Reviews
index | & lit. homepage | Try the puzzle
|
A |
10. Sketch Queen among unruly corgis? Not good CROQUIS (Qu in anag. less g) Solvers
who, like Dr Watson, searched for a solution that would fit ER or HM inside the
anagram should note this abbreviation for future reference.
14. ‘Amber tincture’ getting a solicitor half
cut? ANATTO (an + atto(rney)) One of five possible spellings of ‘annatto’,
this one doesn’t have its own headword in Chambers,
but appears under ‘anatta’. Note the wordplay doesn’t
lead to half of ‘an attorney’, but ‘an’ (= a) and half of ‘attorney’.
15. Men in cast possibly ACTORS (OR in anag.,
& lit.) The
second (after 12a) and most concise of the & lit.
clues. ‘OR’ (other ranks) for ‘men’ is a widely used crossword convention.
17. Who’ll render France lawful when it strays?
FLIC (F lic(it), & lit.) Another & lit., and
the best clue of the puzzle in Dr Watson’s opinion.
19. In Mideast one duly made to suffer barbaric
punishment STONED
(hidden) The
linking of ‘Mideast’ to the definition makes the clue an unusually strong
comment for Azed.
21. If with mean scraps … you may have got this FAMINE (anag. & lit.) A
fourth & lit. in short order. Azed
seems to be on a roll.
24. Small portion in Scotland? South denied
something similar TATE
(ta(S)te) A
tricky clue with the first letter unchecked. The ‘something similar’ refers
back to the definition, and you need to work out what’s denied and where.
26. At least four cups once cursed that’ll need
polishing BRASSWARE (bras sware) There’s
nothing new about indicating ‘bra’ with ‘cups’, but Dr Watson enjoyed the
numerical precision of the clue and the lateral definition.
9. Recover from being pale, entering form of
therapy OVERGET
(verge in OT) ‘Being’
here is merely a connecting word, and ‘pale’ is used in the sense of ‘boundary’.
10. Irritation for old poet – he’s taken in by
clown using dialect words
CHAUFF (a2 in chuff2) Both ‘a’ and ‘chuff’
are used in their dialect meanings.
11. Being so makes car drive off, instinctively IN SE (i.e.
car in se = scare) Azed seems to be using ‘reverse cryptic’
clues more frequently these days. In this clue type the solution is treated as though
it was a cryptic indicator.
20. Spectator’s left entranced by grand
exterior DEXTER (hidden) This is the heraldic
meaning of ‘dexter’, which refers to the right-hand
side of a shield from the bearer’s point of view.
26. Spiritual father, last to take lead in a hostelry BAPU (b moved
to start in a pub) Another
tricky clue, with PAPA or PAPE looking promising before the B is confirmed.
Other solutions:
Across: 1. OBJECT LESSON; 12. HOWK (how2
+ (pic)k, & lit.);
13. FREEMEN (meer (=
mere2), rev., in fen); 16. PASTURAGE
(as tur(nip) in page);
28. AVIDIN (diva, rev. + in); 30. USENET (US + tene,
rev.); 31. PALADIN
(lad in pain); 32.
FAVE (f ave); 33. STILTER (anag.
in stir); 34. CENTROSPHERE
(anag.).
Down: 2. BROND (n in brod);
3. JOWARI (war in joi(n)); 4. CURTAIN-SIDER
(curt A insider); 5. TIFOSI (is of it, all rev.); 6. EXECUTORSHIP (anag. in Exe ship); 7. SHET (H in set); 8. SAMOAN (0 in saman);
18. LARVATE (A in anag.); 22. MAIL-IN (L I in
main); 23. HAUNTS
(U in Hants); 25.
ADNATE (DNA in ate); 27.
BEVER (b + ever); 29.
DAFT (d + aft).