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6. Fluid germicide? It symbolizes the
working man FL(A)T C(A)P (fl TCP) Azed finds a ready
charade for this vowelless solution.
13. Pulpit: it provides demure Scots with odd
extracts from bard MIMB(A)R (mim b(a)r(d)) Substitute
‘odd extracts’ with e.g. ‘much’, and you have a straight clue. This clue and
the intersecting 8 down held Dr Watson up longest, as both pulpits were
unfamiliar.
17. Method for assembling data organized to rules (B)U(BB)LE SORT
(anag.) A straightforward enough anagram achieves a
very satisfying surface and scores three latent letters.
18. One selling dog in expensive car? R(E)TAIL(E)R (tail in RR) Dr Watson thought the
abbreviation could only be for ‘Rolls Royce’ as per Chambers, but has recently
noticed more than one Range Rover on the road whose owner has splashed out on
an RR plate.
32. Swirling eddies? Get clear of rim DISED(G)E (anag.) The definition
have been stretched more than a little to create a plausible surface,
but the anagram is very neat.
1. Protective appendage careless player
always discarded E(A)RL(A)P
(anag. less ay)
The only augmented anagram in a puzzle
entirely free of composite ones. Azed isn’t averse to
comp. anags. in LL puzzles,
as witness the winning
clue to VE(S)TAL, and others in the Slips.
7. Old Roman I, not active in Hawaian parties LU(C)IUS (I for a in luaus) There are a number of
notable Luciuses (Lucii?)
in Rome’s history. Azed is presumably referring to Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, the first
Roman ruler of that name.
15. One uttering shrill cry (animal by the
sound of it?) (S)CREECHER (‘creature’) The clue is quite solvable, but the question
mark is well merited. Can a non-word have an agreed pronunciation? Azed believes it can, as he explains in Slip no 1394,
referring to a similar clue for (S)PECTATRE(SS)E(S)
that appeared in puzzle no 1387.
16. Spanish port, more reasonable by
implication? SAN(T)ANDER
(i.e. san and er = saner) There’s only one
possible solution here, but the implication in the explanation isn’t easy to
spot.
29. Divine centre of almandine in fiancé’s gift
– what’s bride, typically? R(E)DD(E)NING (DD + n all in ring) One of Dowson’s words in a relatively
difficult clue – unless one alights on ‘ring’ straight away. The reference is
to the ‘blushing’ bride rather than the effect of an October sunset.
Other solutions:
Across: 1. (P)E(PP)ERMINT
(n I’m in tree, all rev.); 11. DENTICU(L)ATE (anag. of tide
Canute); 12. LIM(E)AD(E)S
(I M in lads);
14. PRE(M)IERES (ER in anag.); 21. PU(R)SE(R) (pus
+ E); 23. E(SS)ENE
(hidden); 24. (U)NDRAWN (n Dr awn; beard
vb.); 25.
(N)EGATIVE (e.g. + Evita, rev.); 29. CA(L)ENTURE
(anag. in cure);
31. HAD(I)TH (had Th); 33. (H)ETEROCONTS (con in anag.); 34. RE(T)RAL (r in real);
35.(F)ENG SHUI (u in anag.).
Down: 2. (L)EVIRATE
(I’ve, rev. + rate); 3. MEA(L)IE (ME a i.e.);
4. INDEXLE(SS) (ex. in anag.); 5. TIME LO(A)N (ti melon); 8.
TAMBOU(R)AS (ambo U in sat, rev.); 9.
(O)CT(O)BER;
10. PER(S)I(S)TENT (rite in pent); 19. REVANC(H)E (E V
in rance); 22.
SWORD CU(T) (D in crows, rev. + U); 26. G(R)EATE(R) (e
in gate); 27. (E)TC(E)T(E)RA
(ct in art, rev.); 28. D(E)T(E)STS
(St. in DTs); 30. (S)E(S)ELI (I lee, rev.).