There will be jubilation in certain quarters when I say that I honestly have no time to say anything this week except:
1. Medium difficulty
2. FOI: 5A
3. LOI: 13A
4. COD: 1A
Many thanks to Hurley for another entertaining cup of tea.
Definitions are underlined in italics. Everything else is explained just as I see it in the simplest language I can manage.
Across | |
1 | Country girl’s examination (7) |
PERUSAL - PERU (country) + SAL (girl). | |
5 | Signify average (4) |
MEAN - double definition. | |
7 | Traitor oddly missed in port (3) |
RIO - miss out the odd letters of tRaItOr. | |
8 | Aware lad’s suffering unfair treatment (1,3,4) |
A RAW DEAL - straight anagram ('suffering') of AWARE LAD. | |
10 | Got the odour of fish (5) |
SMELT - double definition. As in 'I smelt the smelt'. | |
11 | In natural movement edit books, English, on return (3,4) |
EBB TIDE - EDIT + BB (books) + E (English) all reversed ('on return'). | |
13 | Doorman’s endless resilience (6) |
BOUNCE - remove the end from BOUNCEr (doorman). | |
15 | Genuine in path one’s taken (6) |
HONEST - hidden word: patH ONES Taken. | |
17 | Start to notice, we hear, area away from land (4,3) |
OPEN SEA - OPEN (start) + SEA (sounds like SEE (notice)). | |
18 | Excellent protest at noon (5) |
DEMON - DEMO (protest) + N (noon). DEMON can be an adjective as in 'a demon card player' or 'a demon driver'. | |
20 | Tess welcoming European I’d at first engaged in regional area (8) |
TEESSIDE - TESS 'welcoming' E (European) + ID (I'd) + E (at first Engaged). | |
22 | Originally filed under national merriment? (3) |
FUN - first letters ('originally') of Filed Under National. | |
23 | Colour clash? Yes, in part (4) |
ASHY - hidden word: clASH Yes. | |
24 | Frantically lug a new section of boat (7) |
GUNWALE - straight anagram of LUG A NEW. |
Down | |
1 | Abroad, broke, a shop providing help for translation? (6,4) |
PHRASE BOOK - straight anagram ('abroad') of BROKE A SHOP. | |
2 | With new start, shone in river (5) |
RHONE - give SHONE a new start and you could get RHONE. | |
3 | After fight, thanks copper and son, leader of revolt (9) |
SPARTACUS - SPAR (fight) + TA (thanks) + CU (copper (chemical symbol)) + S (son). | |
4 | Gloomy field retreat (6) |
LEADEN - LEA (field) + DEN (retreat in the sense of study). | |
5 | Foolish mother supported by daughter (3) |
MAD - MA (mother) 'supported by' (i.e. 'on top of' in this down clue) D (daughter). | |
6 | Greed, a bad habit, ensnaring artist on rise (7) |
AVARICE - A VICE (bad habit) 'ensnaring' RA (artist) reversed ('on rise' in this down clue). | |
9 | Relevance of net price uncertain around northeast (10) |
PERTINENCE - anagram of NET PRICE ('uncertain') around NE (northeast). | |
12 | Barn, abode, unusually for this vegetable? (5,4) |
BROAD BEAN - straight anagram ('unusually') of BARN ABODE. | |
14 | Stupid plea to economize? (7) |
USELESS - a plea to economise might be USE LESS. | |
16 | Darling, left out as reckless (6) |
DARING - hardly needs explanation: take L (left) out of DARlING. | |
19 | Criminal organisation’s aim to take in footballers all round? (5) |
MAFIA - AIM 'taking in' FA (Football Association) 'all round', i.e. all reversed. | |
21 | Catch sight of Bond perhaps (3) |
SPY - double definition. |
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