Cyclops reminds us that we mustn’t believe anything we hear from politicians over the next 6 weeks.
Solving went like this: Most in after the first pass including all right hand side. 9 light left to do. Second pass got 4 more leaving top left and the two long central crossers. Then realised which “Wise man” 9D’s clue meant which made 15A gettable. Couldn’t believe I had failed to see Insomnia from the anagram at 3D leaving the bugbear which was the Bunion/Bunyan homophone at 7A. Usual story – first clue read, last answered.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 7 | BUNIONS | Voiced old writer’s dogs’ complaint (7) Homophone: “Bunyan’s” Last in – usual homophone trouble plus fooled by use of Dogs for Feet – I was trying to think of canine diseases that might fit like Mange or Kennel Cough etc. Very tough clue I thought - even getting all the crossers _U_I_N_ didn’t help much. Looked at a list of “complaints” before the penny dropped. |
| 8 | SHUFFLE | As PM with ministerial problems might do? Creep! (7) Double Def |
| 10 | STICK OUT | “Bond openly gay” project (5,3) STICK (bond) OUT (openly gay) |
| 11 | BEAUTY | ‘Corker’ Sewell’s was black (6) Double def really Ref “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell (misled into pondering over Brian S) |
| 12 | ORDAIN | Radio broadcast: Nigel’s first to do something controversial in the case of females (6) RADIO* AInd: Broadcast N[igel] |
| 13 | ANATHEMA | Diana: the Mail’s content is an abhorrence (8) Hidden in diANA THE MAil |
| 15 | CAMPAIGN BALLS | In which we highlight the senselessness of vote-seeker‘s claim – slap-bang wrong (8,5) (CLAIM SLAP BANG)* AInd: wrong. With a few crossing letters in, I was tempted to write in “Complete balls” with “wrong” as a possible definition, but then 9D Straight Man’s crossing G put me right. |
| 17 | STORMONT | Uproar, working with tense power-sharing here? (8) STORM (uproar) ON (working) T[ense] |
| 19 | NORWAY | European state: “It’ll never happen, restricting Russia’s leader” (6) R[ussia] inside NO WAY |
| 21 | CRABBY | Grumpy, stricken with lousy pubes? (6) Double Def. as pubic lice are colloquially known as crabs |
| 23 | AIRSTRIP | Maybe jungle clearing broadcasts requiring drug experience (8) AIRS (broadcasts) TRIP (drug experience) |
| 24 | SCALPEL | Hospital worker’s handout prior to operational cuts? (7) Cryptic Def |
| 25 | GLORY BE | Belgrano hit – yes for one it’s a rejoiceful outburst (5,2) (BELGRANO – AN + Y) AInd: hit. |
| Down | ||
| 2 | DISCLAIMER | Refusal to accept former royal’s allegation by Brenda (10) DI’S (former royal’s) CLAIM (allegation) ER (Brenda) |
| 3 | INSOMNIA | Failure to get off – Nina, I’m so screwed up (8) (NINA IM SO)* AInd: screwed up |
| 4 | PHOBIA | Fear of pathetic “hip” Obama losing a state (6) (HIP OBAMA – MA (state – Massachusetts))* AInd: pathetic |
| 5 | OFFA | Whose dyke is often trodden underfoot (4) Single Def really. Ref Offa’s Dyke defensive earthwork along the border of England and Wales complete with its long distance path |
| 6 | OLD TIMES | Days long ago, before Murdoch got his mitts on the title? (3,5) Double Def |
| 9 | STRAIGHT MAN | Wise, say, guy who screws women? (8,3) Cryptic part ref Ernie Wise, archetypal straight man |
| 14 | HILARY TERM | Clinton presidency? (Left out what Clinton went through at Oxford) (6,4) HIL[l]ARY Clinton. Bill C was a Rhodes scholar at Oxford where the second (spring) term of the academic year is called the Hilary Term |
| 15 | CATARACT | Downfall of whip, one with ultimate in pisspoor legislation (8) CAT (whip) A (one) [pisspoo]R ACT (legislation) Top clue |
| 16 | BANKROLL | HSBC possibly commit robbery to provide funding (8) BANK (HSBC possibly) ROLL (commit robbery) |
| 18 | OXYGEN | Element of bull associated with Tony’s right wing information (6) OX (bull) [ton]Y GEN (info) |
| 20 | AKIMBO | Taking a defiant stance during break, I’m Boris-like (6) Hidden in breAK I’M BOris |
| 22/1 | BALL BUSTER | Dance break with Brenda, unmanner of men (4-6) BALL (Dance) BUST (break) ER (Brenda – again) |
The other day someone asked me if I was a solipsist. I’m not sure who it was, I suppose it must have been me.
My last in was 1a but I couldn’t see why dogs had a complaint of bunions. I never knew that dogs were feet . Took me longer than average -but then the last four of five have taken me over average -or I’m getting worse
Great fun, as always. Strange that BANKROLL has appeared twice in a month, though (last time in 541, with clue “Fund RSB? Mug!”). Maybe the topicality of HSBC made it just too much for Cyclops to ignore.
Schroduck: BANKROLL Y’know when I solved it I had a memory of a recent “Bankroll” answer with the “roll” part defined by robbery or similar, but I didn’t remember that it was in the Eye that this coincidence occurred – even though it was me that blogged 541 too!
Bamberger: I agree. The last 4 or 5 have got a bit trickier – that BUNIONS clue was particularly hard espec. given the 3/7 crossing letters.
Cyclops can pull out much more difficult puzzles – I regularly fail to complete a “Brummie” in the Graun. I have always found the Eye’s easier. I thought this was because it is more restricted in subject matter – poking fun at absurd politicians/royalty/establishment etc. But that isn’t a very good reason for the puzzle being easier. I suspect Cyclops has been purposely making these puzzles more accessible than his offerings in other places, but now the mask is slipping …
I always felt that earlier Cyclops puzzles were better constructed and came to the conclusion that he had more time then, before he got the Brummie job. Maybe his other half (who I read somewhere often helped him set) is not as tricky a cluer…