I forgot that I was down to blog this so I solved it in the normal manner, in an easy chair, rather than in front of a computer to make notes.
I remember thinking it was pretty easy with many answers going in on first read of the clue, and only a few left to fill-in after the first pass. There are more anagrams than usual, 10, whereas there are no homophones or hiddens, maybe that’s why.
Favourite clue is the long one 9/19, Charles the Third, with its interesting anagram.
There seems to be a mistake in the clue for 25A
| Across | ||
|---|---|---|
| 6 | HANSARD | Rash and pisspoor collection of MPs’ quotes (7) (RASH AND)* AInd: pisspoor |
| 7 | SATSUMA | Ass and tum wobbles on a fruity thing (7) (ASS TUM)* AInd: wobbless, + A First answer in |
| 9/19 | CHARLES THE THIRD | Title coveted by our Brian, ‘Horrible Old Thatcher’s Heir’, when nothing’s left? (7,3,5) (OLD THATCHER’S HIER – O)* AInd: Horrible |
| 11 | OATH | Curse of Hello, ultimately (way to get rid of leader) (4) [hell]O [p]ATH |
| 12 | AMUSED | Unlike Victoria‘s inspiring figure in commercial? (6) MUSE (inspiring figure) in AD (commercial) |
| 13 | LOSE FACE | Feel humiliated as a sort of ‘sole kisser’ (4,4) (SOLE)* AInd: a sort of, FACE (kisser) |
| 14 | ACT OF PARLIAMENT | Bill’s fate, a ridiculous altercation, with PM crushing Farage’s head (3,2,10) A, then (ALTERCATION PM F[arage])* AInd: ridiculous |
| 18 | MELTDOWN | Women fancy having limited, reduced intake – catastrophic failure (8) (WOMEN LTD)* AInd: fancy. (LTD from limited, reduced) |
| 20 | CLIMAX | Finish of dodgy Max Clifford (no female to get across) (6) (MAX CLIFFORD – F – FORD)* AInd: dodgy |
| 22 | ANTI | Not for one wanting “arse-over-head” sex (4) AN (one) IT< (sex, reversed “arse-over-head”) |
| 23 | LIE IN STATE | Be as a certain despotic Russian leader, say, subject to mass public scrutiny (3,2,5) Double Def. First refers to Stalin and his lengthy tenure embalmed under glass |
| 24 | ACADEMY | University hospital covers arse well? (7) A & E (hospital) around CAD (arse), MY (well) |
| 25 | WARRANT | Need to restrict Nigel’s centre pledge (7) WANT (Need) around ARR or RRA (Nigel’s centre) This looks like a mistake – it presumably refers to Farage whose centre is just RA – so we are an R short – I cannot think of any other Nigels that would fit |
| Down | ||
| 1 | MAYHEM | Chaos when Theresa on edge (6) MAY (Ref. Theresa May Hom.Sec.) HEM (edge) |
| 2 | ESPRESSO | Drink and drugs hacks generally love (8) ES (druges) PRESS (hacks generally) O (love) |
| 3 | FRIEND | Mate just before the weekend and climax (6) FRI (just before the weekend) END (climax) |
| 4 | WATER-SKI | Washington ordered strike – “sporting thing to do” (5-3) WA (Washington) STRIKE* AInd: ordered |
| 5 | EMOTICON | Smiley gets tip from the Conservative immersed in shitty process? (8) [th]E then C[onservative] inside |
| 8 | SCOFF | Sly Chinese leaders on the turn – gulp! (5) S[ly] C[hinese] OFF (on the turn) |
| 10 | TOLERANCE | Liberal thing getting pissed on claret with earl (9) (ON CLARET)* AInd: pissed, then E[arl] |
| 15 | CREW NECK | Jersey may well have one company with brazen quality (4,4) CREW (company) NECK (brazen quality) Last answer in. I didn’t see the type of “Jersey” till spotting Neck |
| 16 | PROBLEMS | A supporter of Lib Dems, I’d gone, perversely, for difficult situations (8) PRO (A supporter) (LIB DEMS – I’D)* AInd: perversely |
| 17 | MOISTURE | Wet Tories … um … dithering (8) (TORIES UM)* AInd: dithering |
| 20 | CANVAS | Electioneer, but without Sun’s coarse material (6) CANVAS[s] |
| 21 | ACTING | Provisional luvviedom? (6) Double Def |
A little boy was lost, so he went up to a policeman and said, “I’ve lost my dad!”
The copper said, “What’s he like?”
The boy replied, “Beer and women!”
Yes, I think that is a mistake, beermagnet. Looks like Cyclops is spelling Farage with a double r in his head.
I loved the clue at 20ac, it reminds me of the earlier crosswords that Cyclops used to set. A bit more near the knuckle.
Thanks for the blog.
I like the title you have chosen but I think I would have gone with CHARLES THE SATSUMA.
The mistake in 25a is the more surprising because Cyclops has the name spelled correctly in 14a.
I think that the stiff in 23a is Lenin rather than Stalin.
Thanks for the review, beermagnet.
With it’s interesting anagram ? It’s ???? Oh dear.
Whaaa! Fixed.
Typical. That was the last thing I wrote before publishing the blog, so didn’t get checked.
Naughty, naughty fingers.
I think 25A isn’t a mistake – the additional R comes from ‘restricted’ ?
Restrict is the insertion indicator, so would have to be doing double duty in a way that doesn’t really work.