I thought I would set a new PB for solving this, …
… I was whipping through it at a rate of knots when I came to a grinding halt at 19A.
I just couldn’t see it. I had to leave it for another day. In the end I spotted [b]USH as the headless ex-leader (who would notice?) but still felt I had to stretch their defs. to reconcile Gag with Hush. Imean, good grief, a gag is what kidnappers use, whereas hush is a failed attempt to gain a bit of peace in the quiet carriage.
There are a couple here that I am still doubtful about the wordplay: The American Dream at 11/22 seems incomplete, and 18d Telstar has been going around and around with no obvious result.
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARTICLE | Rat-arsed I with claret, object! (7) (I CLARET)* AInd: Rat-arsed. First read/first answered/flying start |
| 5 | SCABBY | Crusty southern sort who has celebs in the back? (6) S[outhern] CABBY (sort who “had that in the back of the cab once”) |
| 9 | EGGY | As Ed Miliband under attack became, say, a gutless bloke (4) E.G. (say) G[u]Y Has our Ed become the go-to-guy for the egger? The Teg has helpfully provided a selection of recent eggings here |
| 10 | ROUGH NIGHT | Through gin, screwed around – and not a wink’s sleep? (5,5) (through gin)* AInd: screwed around |
| 11/22 | AMERICAN DREAM | A nation’s aspirational vision – to bomb the ‘bad guys’? (8,5) Def and CD? Maybe there’s more going on here |
| 12 | MINIM | Cyclops is going back and forth guarding the last bit of erection, note (5) I’M (Cyclops is) so IM reversed and IM plain around N from [erectio]N |
| 14 | FEROCITY | Viciousness for ruined, drug-taking bankers and financiers (8) (FOR + E)* AInd: ruined, CITY (bankers and financiers) |
| 17 | DEFECTOR | One who gives a shit, not a rat (8) DEFEC[a]TOR Oh dear |
| 19 | HUSH | Hot, topless ex-leader’s gag (4) H[ot] [b]USH Last in as per preamble |
| 21 | LADEL | “Balls’ focus on shifty deal” scoop (5) [ba]L[ls] (Balls’ focus – nice) DEAL* AInd: shift |
| 23 | GUNFIGHT | Lead exchange – “good sort of fun,” pissed leader goes (8) G[ood] FUN* AInd: sort of [t]IGHT (pissed – leading letter lost) Super Def. |
| 24 | INFECTIOUS | Popular with head of Finance, shocking treatment on debts that can be spread (10) IN (popular) F[inance] ECT (shocking treatment) IOUS (debts) |
| 25/14/23 | GONE FOR GOOD | Spent, hapless president full of slush – don’t expect a comeback (4,3,4) GONE(spent) GOO (slush) inside FORD (hapless president) |
| 26 | TREMOR | Bit of a shake up from first pair of transvestites to take Catholic church over (6) TR[ansvestites] ROME< Great clue surface |
| 27 | SPANDEX | Fibre gets e.g. Ling Ling almost into shagging (7) PAND[a] (e.g. Ling Ling almost) inside SEX (shagging) Ling Ling was a while ago and in the states. Why not update the clue by using Tian Tian from Edinburgh, or at least stay British by using Chi Chi. Is it a rule that panda names must be doubled? |
| Down | ||
| 2/20 | REGIME CHANGE | Each emerging fiasco that Obama says he’s not aiming for in the Middle East (6,6) (EACH EMERGING)* AInd: Fiasco |
| 3 | IN-YER-FACE | Aggressive, hot equerry finally hits Brenda with mug (2-3-4) IN (hot) [equerr]Y ER (Brenda) FACE (mug) |
| 4 | LYRICAL | Like Tim Rice breaks the heart of Julian Clary? (7) ([ju]LI[an] CLARY)* Aind: breaks. One where I had to look for the wordplay after being sure of the answer |
| 5 | SCHEMER | Singular ageing singer, holding them up vulgarly, who has a wheeze (7) S[ingular] CHER (ageing singer) around ‘EM (them vulgarly) Cher may be aging but seems to be aging 10 times slower than everyone else |
| 6 | ALIEN | One has-been Labour leader to make a comeback? No earthly! (5) A (one) NEIL< (has-been Labour leader – Neil Kinnockio) |
| 7 | BEHEMOTH | The two taking in Cyclops, the man with erection: “monstrous thing!” (8) BOTH (the two) around (ME,HE)< (Cyclops, the man) |
| 8/13 | TURN TAIL | Spin tip: go back on yourself (4,4) TURN (spin) TAIL (tip) |
| 15 | CASHING IN | Taking monetary advantage of old Eurosceptic getting in drink (7,2) CASH (old Eurosceptic – ref. Bill Cash wiki) IN GIN (in drink) |
| 16 | RECLINER | On which one may lie about Clegg’s chief row with right (8) RE (about) C[legg] LINE (row) R[ight] |
| 18 | TELSTAR | Speaker who sends indiscreet messages to one and all? (7) Is this a whole-clue Cryptic Def. or am I missing something? |
| 19 | HANDS UP | Elevate dukes’ position and push off (5,2) (AND PUSH)* AInd: off. Another nice Def. Dukes slang for fists somehow read all about it here |
The rumour of a food shortage at this year’s Spoonerism awards revealed to be a complete lack of pies.
18 dn is tweeter, a part of a physical loudspeaker system, plus an annoyingly self-important person using a silly digital data-transmission system.
… and that makes 21ac ladle, which is what you meant in the first place. I’ll get me coat.
Stanley. Thanks for sorting that out.
You won’t be surprised to hear I have already taken scissors, sellotape and the last issue of the Eye and fashioned a tasteful dunce’s cap with the legend “can’t spell ladle”. I’ll have too duck in a minute when I get on the 07:57 to Waterloo.
“hush” and “gag” as synonyms works fine for me, taking them as verbs rather than nouns.
I missed out on this one too, the first time in years, but for a different reason. I keep my draft unchecked email entry addressed to crossword@checkprivate-eye.co.uk, to guard against premature despatch. Excellent system, until you post it, as is, on the second Thursday and get it bounced back three days later. That is not going to happen again.