As usual everything (with the possible exception of 25dn) is quite simple but very complicated since the words are so difficult. Hence many of these clues can be explained in one short statement.
Definitions underlined
| Across | ||
| 1 | KADAITCHA |
Revenge killer: a thick da’s brandished by one (9)
(a thick da)* a
|
| 7 | SPA |
Being economical, ring off in e.g. Harrogate (3)
spa{ring}
|
| 11 | MARATHON |
Although lapped, mum was racing in endurance test (8)
ma ra(tho’)n
|
| 12 | SOL-GEL |
Like colloidal solutions as they change, some turning little glossier (6)
Reverse hidden in littLE GLOSsier
|
| 13 | BURRO |
Refuge getting rid of its last donkey (5)
burro{w}
|
| 14 | SPIRTLE |
Lets rip, waving claymore? (7)
(Lets rip)*
|
| 16 | TEXAS TOWER |
Territory welcomes chopper returned to store, part of early warning system (10, 2 words)
ter round ((axe)rev. stow)
|
| 17 | FESS |
Sing loudly beginning or end of Sanctus (4)
f ess
|
| 19 | SUBERS |
Succeeded after something of a poser turning corks (6)
(rebus)rev. s
|
| 21 | FRISÉE |
Curly salad plant, lavish? Is tucking in (6)
fr(is)ee
|
| 22 | MOHO |
Name applied to discontinuity in mankind switching parts (4)
homo with the first two letters switched with the second two
|
| 23 | OPSOMANIAC |
Special food addict given work by Monica, as broadcast (10)
op (Monica as)*
|
| 27 | BONJOUR |
Alien greeting don omitted from drone, on judge entering (7)
(on j) in bour{don} — alien in the sense foreign
|
| 28 | CADET |
Drill etc involving boy (not the first) – such a one? (5)
(etc)* round {l}ad
|
| 29 | DROWSE |
Nod off in theatre seats in adjacent parts of front stalls? (6)
rows in D and E
|
| 30 | ATHLETIC |
Lithe after working out among trainee airmen? (8)
ATC round (lithe)* — &lit.
|
| 31 | MEU |
Plant found in some uplands (3)
Hidden in soME Uplands
|
| 32 | PROCESSES |
Insists on including senior officer in actions (9)
pr(OC)esses
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | KISS OFF |
Die, what g-gold-diggers do when climbing, caught out (7, 2 words)
(f-fossi{c}k)rev.
|
| 2 | DALIT |
Indian-style puree, just the thing for one of Gandhi’s Harijans (5)
dal it — def. leads to Dalit
|
| 3 | AGGRESSOR |
RR goes with gas supply – I started it! (9)
(RR goes gas)*
|
| 4 | TALLAGE |
An aid when giants ruled the world? (7)
Fancifully, when giants ruled the world would have been a tall age
|
| 5 | CRUE |
The old gang fell a little short (4)
crue{l}
|
| 6 | HABITUS |
Characteristic appearance girl discerned in German dwelling (7)
ha(bit)us
|
| 7 | SHREW |
Share of lavish reward for Kate? (5)
Hidden in laviSH REWard — ref Kate in The Taming of the Shrew
|
| 8 | PORTERHOUSE |
Right hand opening old breviary, start to enunciate nice meaty chunk (11)
porte(RH)ous e{nunciate}
|
| 9 | ANOA |
A lost —? Not a saola – wild (4)
comp. anag. where [a lost anoa] … [not a saola], but I can’t quite see the definition: OK an anoa is a wild ox and a saola is an ox-like mammal, but what is the relevance of the first two words to the definition?
|
| 10 | COPPERPLATE |
Tableware overseen by policeman requiring a hand (11)
copper plate
|
| 15 | BOB MAJORS |
Old countrymen holding doorpost up, making changes (9, 2 words)
boors round (jamb)rev.
|
| 18 | TEMPTER |
Attractive person, after time increasingly vacuous, I shunned (7)
t empt{I}er
|
| 19 | SYNODIC |
Church council’s like this melange of icy dons (7)
(icy dons)*
|
| 20 | SOIRÉES |
Parties: in due course I smoke (after the Scotch) endlessly (7)
so I rees{t}
|
| 24 | SADHU |
One on bed of nails maybe had us fooled! (5)
(had us)*
|
| 25 | COWLS |
What monks wear looks gloomy, top to bottom (5)
I can’t see how this works, since it seems to be scowl with the first letter moved to the end, but if that’s the case then it should be ‘look’ not ‘looks’, so either Azed has made a slip or I am missing something, the latter rather more likely
|
| 26 | SCAM |
Sell rainwear taken up (4)
(macs)rev.
|
| 27 | BITO |
Oily fruit having off-putting smell about it (4)
BO [body odour] round it
|
*anagram
Thanks John, I suspect you are right that 25d is a slip by Azed. I admit I didn’t spot it when solving as the answer was pretty obvious, quite difficult to rewrite it too.
Thanks all
For Azed, quite straightforward. I found the NW hardest and 16 ac was last in 16 ac.
I don’t think “scowls” is slip, although at first glance it seems a bit Yoda-ish! There are so many subtle combinations tense and mood that I find it difficult to raise even a murmur of query.
A – no – A was my last one in but delightfully obvious on review, having realised the significance of saola not being wild. But by then my arms were beginning to ache.