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N |
OTHING especially noteworthy
to report from this month’s competition puzzle, which contains the usual complement
of wordplay devices, and the expected smooth and witty surfaces. Dr
Watson rattled this one off in extra-quick time on Sunday morning, without the
need to search for solutions beyond Chambers.
13. Shortish
distance in India that is cut from trunks COSS (coss(ie)). An unexpected synonym makes for an
entertaining truncation.
14. Women
collectively (in sexist terms) enjoying a boost? The reverse PUNANI (in an up, rev.). The solution is
indeed a grossly sexist term, only really excused by its unfamiliarity. Having
both this and TRUMP mixed up in the competition word might present someone with
a double anagram opportunity.
15. Steep edge
to cut routinely? RETRIM (ret rim). A clever use of
the verb sense of ‘steep’, meaning to soak .
20. Fine fabric
often associated with royals
JERSEY (2 mngs). The royals, or
more strictly Royals, in question are Jersey Royal potatoes.
24. Receiver,
brave, missing ace, clutching nut! FENCE
(n in face). ‘Brave’ is used in the verb sense, and a nut
in printing is the width of an en. The surface
appears to allude to an unfortunate incident on the tennis court, though it
would be an extreme circumstance in which a player both missed an ace and was
struck by it. ‘Fence’ is a receiver of stolen goods.
21. Meant for a
spin with Daisy initially on board? It was TANDEM (D in anag.,
& lit.). The reference is to the song ‘Daisy Bell’, better known
as ‘Daisy, Daisy’ and the bicycle made for two.
1. Kink in
pedal below what driver may step on GASP (gas + p). This kink is kink2,
a dialect term for a cough or gasp.
2. Woody’s
‘cousin’ having line in funny picture, not right? PICULET (l in anag.
less r).
Younger solvers might associate Woody and a funny picture with the Toy Story series, but Azed is recalling Woody Woodpecker from
the 1940s cartoons.
4. Wills e.g.
featuring name in quotation maybe PRINCE (n in price). Wills is Prince
William, Duke of Cambridge (beneficiary of some very substantial wills).
8. More than
one as ‘s’ in e.g. ‘Greensleeves’? AESIR (es in air). Dr Watson is used to as3, the
Roman coin, being sneaked into clues, but wasn’t expecting as2, a
denizen of Asgard in Norse mythology, whose plural
provides the solution here.
16. Mentally puts
off with displays of affectation UPSTAIRS (anag.
+ airs).
‘Upstairs’ is used in the figurative sense of ‘in the head’. ‘Upstair’ provides another possible partial anagram for the
competition word.
17. Nameless
Parisienne coming round prompt for her bowl of potage
ÉCUELLE (cue in elle). Dr Watson looked in vain for a French name
with the n dropped. ‘Nameless’ is simply pointing the use of a pronoun.
24. At some
distance regularly giving way to hail cab FIACRE (far alternating with ice). A most unusual
wordplay device, but fairly indicated, allowing Azed
the chance to link ‘hail’ and ‘cab’.
Other solutions:
Across: 3. POPPET-HEAD (the a in
popped); 10. AIRBRUSHED (anag.); 18. TANAGRA
(nag in tara);
19. PEKOE (0 in anag.); 22. STROWN (TR in sown); 25. TANTRIC (ant in tric(e)); 28. ANGLES (ng in ales); 31. INTI (inti(mate)); 32. CELLO (ll in
CEO); 33. INTRORSELY (anag.); 34.
SLIGHTNESS (s + lightness).
Down: 3. PRANA (Pr
for as in asana); 5. PURITANISM; 6. THRENE (n in three); 7. HECTARES (a in anag.); 9. DISMAYED (yams, rev., in died); 12. TRAJECTION (anag.); 17. FOOTLING (L in footing); 23. WREATH (re in anag.); 26. ANNUL (annu(A)l); 27. IDLES (d. in anag.);
30. MOYA (0 in Mya).
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