For me, a very straightforward Cyclops, quickly solved (even if I have my doubts about some of the parsing). I’ll give my ‘fave clue’ vote to 13a.
| Across | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | PLUMPS | Putting knob in plain stocking tops gives a rounder, fatter look LUMP = knob; in first letters (tops) of ‘plain stocking’ |
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| 8 | TRENCHER | Digger’s rather large board? Double definition: tableware; digging equipment |
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| 11 | CAPON | Having covered head fattened cock [with] CAP ON = having covered head; a castrated cock fattened for eating |
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| 12 | OFF THE PEG | Ready-made toff screwed diplomat Margaret *(toff), with ‘screwed’ as the anagram indicator; HE = diplomat (His/Her Excellency); PEG = diminutive of Margaret |
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| 13 | AU NATUREL | Archer’s chief untrue representation about a large nude A = Archer’s chief; *(untrue); around A; L = large. Definition: nude. Irresistible reference to Jeffrey Archer’s somewhat loose relationship with the truth. |
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| 14 | JUMBO | Bum around, protected by girl of very large size *(bum); in MO = girl |
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| 16 | DECREE | Miliband U-turn on original American statute ED, reversed = Miliband U-turn; CREE = original American (Cree) |
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| 18 | NOBODY | Hardly a celeb wanting just head NO BODY = just head (the ‘wanting’ here is only for surface reading) |
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| 21 | NASAL | Agency that has sent up people — length of a certain body part NASA = Agency that has sent up people; L = length. Definition: of a certain body part |
|
| 22 | SUPERGLUE | Pursue … leg over — a real sticker *(pursue leg), with ‘over’ as the anagram indicator |
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| 24 | SHORTFALL | Clare on the descent, which doesn’t come up to requirements? Clare SHORT; descent = FALL |
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| 26 | BUNCH | Cluster buttock with extremes of temperature BUN = buttock; CH = Cold and Hot (extremes of temperature) |
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| 27 | DISCOUNT | Reject tot of Charles’s ex? COUNT = tot; of DI (Diana, Princess of Wales) |
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| 28 | DEMEAN | Over Ed Miliband’s head, negative Scottish backing — “Humble” ED, reversed (over Ed); M = Miliband’s head; NAE, reversed = negative Scottish backing |
|
| Down | |||
| 1/17/6 | SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP | Having a joint after peculiar, coy sex, enjoyed less by Obama and Cameron? SPECIAL (to) = peculiar; RELATIONS = a coy way of referring to sex; HIP = joint. The special relationship between Obama and Cameron is somewhat less ‘enjoyable’ than that between some previous incumbents. Thanks to those who chipped in on this one; I hadn’t fully parsed it before. |
|
| 2 | SUSPENDERS | Knicker accessories they put on ice? Double definition: suspenders (or suspenders, ‘not just for *ankers anymore’, apparently); people who put things on ice, i.e. on hold for later |
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| 3 | SPINET | Instrument of torture’s opening beneath bottle T = torture’s opening; beneath SPINE bottle Spinet |
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| 4 | ARTFUL | Crafty Hirst’s Heart Embedded In Creative Fault R = Hirst’s Heart; in *(fault) |
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| 5 | ON THE JOB | Busy getting leg over Double definition; ’nuff said. |
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| 9 | REGION | Ringo forced to accept Beatle’s final division *(Ringo), with ‘forced’ as the anagram indicator; E = Beatle’s final [letter] |
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| 10 | COARSE | Scratchy firm buttocks CO = form (company); ARSE = buttocks |
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| 15 | MUDSLINGER | Candidate with rubbish policy no good in misruled cock-up? NG = no good; in *(misruled). A candidate with a policy of rubbishing the opposition |
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| 18 | NIPPLE | Its count got high, as far as some tabloids were concerned No fewer than 26 per issue in the Daily Sport, for example |
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| 19 | UNUSED | Virgin lunatic due to take over tabloid SUN (tabloid), reversed; in *(due). Definition: virgin |
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| 20 | METHANE | The bastard in long hair’s ’a real gas’ *(the), with ‘bastard’ as the anagram indicator; in MANE = long hair Good example of a nounal (or adjectival) anagram indicator — some people find them unacceptable; I have no problem with them. |
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| 22 | SPAWN | Wedging tool between two poles, spurts out eggs PAWN = tool; wedged between SS, two poles Spawning |
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| 23 | RUBBER | Used in USA to stop one masseur? Double definition: US term for a condom (used to stop a pregnancy); masseur |
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| 25 | OUST | To depose Syria’s leader declare “you’re gay” all around S = Syria’s leader; in OUT = declare “you’re gay”. Definition: depose
|
|
TOP TIP: AT A JOB INTERVIEW, when asked to describe yourself in three words, try “violent when disappointed”.
And a reminder that typography does matter — choose your fonts with care:
1/17/6 – “I am not entirely happy with the parsing of this clue. The ‘having a joint’ could refer to the relationship, too. Anyone got better ideas?”
I wasn’t happy that “relationship” is one word but the answer makes it two. Maybe that is where “joint” comes in? I can’t really see how.
1/17/6: I reckon it’s Special + relations + hip, with not ‘relationship’ but ‘relations’=coy (term for) sex, then ‘hip’=joint.
And you have a typo in the solution for 22dn – it’s SPAWNS (as per your parsing) not SPAWN.
“I reckon it’s Special + relations + hip, with not ‘relationship’ but ‘relations’=coy (term for) sex, then ‘hip’=joint”
That makes sense. I still don’t like splitting the word, though.
Thanks, everyone — I’ll edit accordingly. It still seems a somewhat awkward clue.