Delaware at the outset
? (6)
ADORED – First letters of America Did One Reach East Delaware [at first].
18
It's a pain for ambassadors to harbour a returning
scoundrel (8)
HEADACHE – HE, HE (his/her excellency twice; ambassadors) containing, [harbouring], A, CAD (scoundrel) [returning] -> DAC.
19
Racing graduate tells porkies (4)
FIBS – F1 (formula one; racing) BS (graduate).
20
Mixed steroids 50 for 1 - maybe these seniors will use them!
(8)
OLDSTERS – (sterolds)*, replacing the I for an L [50 for 1]. Bodybuilding geriatrics? You keep strange company, Phil!
21
He entices monarch to swap sides (5)
LURER – RULER (monarch) swapping the R and L.
Down
1 Old city not quite top-rated (6)
THEBES – THE BES{t} (top-rated) [not quite].
2
Stick or split (6)
CLEAVE – Double definition… e.g. cleaving a log and cleaving of your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
3
Be opposed to item (6)
OBJECT – Double definition.
4
Patchy horse found in southern gardens, hairless (8)
SKEWBALD – S (southern) KEW (gardens) BALD (hairless). Not a word I knew but the checkers and wordplay left no cause for doubt.
5
Continuous din a bad error on the radio (8)
CLANGOUR – Sounds like [on the radio] CLANGER (bad error).
6
Surgical procedure takes advantage of works (6)
OPUSES – OP (operation; surgical procedures) USES (takes advantage of).
11
Sailor's tortured fears are hidden (8)
SEAFARER – [tortured] (fears)* with ARE inside, [hidden].
12
He tells of climbing island's peak (8)
14 Train fish (6)
SCHOOL – Double definition.
15
Relaxed with a coquette (2,4)
AT EASE – A TEASE (coquette).
16
Make allowances when not in front of the cameras (6)
OFFSET – OFF SET (when not in front of the camera).
17
Stamp - Bond may describe his superior thus (6)
EMBOSS – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint - James Bond worked for M
SICKO – SICK (poorly) O (0; love).
HOLD BACK – Spoonerism of BOLD (intrepid) HACK (journalist).
ABBA – AB (Able-bodied seaman) BA (undergraduate aim).
ENTWINES – (ten)* [bad] WINES (drinks).
ASSENT – AS (Chemical symbol for Arsenic) SENT (dispatched).
BARONS – Hidden in CuBA RON Said.
STARRY – RATS (rodents) [returned] -> STAR, RY (railway).
ADORED – First letters of America Did One Reach East Delaware [at first].
HEADACHE – HE, HE (his/her excellency twice; ambassadors) containing, [harbouring], A, CAD (scoundrel) [returning] -> DAC.
FIBS – F1 (formula one; racing) BS (graduate).
OLDSTERS – (sterolds)*, replacing the I for an L [50 for 1]. Bodybuilding geriatrics? You keep strange company, Phil!
LURER – RULER (monarch) swapping the R and L.
1 Old city not quite top-rated (6)
THEBES – THE BES{t} (top-rated) [not quite].
CLEAVE – Double definition… e.g. cleaving a log and cleaving of your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
OBJECT – Double definition.
SKEWBALD – S (southern) KEW (gardens) BALD (hairless). Not a word I knew but the checkers and wordplay left no cause for doubt.
CLANGOUR – Sounds like [on the radio] CLANGER (bad error).
OPUSES – OP (operation; surgical procedures) USES (takes advantage of).
SEAFARER – [tortured] (fears)* with ARE inside, [hidden].
14 Train fish (6)
SCHOOL – Double definition.
AT EASE – A TEASE (coquette).
OFFSET – OFF SET (when not in front of the camera).
EMBOSS – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint - James Bond worked for M
LURER was very clever, also really enjoyed SICKO and ENTWINES. Didn't know FI or SKEWBALD but luckily able to make it through anyways. Thanks for stimulating workout!
ReplyDeleteThis was a tough one - 16 minutes for me, as I was misled beautifully on a number of occasions. I did try to make 9A an anagram of laces ten (I don't read the hints first!) and I had Branch as my first answer to 2D Cleave until crossers proved it wrong. I also then tossed up between Bold Hack and Hold Back as to which was the clue fodder and which was the answer.
ReplyDeleteIn general a very enjoyable battle and pleased to finish all correct. Many thanks Phil, and John for the blog
Cedric
I'm glad you've thanked John as well, since on this occasion he tinkered with - and improved - at least four of my clues without departing from my original intention. I simply couldn't do this without his technical skills, and this time he did me particularly proud.
DeleteSurely someone with a BA is a graduate not an undergraduate and I’m not sure if there is a BS degree as opposed to a BSc?
ReplyDeleteA Bachelor of Arts is classed as an undergraduate degree, whereas a Master of Arts is a graduate degree. A Bachelor of Science was indeed a BSc when I was younger, but these days BS is equally acceptable.
DeleteBS is a bachelor of surgery. Medical training often involves MB and BS, with an optional BSc as well.
DeleteI shall have to put a little a little less faith in Wikipedia. Fortunately the clue is more or less undiminished.
DeleteOh dear. Somehow it slipped through the process of transcribing, test solving, editing, publishing and blogging, where I read the clue as saying "graduate"... I'm afraid Phil is wrong. An undergraduate doesn't have the degree yet. So BA should be clued as "arts graduate" or similar rather than "undergraduate"... I think I'd propose changing it to "Sailor and undergraduate aim to meet band". What do you think, Phil?
DeleteAs for BS, it is the American abbreviation for what we designate BSc in the UK. Mind you, when I got my bachelor degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science, it was a BA. Confusing, or what?
DeleteThank you, Phil, but Very, very difficult. I found it much harder than the average daily QC and needed to rummage through my battered CCD to get going, having only solved a few clues here and there. Looked up e.g. Clangour, Cleave, EMBOSS (great clue).
ReplyDeleteLiked SKEWBALD ( which I did get), HOLD BACK, THEBES, OFFSET.
All best, Countywoman.
I must admit that my original intention to make this puzzle easier got derailed due to lack of time, and also a spot of brain freeze. I've got 6 weeks to meet that original aim before my next effort goes public.
DeleteTough one this I thought. I only had 20ac to get and I thought I understood the parsing (as noted above) but it wouldn’t fit as I had an extra “E” at the beginning. Upon reading this I see the answer to 21ac was “Lurer” and not “Lures” and 12dn “Narrator” not “Narrates” - both which now make more sense.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the rest though. Thanks as usual!
JamesEd46
A good QC we found and finished without any aids. Didn't know why FI should be racing but bunged it in anyway. Thanks to both setter and blogger.
ReplyDelete