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Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.
Hints and tips...
Some hints and tips:
- 15A is the only non-thematic across answer and it requires you to split "Sunday Times"
- In the wordplay for 21A the Dean is not a cleric
- For 5D think of the Mormons
- In 7D the whole clue is the definition
- In 20D the first definition is a verb not a noun.
And click on this label to get the solution.
Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc, {deletions} and [] other
indicators.
Across
1 It's donned by Arab moll in disguise (8)
BALMORAL – (Arab moll)* [in disguise].
6 Robin, for one, originally had only one doublet (4)
HOOD – First letters of Had Only One Doublet [originally].
8 Ben not bothered but rather obsessed with a bee in his? (6)
BONNET – (Ben not)* [bothered].
9 Put another penny in drunkard's hat (6)
TOPPER – Add another P (penny) into TOPER (drunkard).
10 Handled soft fabric (4)
FELT – Double definition.
11 Rudolf's family hide? (8)
DEERSKIN – DEER’S (e.g. Rudolf’s) KIN (family).
12 Yellowish growths return (5)
STRAW – WARTS (growths) [return] -> STRAW.
13 The German's next to race (5)
DERBY – DER (The in German) BY (next to).
15 Mull over tip by extreme character in Sunday Times (8)
MULTIPLY – MULL outside TIP, last letter of, [extreme character in], SundaY.
17 After first sign of measles beg for PPE (4)
MASK – Initial letter [first sign] of Measles, ASK (beg).
19 Iron Lady's hat (6)
FEDORA – FE (chemical symbol of iron) DORA (lady’s name). A bit of a chestnut.
20 Fish from Scottish island's out of this world (6)
MULLET – MULL (Scottish island) ET (Extra-Terrestrial; out of this world)..
21 Dean, we hear, needed to cover face (4)
VEIL – Sounds like VALE (dean).
22 Medic wearing more painful old Mexican hat (8)
SOMBRERO – MB (medic) inside SORER (more painful) O (old).
Down
2 A flower that's moved from bed (5)
AROSE – A ROSE (flower).
3 Scary creature highlighted in sermon's terrifying (7)
MONSTER – Hidden in serMON’S TERrifying.
4 Desert fighter's a deserter (3)
RAT – Double definition.
5 Treat Lady Gaga like a sort of saint (6-3)
LATTER-DAY – (Treat Lady)* [gaga]. The Mormon church is also known as the Church of the Latter-Day Saints.
6 Dance ends outsiders' dreams (5)
HOPES – HOP (dance), outside letters, [outsiders], of EndS.
7 Condition of someone on diet who obeys it badly (7)
OBESITY – (obeys it)* [badly]. A sort of semi-&lit.
11 Attaches less importance to Northern Irish dramas (9)
DOWNPLAYS – DOWN (county in Northern Ireland) PLAYS (dramas).
12 Girlfriend or crush? (7)
SQUEEZE – Double definition.
14 Walker who goes on and on (7)
RAMBLER – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
16 Ugly dwarf's charge for crossing bridge over river (5)
TROLL – R (river) in TOLL (charge for crossing bridge)
18 Stick fork into piece of asparagus (5)
SPEAR – Double definition.
20 Mime is keeping quiet (3)
MUM – Double definition, the first a verb not noun.
1 It's donned by Arab moll in disguise (8)
BALMORAL – (Arab moll)* [in disguise].
6 Robin, for one, originally had only one doublet (4)
HOOD – First letters of Had Only One Doublet [originally].
8 Ben not bothered but rather obsessed with a bee in his? (6)
BONNET – (Ben not)* [bothered].
9 Put another penny in drunkard's hat (6)
TOPPER – Add another P (penny) into TOPER (drunkard).
10 Handled soft fabric (4)
FELT – Double definition.
11 Rudolf's family hide? (8)
DEERSKIN – DEER’S (e.g. Rudolf’s) KIN (family).
12 Yellowish growths return (5)
STRAW – WARTS (growths) [return] -> STRAW.
13 The German's next to race (5)
DERBY – DER (The in German) BY (next to).
15 Mull over tip by extreme character in Sunday Times (8)
MULTIPLY – MULL outside TIP, last letter of, [extreme character in], SundaY.
17 After first sign of measles beg for PPE (4)
MASK – Initial letter [first sign] of Measles, ASK (beg).
19 Iron Lady's hat (6)
FEDORA – FE (chemical symbol of iron) DORA (lady’s name). A bit of a chestnut.
20 Fish from Scottish island's out of this world (6)
MULLET – MULL (Scottish island) ET (Extra-Terrestrial; out of this world)..
21 Dean, we hear, needed to cover face (4)
VEIL – Sounds like VALE (dean).
22 Medic wearing more painful old Mexican hat (8)
SOMBRERO – MB (medic) inside SORER (more painful) O (old).
2 A flower that's moved from bed (5)
AROSE – A ROSE (flower).
3 Scary creature highlighted in sermon's terrifying (7)
MONSTER – Hidden in serMON’S TERrifying.
4 Desert fighter's a deserter (3)
RAT – Double definition.
5 Treat Lady Gaga like a sort of saint (6-3)
LATTER-DAY – (Treat Lady)* [gaga]. The Mormon church is also known as the Church of the Latter-Day Saints.
6 Dance ends outsiders' dreams (5)
HOPES – HOP (dance), outside letters, [outsiders], of EndS.
7 Condition of someone on diet who obeys it badly (7)
OBESITY – (obeys it)* [badly]. A sort of semi-&lit.
11 Attaches less importance to Northern Irish dramas (9)
DOWNPLAYS – DOWN (county in Northern Ireland) PLAYS (dramas).
12 Girlfriend or crush? (7)
SQUEEZE – Double definition.
14 Walker who goes on and on (7)
RAMBLER – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.
16 Ugly dwarf's charge for crossing bridge over river (5)
TROLL – R (river) in TOLL (charge for crossing bridge)
18 Stick fork into piece of asparagus (5)
SPEAR – Double definition.
20 Mime is keeping quiet (3)
MUM – Double definition, the first a verb not noun.
SQUEEZE, MULTIPLY and DEERSKIN were favourites. LATTER-DAY and BALMORAL took the most head-scratching! I knew top hat and mummer so assumed TOPPER and MUM were possible. Thanks, John, always look forward to your concoctions!
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDNF, as couldn’t get MULTIPLY, and NHO TOPER. Liked LATTERDAY. Thanks for the workout.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback. MULTIPLY was the trickiest, despite the hint, I think. Bad luck with that. TOPER is worth remembering - it comes up quite often.
DeleteThis was a very nice puzzle, all done in 10 minutes but not without a few pauses (and then PDMs) on the way. I am not familiar with Balmoral hats - well, I know them, just didn't know that was their name - so the opening clue had to wait for checkers, and I was a little thrown by cluing a troll as an ugly dwarf. In most stories I read trolls are on the contrary rather large, if not giants; Indeed if you go to the Faroes, there is a monolith sea stack known as the Trøllkonufingur, or troll woman’s finger, which is over 1,000 ft high - see https://visitvagar.fo/welcome-to-vagar/about/stories-and-legends/troellkonufingur/. That troll was hardly a dwarf!
ReplyDeleteThat apart, Multiply held me up the most and only fell when I had its final Y - a very clever lift-and-separate which I took time to see despite it being well signposted in your blog yesterday. And I note the Scottish island of Mull gets a double mention - a favourite place of yours for walking?
Many thanks for a very enjoyable puzzle, a true Saturday Special
Cedric
Thanks. ODE says of troll "noun (in folklore) an ugly creature depicted as either a giant or a dwarf" with the example "nobody was allowed to cross the bridge without the troll's permission" used in the clue. So it can be either a dwarf or a giant. It's a long time since I've been to Mull. Must go there again. Now my wife is retired too maybe we can venture forth more.
DeleteVery enjoyable with a good mix of clues. Nearly came a cropper by putting in “Rambles” for 14dn which made me wonder what other kinds of Mexican hats there are.
ReplyDeleteI think “Squeeze” for girlfriend has come up somewhere before, although I believe it’s a fairly old term and would probably raise an eyebrow if used today.
Gave up trying to fit in Liddle or Clarkson into 15ac, but once it twigged it was probably my favourite clue.
Thanks as usual!
JamesEd46
Thanks. Yes "squeeze" is rather dated, I think, but I see the usage has come up in several other crossword clues for the word. Glad you managed to decipher MULTIPLY. I deliberately put MULL and TIP in the clue to try and make it easier than my original version - Ponder over clue "Last of Sunday Times".
DeleteGoodness, John, DOWNPLAYS and MULTIPLY (LOI) were difficult. Nearly gave up!
ReplyDeleteMaybe ‘last character’ wd have been easier in a quickie. Liked all the hats though, esp FEDORA, SOMBRERO, BONNET. NHO BALMORAL hat.
Yes, SQUEEZE a bit old-fashioned but we had it in the QC, I think.
Thanks vm for the entertainment. Chapeau!
Sorry , that was Countrywoman
ReplyDeleteThanks. Glad you got there in the end. Yes 'last character' would have been easier, but the the surface wouldn't have worked so well.
DeleteThanks John. A well judged puzzle. Only real struggle was with the NHO BALMORAL which I see from Collins can either by a hat, shoe or petticoat.
ReplyDeletePlett11
Glad you liked the crossword. Often called a Balmoral Bonnet it is a Scottish hat that has a little pompom on top.
DeleteAnother lovely weekend puzzle with an average time for us (mid 20 minutes)
ReplyDeleteNho balmoral
Multiply loi - not used to the word in clue being incorporated into answer so hint didn’t really ring a bell.
Thanks very much John
Boovers
Thanks. Glad you liked it.
DeleteLovely puzzle thanks John. Managed to finish without the clues for once.
ReplyDeleteMULTIPLY, DEERSKIN and LATTERDAY were favourites. Also liked AROSE.
I initially thought 18d was a hidden and fortuitously the spar in asparagus led to SPEAR.
Biffed BONNET, couldn’t parse SOMBRERO thinking painful was an anagrind for more.
Sympathy to Snail over TOPER. It’s come up three times now in crosswords and I’m starting to remember it.
Thanks, Ian. I've got some of those spears in my fridge.
DeleteThanks for the workout. Loved the mix of clues and those penny drop moments which for me were especially so for MULTIPLY and my LOI DEERSKIN.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the misdirection at 5D where I wanted to include the letters of Lady Gaga in the answer.
NHO the other meanings of BALMORAL. It’s always good to learn new stuff (although not sure why ???), especially when, as here, it was gotatable by the clear anagram indicator, and once some crossers were in place.
COD for the surface of SPEAR and a lovely image of a favoured vegetable, also the surface of 7D OBESITY which may be a problem if I have too many clotted cream ice creams today.
Off to put my STRAW hat on now for a RAMBLE at the seaside.
Enjoy your weekend and many thanks.
I was surprised that so many were unfamiliar with Balmoral as a hat. I couldn't resist Gaga as an anagram indicator wjen the anagram included "lady".
DeleteThanks. Hope you had a nice ramble. Mine in the countryside around Walberswick on the Suffolk coast the other day plenty of mud and puddles and I ended up with lots of mosquito bites. It was a recce for a walk I'm leading on Tuesday.... but I'm not going to do that one now!
DeleteI surprised myself by crossing the line just before the 20-minutes mark. I had NHO BALMORAL as a hat, but it was the only pronounceable combination of the required letters. No idea what was going on with MUM, but my CoD was MULTIPLY, despite it being my LOI.
ReplyDeleteN.B. Whilst not a hat, a MULLET is worn on the head by some.
Many thanks for the entertainment, John.
I thought “Mum” had something to do with Mummers plays - but I’ll defer to John on that.
DeleteJamesEd46
Yes. To MUM is to mime and it also means "keep quiet".
DeleteP.S. HOOD, MASK and VEIL are thematic too - although they are not hats, they are found on the head.
DeleteLovely, thank you John! I agree with the general comments about MULTIPLY, which was great, and I also enjoyed FEDORA a lot.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. Thanks.
DeleteThanks for this nice puzzle. I started at 15a trying to find a head/headwear connection but the clue was quite clear. Lots to like about this set of clues, esp 11a deerskin, and the construction of 15a multiply. I'm sure we've seen Balmoral in the QC fairy recently so that wasn't too tricky. Could we say a straw derby = panama?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Andrew. I couldn't quite get a thematic answer for all the acrosses - 15A was the exception. I'm not quite sure how I managed to miss out PANAMA in the grid - it was on my list to include and has some helpful (to the setter) alternate As to use as crossers.
DeleteMention of a Fedora reminds me of a limerick competition I once took part in (much alcohol having been consumed). One had to construct a limerick around a given word, and I got given Fedora.
ReplyDeleteThere once was a lassie called Flora
Who went out in a bright red fedora
It suited her face
And made her look ace
And now all the laddies adore her
(I'll leave now)
Cedric
Ha Ha. Thanks.
Delete