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11. Priest leading High Requiem Mass leaving
pungent smoke PERIQUE
(P + anag. less m)
Dr Watson recognised the solution (a Louisiana
tobacco) as the competition word set for Azed
1998 in 2010, and thought this clue was well up to the standard of the ones
published then. In fact it’s the third prizewinning clue from the competition,
by T. C. Borland.
12. Bird e.g. once famously in tow, left dull
fatty? LUMP (l + ump) Solvers
whose cricket knowledge doesn’t extend back to the 1990s at least may have been
stumped by this one. The reference is to the former Test umpire Dickie Bird.
16. Small weight, something that helps to get
wheel turning round TAEL
(leat, rev.) A leat is a mill
stream that helps to turn a waterwheel.
23. Vehicle for aristos guillotined, the French
in gingham? UMBRELLA ((t)umbrel la) ‘Guillotined’ seems to
be doing double duty here as an (unguillotined)
tumbrel is unlikely to be the vehicle of choice for aristos who aren’t on the
way to the guillotine. But an original and amusing treatment for a familiar word.
27. A dandy item AS WELL (a swell) ‘Item’ used here in its
Latin meaning of ‘likewise’ gives Azed a very neat 10-letter
clue.
30. What audience might take to be ring for old
opponents? FONE (‘phone’)
The clue could also lead to the alternative
spelling FOEN given in Chambers, so
solvers need to rely on the cross checking of 22 down.
2. Government department responsible for
mountain climbing RÉGIE (Eiger, rev.) A great penny-drop when the significance of ‘mountain
climbing’ is discovered.
4. Charters shown in great detail (when
there’s space within) HIRES
(cf. hi res) A
rare opportunity to indicate two solutions that differ only by a blank.
9. Round shape formed with both hands,
briefly? SPHERAL (anag.
inc. r, l) Dr
Watson dithered over this clue for some time, assuming ‘shape’ was part of the definition
and not the anagram material.
21. Time going, rage over e.g. Osborne leaves
one pink no longer EMPERCE ((t)emper + CE) The
second solution defined by ‘pink’ after 32 across,
but in a very different sense. ‘CE’ for Osborne shouldn’t have delayed many
solvers.
28. Swish woman with O so wayward husband WOOSH (w + anag. + h) A
great result for a rather unfriendly word. Chambers only gives ‘women or women’s’
for W, but ‘woman’ seems to be fairly widely used, in crossword clues at least.
31. Name of instrument producing low note (one
below piano’s lowest) MOOG (moo G) Dr
Watson’s piano lessons ceased long before there was any chance of reaching the A
at the far left end of the keyboard, and a Moog was not an alternative.
Other solutions:
Across: 1. ORCHARD-GRASS (or chard grass); 14. ABSINTHE (h in anag.);
15. SIZEL (size l); 17. PEASON
(as in peon); 18.
EMIGRÉ (anag.); 19. RUDENESS (dene in Russ); 26. TROPPO (2 mngs.);
32. CORAL (r in coal); 33. OUTROPER (out + anag.);
34. SECO (hidden); 34. ERASMUS
(sums are, rev.); 36.
TELEGRAPHESE (anag. less y in these).
Down: 3. CRUZADO ((Ine)z in cru ado); 5. RUBINE (B in ruine(d)); 6. DES RES (s in deres); 7. GLIM (hidden); 8. RUN TIME (runt I
me(an)); 10.
SKELETALLY (anag. + tally); 13. ESPRIT FORT; 20. UPROUSE (up + anag.
less oil); 22. PLEROME
(morel, rev., in PE);
24. MOPPER (M op per.); 25. BAUERA (‘bower’ + a); 29. LARUS (comp. anag. & lit.).