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6. Recurrent failure? I interposed observation ESPIAL (I
in lapse, rev.) ‘Recurrent’
is used here in the sense of running backwards rather than repeating. Chambers gives this as a specialised
usage from anatomy.
24. Overseer follows the flock? BAAS (2 mngs.) A nice double meaning with enough ambiguity
in the component definitions to give the solver a challenge.
30. A salmagundi put in oven? One in four roughly LEAP YEAR (a pye in lear) Salmagundi is a specific dish, but also a term
for a miscellany, matching ‘pye’, an alternative
spelling of pie2. Regular solvers seeing ‘oven’ in a clue will be on
the lookout for ‘lear’ and ‘lehr’,
and the Scottish ‘oon’.
20. Stokes quits one form of popular sport SEVENS (S
evens) No
one seems to know where ‘Stokes’ as an expansion of the abbreviation S comes
from. It’s been in Chambers (and
nowhere else apparently) for many years, but the career of the cricketer Ben
Stokes has given it quite a lot of currency in clues recently. Previously it
was memorably used by Brian Greer in a prize-winning
clue to SCANTITY that commemorated the Cup-winning goal scored by Bobby
Stokes for Southampton in the 1976 FA Cup final.
The sporting reference in this clue, though, is to Rugby Sevens, newly
popularised by its debut at last year’s Olympics.
34. Mawkish bits of Trump speak? TWEETS (twee + T, s, & lit.) Tying in with the
competition word is this clever & lit. Dr Watson finds Trump’s tweets
nearer the aggressive than the mawkish end of the spectrum, but the idea is
well-realised in the clue.
2. Either of two intervals I love in
composition of Mahler (endless)
HEMIOLA (I 0 in anag. of Mahle(r)) The intervals referred to are tonal intervals
in music, in this case either a fifth or those in a three-note triplet. Mahler
is known for the length of his symphonies.
4. Fermenting agent given when mixed with
skill involving design
VINEGAR-PLANT (anag. + plan in art) Azed will no doubt
have recalled the Cup-winning clue to VINEGAR in Azed 27 “Given unconventionally for Jack’s head?” (anag. for t in tar; ref. ‘Jack and
Jill’).
10. Part of cabin aft is remaining when ——? AISLE (i.e. aft is left when A is LE) A ‘reverse cryptic’ clue, beloved of some
but by no means all solvers. In this case Azed has
disguised the device neatly in the surface reading, but Dr Watson has seen
enough of these to spot it quickly.
11. NFL player may pass one, not yet one on left LATERAL (later a
L) A reference to a type of pass made in
American Football.
19. Old poet’s included iambs, sort not so complex IMBARST (anag. of iambs (so)rt) No problems with this Spenserian
spelling of ‘embraced’, except that on Dr Watson’s smudgy copy, ‘iambs’
appeared as ‘lambs’ making it a difficult one to solve.
26. Scan (in Spenser) verse enveloped in an
early freshness ADVEW
(v in a dew) A
second outing for Edmund – unlike some setters, Azed
never calls him Ed.
Other solutions:
Across: 1. THRAVE (th(is) rave); 12. REAGIN (anag.); 13. APORIA (po in aria); 14. INTELPOST (anag.
in it); 15. MINNEOLA
(inn in ME + O + LA); 16.
POCO (PO Co.); 18.
BOER (E for a in boar);
20. CATATONIA (a in anag.); 22. MADERISED (made
+ is in red); 27.
MOPP (op. in MP); 31.
AVIZANDUM (viz. an in ad + um); 33. ENSUED (sue in end); 35. SKELLY (s +
Kelly; ref. Grace K.).
Down: 1. TRUMP; 3. RAUNCH (U in
ranch); 5. ENTOPIC (top in anag. + I C); 7. SPLATTER-PUNK (platter + p, all in
sunk); 8. POPS
(2 mngs.); 9. IRON-ON (I + n in roon);
17. CASCADES (ca. + scad in anag.);
21. IMPANEL (an in impel); 23. DATIVE (anag.); 24. WOEFUL (w/o + anag.);
28. PREDY (d in prey); 29. MZEE (m + zee).