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R WATSON expects that this was a breezy,
down-wind sort of Sunday challenge for most experienced solvers. Several clues had Watson purring with
delight, first among them that for ZOUAVE.
1. Twits we maltreated in quarrel? It’s
difficult to say. JAW-TWISTER (anag. in jar2;
s.v. jaw-breaker) More
from The Bloggers? - it must have been the omnibus edition.
12. Coal fires may generate small fluid bits of
slag. SCORIAE (compound anagram incl. fl.)
Our solution, when taken with the
abbreviation for ‘fluid’, is found to be an anagram of ‘coal fires’.
13. Her embroidered jacket girl displayed − see gold lining from rear. ZOUAVE (v(ide), au, (all rev.) in Zoe) This is a delightful clue having its surface
and cryptic parts tailored in sweet harmony. In that respect it matches the
style and panache of its
subject.
15. My nest is large (depending) though it’s
quiet inside. BUSH-TIT (sh! in but,it) This appears to be the
species cited in Chambers’ entry.
18. They’re (excessively?) liberal, last to be
worried about boundary set back. LAXISTS (six (rev.) in anag.) A blast perhaps from the Ximenean redoubt.
24. Ceanothus to
procure through Amazon? Send it back. REDROOT (to, order, all rev.) Azed
has chosen one of his odder indications by example (of the subsidiary element:
‘order’), that of ‘procure through Amazon’. Perhaps setters should explore the
potential in planting sponsor’s names within their clues. The precedent set
here might not seem quite right from Amazon’s point of view, linked as it is to
the thought that the customer might be dissatisfied. See here lovely pictures, etc of Ceanothus.
25. Ponder this at large − it could create bane with torpedo. E-BOAT (compound anagram) In
the second of this puzzle’s two compound anagrams ‘ponder, E-boat’ is found to
be an anagram of ‘bane, torpedo’.
29. Penny, old one being eclipsed by
(relatively) new. RED CENT (d. in recent) Regular competitors may
remember their research into old pennies when wrestling with the 2010
Christmas special puzzle No 2012.
32. With a good
lather? Not so one’s rolling in tub, the indirect way. BYPATH ((so,a)py
(rev.) in bath; s.v. by-) Azed
seems to have chosen an appropriately indirect means of indicating our
solution. He takes the element ‘soapy’, indicates two elements of that to be removed, reverses what’s left, and then
places that within ‘bath’. A sense of
irritation warring with enlightenment is felt. Understanding the surface may
not come readily to those unfamiliar with sailing. The good lather refers to
what might be expected in a near gale or stronger wind.
35. High retro flat, needs changing inside.
ELATEDNESS (anag. in stale (rev.)) Azed revisits the retro
theme. Stale? Too chuffed to notice.
2. Concerning estate owned outright, a look
on face says it all! ALODIAL (a, lo! dial) This Wikipedia article shows that land tenure free of the
prerogative of the state is extremely rare, and does not exist in mainland
Britain. It is surprising, indeed, that it exists at all.
6. Exchange old recipe used in cheap stew,
special part of meal. SCOURSE (two
indications: r in scouse; s, course; s.v. Scouse & scourse2)
The extra subsidiary indication compounds the
misdirection.
7. No longer relished receiving ball − like one treated to bumper? TOASTED (O
in tasted) ‘Taste’,
meaning ‘to relish’, is listed in Chambers as archaic. The same might be said of ‘bumper’ as meaning ‘bouncer’ in
the modern parlance of cricket afficionados. One of
the many listed definitions (q.v.) of ‘bumper’ is ‘anything large or generous
in measure’. Long may our tormentor serve ’em up.
8. One in grip of retro, going wild? RIOTER (i in anag.
&lit.) Read
all about Riot Grrrls (or Grrls)
here.
9. I
am attached to pagan deity − or was. PANIM (Pan, I’m; s.v. paynim) Our solution is listed under the headword ‘paynim’, given as obsolete, but in our version, peculiar to
Milton, and therefor surviving in his work.
19. Aussie bird displaying sexiness − I recount being entrapped by that. SITELLA (I tell, all in
SA) Watson
was very amused by this clue, and particularly in its parsing - ‘I tell all in
South Australia’. Well, that’s how it looks.
23. Finish making incision in part of face
affected by rhinophyma? NODOSE (do in nose) One
of the possible causes of a nodose hooter is Rhynophyma Azed has
been careful to suggest that other conditions may be the cause.
26. Hill maybe getting e.g. Jack warm? BENNY (3
meanings; s.v. benny2) References to Benny Hill and Jack Benny are followed by
‘warm’, which is an abbreviated form of ‘British warm’, a specific style of overcoat, and thus a possible instance of benny. Azed has
indicated this by use of the question mar k also.
30. Dark plain? That of Flanders was spoken ill
of. MARE (2 meanings) It would be interesting
to know how many of our fellows thought first of Belgian chocolate on reading
this clue, rather than the place of countless wars and battles. The two
meanings of our solution are firstly, any of the seas (maria) of the Moon, and
secondly, Anne of Cleves,
otherwise known as ‘The Mare of Flanders’.
Other solutions:
Across:
11. CLARO (c, oral (rev.)) 14. CONN (con, N)
16. LIVENER (LI, vener(able)) 17.
THEMA (m in Thea) 27.
APPALTI (appal, t, I) 31. ENOW (E, won (rev.); enow2) 33. INSULIN (insul(t),
in) 34. SOREX (sore, x)
Down:
3. WAUR (U in war1; s.v. war2) 4. TRADE-IN (de(al)
in train) 5. WOVEN (w, oven) 10. PENTASTICH (n in anag.) 13. ZOLLVEREIN (The Competition word) 20.
TRANSIT (RA in anag.) 21. CRAMPON (ramp in con) 22. ROTATES (r.o., anag.)
28. PAYSD (pays, D)