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1. What
one seeks at audition that’s out of consideration. APART (i.e ‘a part’) Seemingly simple, the definition emerges unexpectedly
from the latter end - ‘out of consideration’.
12. Source
of arachis oil that’s half ingested by three body
parts. EARTH-CHESTNUT (th(at) in
ear, chest, nut) By contrast, in a
similarly constructed clue, one has the expectation that ‘body parts’ might be
the definition, but no, the solution is one of several nuts yielding arachis oil. ‘Nut’ is, of course, an informal term for the
head.
13. Increasingly
piquant jelly, not the first that is added to recipe. SPICIER ((a)spic +
i.e. + r) Yet a third ‘that is’
clue, and again, as in 12, that phrase serves a function in the subsidiary
indication.
17. Page
accompanying chief magistrate in trial formerly? PREEVE (p + reeve1) The first of two clues (with 17 down) in which
an unchecked letter could lead to a similar solution, but one not supported by the subsidiary
indication. Here, the alternative is PRIEVE, listed under PRIEF, and also
meaning ‘proof’ (q.v.). However, RIEVE , listed under
REAVE does not mean ‘chief magistrate’
as is required by the subsidiary. REEVE1 is the key.
21. Delicious
drink getting warm maybe, with bits of cinnamon thrown in. NECTAR (c, t in near, &lit)
The embedded ‘maybe’ in this clue, and the listed
definition ‘any delicious drink’ allows an &lit reading here. ‘Getting warm’
as indicating ‘near’ is a very nice feature.
23. What
signet ring has, showing Peruvian king on reverse
side. INCAVO (Inca + vo) One feature of note here is the reference to a
monarch to indicate a national, employing the poetic device of referring to the
monarch in this way. ‘vo’ is
the standard abbreviation of ‘verso’ (q.v.).
29. It’s hard and unyielding being thrown into river - firm but
fair. RHADAMANTHINE (h + adamant in Rhine) The
reference in this clue is to Rhadamanthus, a son of
Zeus who judged the dead, and who presumably meted out such punishments as
suggested here.
30. Walk
around second half of winter, shivering? Just so. ATREMBLE (anag. of
(win)ter in amble) A fine example of a definition plucked
from a word having a function in the cryptic part of the clue, i.e ‘shivering’. An &lit? Just, no.
DOWN
1. Second
to last among top achievers requiring ligature.
AESC (aces, ‘c’ moved to last place) Actually
a three letter word, rendered here as four, with the first two standing for ‘æ’,
the ligature suggested as the solution. Æsc (q.v.),
meaning ‘ash’ (tree), was the name used for the rune used to represent it.
2. Product
of Fleet Street gravitas may be found on desk.
PAPERWEIGHT (paper + weight) One
from the shallow end of Azed’s vast pool.
7. Jack’s
place in literature, I’m sure. REIMS (hidden) The reference is to a poem by R. H. Barham: ‘The Jackdaw of Rheims’ (q.v).
One of many definitions listed for ‘jack’ is ‘a jackdaw’.
14. Fork
come upon? One yields to one half of road
therein. CROTCH (ro(ad) for a in catch) The first (with 20 down) of two clues
featuring substitutions. ‘Catch’ is defined in the clue as ‘come upon’, in the
sense ‘to meet by chance’, but the phrase is subtly disguised in the surface by
its passive relation to ‘fork’.
17. Piper
with length of time half surrendered for stringed instrument. PANDURA (Pan + dura(tion))
The unchecked fifth letter allows an
unwary solver to guess at ‘pandora’ under which
heading the solution is listed in Chambers. Further variants of both word and
instrument are shown at the entry for ‘bandore’.
20. Full
of disquiet, one displaces confusion at opening of pen. ANGSTY (an for pi3 in pigsty) A suitably messy clue. One is not convinced by ‘displaces
confusion’ in the surface. The
solution is an awkward, informal adjective formed from a word which is properly
used in English as a technical term in psychoanalysis.
25. An
autocrat, this short person creates fizz.
CHAM1 (i.e. Cham(pers))
This is one of Azed’s
specialties, and a type of clue that causes confusion and some irritation among
solvers, especially those new to his puzzles. The solution (‘this’)
plus ‘pers’
(an abbreviation of ‘person’) gives ‘Champers’. Azed
usually flags solutions listed as obsolete by some means or
other, but has not done so here.
26. Maybe
canned beer’s last one from multiple delivery. TRIN ((bee)r in tin) The
solution, meaning a triplet, is defined here as ‘one from multiple delivery’. In
the surface, one imagines a full can of beer, perhaps past its sell-by date,
found in the rubbish.
27. Hopper
lining of lead. FLEA (hidden) As ‘hidden’ clues go, this is one of the best. The
definition is justified in Chambers as ‘a hopping or leaping animal’ under the
headword ‘hop1’.
Across:
5. STRATOSE (anag.) 16. MEMORISE (Rome (rev.)
in mise 18. SCOTER (0 in anag.) 19. SCELERATE (i.e. s-cele(b)rate) 24. DIARCHIC (raid (rev.) + chic) 28. COSTREL (cost + rel(ay))
31. YENTA (n in yet + a). Down: 3. ARID (i.e " 'arried ") 4. THIEVE
(h + i.e. in anag.) 6. THRENETICAL (The competition
word) 8. ASBO (i.e. a s-B.O. &lit.) 9. ON-SITE (I
in anag.) 10.
SUBSERVIENT (e in anag.) 11. ETAERIO (anag. + io)
15. DECTRA (anag.) 19.
SCALAR (a + L in scar; s.v. scala)
22. RHOMB (rh + o' + MB).
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