Across |
1 |
One’s accompanying the Queen visiting military hospital and mess (8) |
|
MISHMASH - M.A.S.H being the military hospital, as in the superb TV series (Suicide is painless, remember?). Insert (i.e. visiting) I'S HM. |
5 |
Gridlocked, perhaps, in transport leaving city (6) |
|
STATIC - EC (the City) leaves ECSTATIC = "in transport". Well, I think that's it. |
9 |
My part reduced after reflecting (3) |
|
LOR - ROLE (part) is reversed and is reduced. Collins says "Exclamation of surprise or dismay", shortened from Lord. |
10 |
Vegetable to go after in place of game (6,5) |
|
SQUASH COURT - SQUASH = vegetable, COURT = go after, woo. Today's chestnut. |
12 |
Dickensian orphan Twist in desperate reversal, having no one (5,5) |
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EDWIN DROOD - Eponymous orphan in Dickens novel. Fiendish wordplay, reverse engineering for me, take away WIND (twist) leaves you with ED ROOD, reversal > DOOR DE, which is DO OR DIE (desperate) without the I. |
13 |
Work for a while that doctor may take, briefly (4) |
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TEMP - Double definition, the Doc can take your TEMPerature. |
15 |
Legendary red ointment for child that’s really dear (6) |
|
CHERUB - CHE (Guevara, the legendary red), RUB (ointment). |
16 |
March features one short horse with bullock following? (7) |
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EQUINOX - EQUIN(E), OX. |
18 |
These usen’t to get worked up about harmful emission? (7) |
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ECONUTS - CO, carbon monoxide a harmful emission, inside (USENT)*. Def &lit. |
20 |
Exotic bit of verse could go oddly astray (6) |
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ESCUDO - alternate letters of v E r S e C o U l D g O. I don't see what's exotic about a 'bit' of Portuguese currency before its final removal in as late as 2012 after the euro was introduced in 1998. |
23 |
Pants one would be expecting to be up! (4) |
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DUFF - Duff, pants, no good for use. If you're a lady up the duff, you're expecting. A phrase I heard only last evening watching an episode of Peaky Blinders, possibly the best thing on TV (apart from Masterchef, sport and politics, of course). |
24 |
Insults mate with false respect (3,7) |
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LIP SERVICE - LIP = insults, cheek; SERVICE = mate, for animals not people perhaps. |
26 |
Very close, offering affection (4,2,5) |
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HAND IN GLOVE - HANDING (offering) LOVE (affection). |
27 |
Put out, I carp (3) |
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KOI - K.O. = put out, knock out; I. |
28 |
Something digital newspaper makes undesirable (6) |
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TOERAG - Well, a TOE is digital, and a RAG is informally a newspaper. My LOI. |
29 |
City brothels in kinky shows (8) |
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HELSINKI - Beautifully hidden city in BROT(HELS IN KI)NKY. |