Tuesday 28 June 2016

No 11738, Tuesday 28 Jun 2016, Arden


ACROSS
1   Tax over a drink by stealth (8) CAGINESS {C{A}{GIN}ESS}
5   Metal key to lock workshop returned (6) COBALT {C}{O{BAL}T<=}
10 Writer's review on music and God (7) NEPTUNE {PEN<=}{TUNE}
11 Sadly, her lust made her what she is (7) HUSTLER* &lit
12 Avoid trailer, shunning publicity (5) ELUDE Anno pending (Addendum - prELUDE  - See comments)
13 Stress on being drunk and cheerful (9) HIGHLIGHT {HIGH}{LIGHT}
14 Tale about Mike, Harry, Peter — before long one starts trouble (6,6) STORMY PETREL {STOR{M}Y} {PETER*}{L}
18 How to get in from Spain? By being friendly (4-8)  WELL-DISPOSED Anno not clear (Addendum - WELL = SPA spaIN - See comments)
21 Skin divers find aunts struggling underwater (9) AQUANAUTS {AQUA}{AUNTS*}
23 Starts using dairies within a state to make cheese (5) GOUDA {Us..g}{Di...s} in {GOA}
24 Forces euro out in due course, perhaps (7) INDUCES {IN+DUE+CourSe}*
25 It's too big to take off in most rich nations (7) OSTRICH [T] What's the role of 'nations'? Definition not clear. See comments
26 Communist set up will reject member under stress (6) GIRDER {GIR}{DER}<=
27 I said “sweet, nice looking” (3,5) EYE CANDY (~i){EYE} {CANDY}

DOWN
1   Run on credit, holding a stake (6) CANTER {ANTE} in {CR}
2   POP will cheat over money (6) GYPSUM {GYP}{SUM}
3   Disgusted — initially not allowed to hire a boy (9) NAUSEATED {Not}{Al...d}{USE}{A}{TED}
4   Escorts get money and a flower (9,5) SHEPHERDS PURSE {SHEPHERDS} {PURSE}
6   Bird's a bloodsucker, from top to bottom (5) OUSEL (-l)OUSE(+l)L
7   Tale of a cricket side in royal mess (8) ALLEGORY {LEG} in {ROYAL}*
8   Kill the regulator (8) THROTTLE [DD]
9   Dirty politician overshadows — it's a joke (6,3,5) SHAGGY DOG STORY {SHAGGY} {DOG S}{TORY}
15 Blue, green, even next piece is active (9) ENERGETIC {GREEN*}{nExT}{pIeCe}
16 Carol checks Don using bad language (8) SWEARING {S{WEAR}ING}
17 Struggle for fish (8) FLOUNDER [DD]
19 Finally you and I run away — for a forbidden fruit? (6) DURIAN {yoU+AND+I+R}* Forbidden?
20 A yacht built in ancient China (6) CATHAY*
22 Hard to break in — good slot (5) NICHE {NIC{H}E}

GRID

13 comments:

  1. 12 Avoid trailer, shunning publicity (5) ELUDE
    (-pr)ELUDE

    ReplyDelete
  2. 18a Spa removed from Spain gives in. Spa=Well

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Never thought of that :) Is this type kosher.. seems a bit indirect..

      Delete
    2. It's a brilliant clue. And kosher too according to me. Like any other deletion clues. Maybe a bit iffy with grammar.

      Delete
    3. Yes. I thought it was a lovely clue too.

      Delete
  3. Quite a puzzle from Arden.. took me much longer than the recent online ones. Couldnt for the life of me figure out how to parse Well disposed (which i got through crossings of course) ... Stormy petrel is a nice clue.. so also Durian.. hustler also a laugh :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Replies
    1. It's too big to take off in most rich nations (7) OSTRICH
      It's too big to take off = Defn, // Ostriches are too big to fly
      in = Hidden word indicator
      Most rich nation= fodder

      Delete
    2. Nation is that case is superfluous and has been entered just to make the surface reading plausible

      Delete
    3. I think it is fine. 'Most rich' alone cannot be the fodder as Ostrich ends with it, but is not inside it. For it to be inside you need an additional letter or word.

      Delete
  5. After missing it on all the action for the last two days, back to solving THC & here( Being out on company's work). What a puzzle to come back to!
    Well Disposed easily the clue of the day..but all clues without exception were superb.
    Bravo Arden!

    ReplyDelete

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