This was a solid Eye crossword which had me getting many answers quite quickly but having to stretch to get those last few, particularly in the top right corner.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ABSCESS | Miley’s arse all over “potassium-free” startled Becks – a painful thing (7) (BEC[k]S)* AInd: startled, inside ASS (American version of “Arse” indicated by reference to the well-known american songster Miley Cyrus). I liked “potassium-free” for the K removal |
| 5 | EPISTLE | Communication from Steel (having been trounced) hypocritically virtuous on the inside (7) PI (hypocritically virtuous) inside STEEL* AInd: trounced. Penultimate clue answered – one which I found particularly tricky. |
| 9 | ABSINTHE | Booze, hit base, getting screwed (name concealed) (8) N[ame] inside (HIT BASE)* Ind: screwed. First clue answered when the anagrammed booze quickly appeared before my eyes like a like green fairy |
| 11 | PARODY | Take the piss out of staff residing in Settle (6) ROD (staff) inside PAY (settle) |
| 12 | SELF-PRAISE | Columnist with power to cause an erection – not a modest thing (4-6) SELF (ref Will Self, columnist) P[ower] RAISE (cause an erection) |
| 13 | DOSH | Filthy lucre made by party on quiet? (4) DO (party) SH (quiet) |
| 14 | DICTATORSHIP | Dead historic, Pat’s fancy North Korean set-up? (12) (D[ead] HISTORIC PAT)* AInd: fancy. Hardly any need for a “?” there I’d’ve thought |
| 18 | ANAESTHETIST | One gets the nastiest shift worker in a hospital? (12) A (one), (THE NASTIEST)* AInd: shift. Took getting most crossing letters before this one became clear. |
| 22 | HATEWORTHY | Heat “appalling” on the Mayor? “Despicable!” (10) HEAT* AInd: appalling, WORTHY (the Mayor) |
| 24 | CARUSO | Old singer wheels on Ukip leader thus (6) CAR (wheels) U[kip] SO (thus) |
| 25 | STOPCOCK | Opts for adjustment on prick flow preventer (8) OPTS* AInd: for adjustment, COCK (prick) |
| 26 | FLIGHTY | Fickle Nigel’s heart is in filthy manoeuvring (7) ([ni]G[el] FILTHY)* AInd: manoeuvring |
| 27 | CYCLIST | One inspired by Tebbit, having cystic trouble around top of leg? (7) (CYSTIC L[eg])*AInd: trouble. I don’t think many cyclists were ever inspired by “The Chingford Skinhead” Norman Tebbit |
| Down | ||
| 2 | BABIES | Labour produced them, Blair’s independence-seizing multitude of women, say (6) I[ndependence] inside BABES ref. Blair’s Babes of 1997 |
| 3 | CLIFF EDGE | Ageing pop star gets upper hand – a scary situation? (5,4) CLIFF (aging p) EDGE (upper hand) |
| 4 | SATYR | Was a judge, for instance, your short oversexed male? (5) SAT (like a judge) Y[ou]R |
| 6 | PEPPERONI | Page doubly embraced by Lords member rejected in love, which is rather hot (9) PP (page doubly) inside PEER (Lord’s member) (IN O)< One of the last clues to fall – failing to see what was being “rejected” in the wordplay |
| 7 | SHRED | Oliver North’s last-minute order? (5) CD Last answer. Referring to the way Oliver North concealed as much of his dealings in the Iran-Contra scandal as possible by shredding many documents to destroy evidence. Finally got it after checking his Wiki page (link is his name above) where it soon becomes clear. I would not have been sure without checking. |
| 8 | LADYSHIP | A toff sadly rolling a joint (8) SADLY* AInd: rolling, HIP (a joint). Poetic clue surface imagery. |
| 10 | E-CIGARETTES | Hi-tech alternative for certain addicts: cooks grease it etc. (1-10) (GREASE IT ETC)* AInd: cooks |
| 15 | CUT-THROAT | Murderous film conceals terrible truth (3-6) TRUTH* AInd: terrible, inside COAT (film) Top clue |
| 16 | SATIRICAL | As Private Eye rubbished IRA ‘A-list’ celeb’s introduction (9) (IRA A-LIST C[eleb])* AInd: rubbished. One of the easiest clues/anagrams in the puzzle? |
| 17 | SNOWFALL | Cocaine trip: a rather flaky come-down (8) SNOW (cocaine) FALL (trip) |
| 19/20 | CHOCKS AWAY | Conservative whacko, say, snaps final order before getting high (6,4) (C[onservative] WHACKO SAY)* AInd: snaps. |
| 21 | YOUNG | Immature solver no good! (5) YOU (solver) N[o] G[ood] |
| 23 | WOOZY | Court takes on two unknown quantities (a bit pissed) (5) WOO (court) Z and Y unknown quantities. The normal state for writing blogs |
When I saw they had Ebola screening the airport I thought ”bit soon for the movie?”
re 27 across – the connection between Tebbit and cyclists is to do with the “he got on his bike and looked for work” quote he;s famous for…