A very straightforward Cyclops for me — an easy solve, with no clue holding me up for long.
I’ve been writing the blog on a grey, damp, cold and gloomy Sunday afternoon, while London and Lord’s enjoyed the sunshine. I hope it’s shining on you when you read this, and you all had a lovely Easter break.
In a gesture to ’im indoors and his obsession with the Bunga Bunga king, I nominate 12a as my favourite clue. To those of you on whom this is lost (like all of you?) apologies.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | LET FLY | Attack obstruction at trouser-opening LET = obstruction; FLY = trouser-opening |
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| 9 | HASH SIGN | #gnashhisnuts *(gnashhis), with ‘nuts’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 11 | CAMERON | Shy TV debater climaxed: “One escapes press” CAME = climaxed; [I]RON = press, minus I = one. David Cameron was reluctant to take part in televised debates. |
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| 12 | CYNICAL | Hard-boiled Clancy novel covering Berlusconi’s butt *(Clancy), with ‘novel’ as the anagram indicator; containing I = final letter (butt) of ‘Berlusconi’ |
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| 13 | BALEARICS | Blair on the move with case for some holiday isles *(Blair case), with ‘on the move’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 14 | HO HUM | House is linked to stink? So what’s new? HO = house (abbreviation); HUM = stink |
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| 21 | H-BOMB | Henry: failure as a devastatingly great leveller? H = Henry (SI unit); BOMB = failure |
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| 22 | ANALGESIC | Like a bum, I messed with GCSE as a painkiller ANAL = like a bum; *(I GCSE) |
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| 24 | DENOTED | Marked, one way and another, Miliband nursing negative word DE ED = one way and another, Miliband; containing (nursing) NOT = negative word |
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| 25 | STIFFEN | Way out effin’ starch ST = way (street); *(effin), with ‘out’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 27/16 | WARDROBE MALFUNCTION | Bedroom item to pack up when one pops out in public, say? WARDROBE = bedroom item; MALFUNCTION = pack up If you’re interested… |
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| 28 | STELLA | McCartney in crisis — tell Albarn! Hidden in ‘crisis — tell Albarn’ |
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| Down | |||
| 1 | PLACEBO | Pretend medicine causes sweaty odour after lay PLACE = lay; BO = sweaty odour |
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| 2 | ITEM | White magic ingredient for couple regularly screwing each other? Hidden in ‘wtite magic’ |
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| 3 | GLORIA | Hymn of praise, “Nigel’s Heart” — bloody hell! First class upset G = Nigel’s Heart”; LOR = bloody hell!; IA = AI (first class) upset |
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| 5 | SHANGHAI | Knight caught in sex act: “Ah, drunk one’s port!” N = knight (abbreviation in chess); in SHAG = sex act; *(ah); I= one |
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| 6 | WITCH HUNT | Conservative in with Cameron’s minister’s hounding of political ’heretics’ C = Conservative; in WITH; HUNT = Cameron’s minister, that well-known Spoonerism in his Hulture Secretary days |
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| 7 | INFLAME | Fan of elected fellow, rather inadequate IN = elected; F = fellow; LAME = rather inadequate |
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| 10 | IN SITU | Cyclops, with one-time appearance in Sun spread, is not out of place I = Cyclops; IT = one-time; in *(Sun) |
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| 14 | LAMPOONERY | A lone MP, Roy, suffering the Eye treatment *(A lone MP Roy) |
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| 17 | LIBATORY | One’s trapped in Clegg–Cameron style coalition — like a stiff drink? A = one; in LIB TORY = Clegg–Cameron style coalition |
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| 18 | COARSE | Common harmful gas associated with backside CO = carbon monoxide, a harmful gas; ARSE = backside |
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| 19 | SHADOWS | As Miliband’s team, plus leader of socialist group from the past SHADOW = as Miliband’s team; S = leader of socialist The Shadows |
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| 20 | SCANDAL | Clegg’s top draped in hippy wear? Public disgrace! C = Clegg’s top; in SANDAL = hippy wear |
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| 22 | ABDABS | A frightful state, when screaming with these seamen eating bad bananas ABS = seamen; containing *(bad) Screaming abdabs, and I am so glad Pink Floyd didn’t decide to us it as their name! I’m not sure quite how seriously to take this |
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| 23 | GAIETY | Joy of Sex, with English insert, possessed by Stephen Fry, say IT = sex; with E = English; all in GAY = Stephen Fry, say |
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| 26/4 | FOLK DANCES | Sorts of steps traditionally taken by people with balls FOLK = people; DANCES = balls |
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white
white
Looks like this is all I’ve got for you this week:
24A – wouldn’t ‘NOT’ be the negative word, rather than ‘NO’?
Anyone else remember Digby, in the Eagle Dan Dare strip, talking about the screaming abdabs? I think I do. OED has (h)abdabs originating in the 1940s — I’d guess a wartime thing — so maybe the Eagle helped the word on its way post-war.
Screaming abdabs was common parlance in the RN (70/80s).
Thanks. Even with every other letter 23 had me stumped
Yes, Pajodr — typo on my part. Thanks!