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D |
ECEMBER is Azed’s month for a straightforward Plain, shortly followed by
a special Christmas treat, or Christmas beast, depending on his Muse. This
puzzle stays entirely within the ambit of Chambers as far as solving is
concerned, though a thorough search is needed to verify 7 down. The competition
word is a proper noun from the Dictionary, and clue-writers doing a little
external research into the named character may well find their clues benefit from
it.
11. A cautious
person ACHITOPHEL The competition
word is the name of an Old
Testament character, David’s wise counsel in 2 Samuel, who joined the
rebellion of his son Absalom, only to be defeated in a timely countermove by God.
The spelling chosen here isn’t the biblical one, but one used by Shakespeare
and Dryden. A cautious person or a fickle advisor – solvers have a nice choice
of definitions combined with challenging wordplay.
14. Unified
creatures close to being included among hybrids ZOONS (on in zos) Dr Watson spent too long on the idea that ‘close
to being’ must indicate a G in the answer. In fact it’s
‘close to’ (on) that’s being included in the crossword setter’s favourite yak/cow
hybrid.
16. Tractor
cutting pillar diagonally
CATER (cater(pillar)) The solution is
cater2 meaning diagonal(ly). Once again Dr
Watson didn’t spot the wordplay until the clue was solved, despite having come
across it in various versions before.
17. Lion maybe
removing 50% of herd?
CAT (cat(tle)) Azed set CAT as a
competition word in No
891 (the only other 3-letter competition being LOB), but chose not to use
any of its winning clues here.
24. Outsiders at
Cheltenham – what many will have a punt on
CAM (C(heltenh)am) A deviously
misleading surface pointing to the race meeting but leading
to the river that Cambridge
bridges. The choice of outside letters might not be precisely specified, but as
the solution has only three the ambiguity is minimal.
34. Blue dye
that’s appropriate, as it’s said, for such bags SACS (‘saxe’) A little more ambiguous
is this clue; with the homophone indicator placed between the two definitions,
it’s possible that the solution is ‘saxe’ pronounced as ‘sacks’, and it needs the checking S of
18 down to resolve it.
1. I’ll leave
ladies, maybe leading a Neapolitan folk dance KAZACHOC (kaz(i) + a choc) The definition of the Cossack dance is
straightforward, but the journey to it via a WC and a chocolate confection is fun.
2. Like a jab?
It’ll treat marsh rot SHORTARM (anag.) Solvers’ minds
will no doubt have been on Covid boosters rather than boxing at the time of
solving, and Azed takes advantage.
5. What’s
guy whacked hard with end of baton? BODHRÀN
(bo + anag. + n, & lit.) The best of three & lit. clues in the
puzzle, delivered with Azed’s regular flair.
7. Article, green, showing what is
height of fashion (or was) THE GO (the + go) Once the archaic solution
is found the wordplay is obvious, but it does take some finding in Chambers’s long entry for ‘go’ – it’s the eighth nounal meaning ‘(with the) the current fashion’.
12. One just
before stroke given a bone
COXA (cox + a) Rowing rather than pet care knowledge is what will help identify
this solution.
21. Endless
outrage coming up about ‘dry’ functions COSECHS (sec in shoc(k)
rev.) Since outrage over Christmas parties is pretty much every day’s news headline
this month, it’s fortuitous that Azed has connected it with hyperbolic
cosecants.
22. Dam in
Germany gives this menacing rumble MUTTER (2 meanings) Not the Elbe Dam,
but the partner of a sire or Vater.
28. Trucks?
Squatter regularly moves around in these UTES (anag.
of alternate letters) The clue would have been quite fair as an & lit. without
the first word, but Azed has decided kindly to offer solvers an extra hint.
Other solutions:
Across: 1. KISH (hidden); 4. OBSTRUCT (anag.); 14. REMUDA (mud
in anag.); 15.
SHAGBARK (b in shag ark); 19. HEARTACHE
(hear tache1); 22. MONOECISM
(E in anag.);
27. EAT UP (ea. + tup); 29. CLOTHIER
(anag. incl. e, & lit.); 30. HAPTEN (apt in hen); 31. DOREE (or in Dee); 32. GEOCHEMIST (anag.); 33. PEERLESS (i.e. peer less).
Down: 3. HINDER (h + in Der(by)); 6. SPRAG (spra(in in)g); 8. REMBLE
((t)remble); 9.
CARDANS (anag.);
10. TEAK (hidden); 17. CRITERIA (C
rite + air, rev.); 18. TEMPLETS (let in
temps; i.e. staff pool); 20. ÉTALAGE (al(l)
in étage); 23. CAROMS (RA, rev., in CO +
MS); 25. SHE’OL (anag.); 26. WINCE (C in wine); 29. CHOP (first letters & lit.).
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