Print the puzzle(pdf). Grid and clues on one page, solution and explanations on two following pages.
Print the grid alone. A larger grid, full A4 size, for easier entry.
See the solutions. The Grid Solved, on screen.
The solutions explained. A full explanation of the solutions, on screen.
ACROSS
1 Leaks after a bee, I hear in the midlands (9)
9 The coalman lost his tail and found his dog (6)
10 Where the ale goes may not be the most appealing (4,5)
11 Speak softly on course (6)
12 Very old Ulster army, with little brother Edward in the cattle farm after dark (3,6)
13 Adapt this fair father back (6)
17 After fifty you are not on time (3)
19 Toe-nail bliss (7)
20 Moves about clumsily to sleep (7)
21 It radiates always, like a little bird (3)
23 No tubes in this, stupid (6)
27 Our little city in our capital, beside the end of the ring (9)
28 Bristle, there's plenty for a jump (6)
29 Repeat about the French, for revenge (9)
30 His vocation is that he cares about the Orient (6)
31 This anger, sounds like it could be channelled into a form of painting (9)
DOWN
2 Sounds, like a sword in the ale or after the page (6)
3 Maybe not French freeborn, but put your clothes on (6)
4 The long one's route back to tolerance (6)
5 With 49, 51 and 100 it is unlawful (7)
6 Jailbird with one French snare, there's a riddle (9)
7 Awkwardly count without your fingers (3,6)
8 Retry the case of the clerical assistant (9)
14 No acorn seen with this timber, I hear (9)
15 180 on this, is as good as it gets (9)
16 Sidney dispatched back about a protester (9)
17 Sounds like a relative (3)
18 It is Latin (3)
22 Do you think he is one (7)
24 A north diagonal in the end (6)
25 One gives thanks back for the drink in this chamber (6)
26 Was the bandage like this (6)
Full Solution
ACROSS
1 Abbeyleix.
Abbey leix sounds like 'a bee leaks'
9 collie.
COLLIE[R]
10 beer belly.
BEER BELLY
11 putter.
P + UTTER
12 Red Branch.
R [ ED + BR ] ANCH knights
13 adjust.
AD + JUST
17 ate.
[L] ATE
19 elation.
ELATION anagram
20 slumber.
LUMBERS anagram
21 tit.
Spells IT from centre outwards all ways, forward and backwards
23 obtuse.
O + TUBES anagram
27 Irishtown.
IRISH + TOWN, beside Ringsend
28 abound.
A BOUND
29 retaliate.
ITERATE + LA anagram
30 career.
CARE +[E] + R
31 distemper.
DIS{this} TEMPER{anger}
DOWN
2 beeper.
BE [EPee] ER = page+r, and it sounds, too
3 enrobe.
[FR]EEBORN anagram
4 leeway.
EEL back LEE + WAY
5 illicit.
IL + LI + C + IT
6 conundrum.
CON + UN + DRUM
7 all thumbs.
ALL THUMBS
8 secretary.
RETRY CASE anagram
14 resonance.
ACORN SEEN anagram
15 dartboard.
DARTBOARD maximum score 180
16 dissenter.
DIS SENT ER
17 ant.
A[U]NT
18 est.
EST
22 Israeli.
ISRAELI
24 aslant.
A N LAST anagram
25 atrium.
AT + R[I]UM
26 swathe.
WAS THE anagram
Solved Grid
2 comments:
Hi Tommy,
Thanks for a great puzzle...you really put me to the test...and you won! Failed to come up with anything for DARTBOARD after staring at -A-T-O-R- for far too long...and BEEPER suffered a similar fate...kicked myself when I saw your solution because it was a lovely clue!
As always, you had some brilliant clues with lovely wordplay!
My favourites today were:
BEER BELLY, PUTTER,
IRISHTOWN, RETALIATE, DISTEMPER, BEEPER (even though I didn't get it!), CONUNDRUM, ALL THUMBS, SECRETARY, ISRAELI, ATRIUM...and SWATHE WAS THE perfect anagram, so well spotted and tied into the clue! So with lots of favourites I'd find it hard to nominate a Clue of the Day, but Clues of the Day might be IRISHTOWN, CONUNDRUM, ALL THUMBS and DISTEMPER.
I also liked the FR deletion in the clue for ENROBE...and the ACORN SEER/RESONANCE and RETRY CASE/SECRETARY anagrams were very well spotted.
Beaten as I was, this was a very enjoyable puzzle...thanks Tommy.
Liz
Hi Tommy,
Nice puzzle. I managed to finish it but it was a struggle. It took me awhile to get into your 'way of thinking'. Very Crosairelike in places!
Just like Liz, SWATHE was the perfect anagram!
DARTBOARD was my favourite. A good bit of thought needed to solve this (and years of watching Phil 'The Power' Taylor).
I liked the 'local' clues - ABBEYLEIX & IRISHTOWN. 'Beside the end of the ring' was very clever.
ENROBE was nicely disguised.
I don't really get the ANT clue Tommy. No direct in the clue to link it to ANT. I understand the sounds like AUNT.
A tough puzzle overall Tommy, roll on the next one!
Frank
Post a Comment