Cryptic Crossword #27 [Completed]

Here is a link to a PDF of this month's grid & clues .

Here is a link to a useful 5 minute youtube on how cryptics work.

Here is a link to an in-depth cryptic crossword solving guide.

Here is a link demonstrating my competency as a crossword setter.

Here are links to previous AW crosswords hosted on my website: 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21

Here are links to previous AW crosswords hosted here: 20, 19, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1


Here is a crossword grid:






Here are some clues (see below for larger font):






Here are the same clues in the forums regular font


Across


1 Party time and time again? (4)

3 Prison transport woman out of West Side on jet (5,5)

10 V&A acquires original piece from Tiffany's (7)

11 Old woman with trouble getting weed (7)

12 I heard fine songs upset one like McCartney (7,8)

13 Thoroughly wet channel head replaced by director (6)

14 Number seen around nasty stains? (8)

17 Ales said to be "revolutionary" slated (8)

18 Part which could be pinched by an understudy? (6)

21 In which crates are stacked up by the tower? (7,8)

23 Stunned at a broadcast of 'Monday, Monday'? (2,1,4)

24 Side in favour of turning in stack of cash (7)

25 Head nurse put forward a case for this (10)

26 Live right on one drug or another (4)


Down





1 Son, worried about female, ate quickly (7)

2 Egalitarian girl opening college bar (9)

4 A large set-up big top concealed (6)

5 Joe's full of it and it really gets me going! (8)

6 Corn limits soon to be raised in Houston? (7,7)

7 Mellow druid regularly seen on stall (5)

8 Star worker in need of a short break (7)

9 Did Hoskins & Son cut charge for wholesale? (14)

15 Go insane after divorce without one's bitter (9)

16 Writer to cover match in Hue (3-5)

17 I don't believe a man who says God exists (7)

19 At church service, regret blowing up rubber (7)

20 Grass idiot up after revolutionary plot (6)

22 Pick up Listener to fill in Latin name (5)



Note on potential ease of access problems


If there's anything I can do to make the xwd more accessible, please let me know either in thread or by PM and I'll do my best to make it happen.



Here is some information:

• Complete the crossword by posting answers in this thread.

• I'll endeavour to update the grid and respond to answers at least twice daily.

• The grid follows XWD conventions from The Times, though occasionally things might be a little more lib (or a little more ripe) in style or content.

• Feel free to tell me how I could've done it better/what I got wrong.

• I'll post a new crossword on the first of each month until people get bored/stop playing.

Here are some guidelines:

• Try to have fun.

• Answer up to three clues a day (if you go for 3 and only get 1 right, then feel free to have another 2 goes)

• Work together or on your own.

• Bemoan the clues.

• It's encouraged (but not necessary) to parse the clues when answering as it'll help me learn where I am going wrong/right.

• Discussion of clue construction is also encouraged, but not necessary.

• Try to have fun.

Here's where you take over:

• Good luck

Hey X

Xelebes said:

Is 3 across BLACK MARIA?

Click to expand...

Correctamundo!

3a - BLACK MARIA (charade)

Prison transport woman out of West Side on jet (5,5)

prison transport - definition
woman out of West Side - MARIA (West Side Story)
on - positional indicator (on in an across clue means after)
jet - BLACK

(BLACK)(MARIA)

Hey LH - glad you could make it.

LeadHead said:

A couple of guesses:

13A: DRENCH? means thoroughly wet (as in the verb not the adjective), head of CHannel, director = DR, can't see where the EN comes in...
23A: IN A DAZE? means stunned, fits the number of letters and DAZE sounds like DAYS (broadcast of Monday, Monday), not sure about the IN A bit...

Click to expand...

Two fer two!

13a - DRENCH (letter exchange)

Throughly wet channel head replaced by director (6)

thoroughly wet - definition
channel - TRENCH
head replaced by director - first letter exchange indicator for D

(-t+D)(RENCH)

23a - IN A DAZE (charade homophone)

Stunned at a broadcast of 'Monday, Monday'? (2,1,4)

stunned - definition
at - IN
a - A
broadcast of - homophone indicator
monday monday? - DAYS

(IN)(A)("DAZE")

Hey Para

Parametric said:

5 down, "caffeine". Joe's full of it and it really gets me going! (cryptic def)
6 down, "mission control". Corn limits soon (anag) to be raised in Houston (NASA mission control)?
8 down, Antares. Star (def) worker (ant) in need of a short break (a rest, shortened = ares).

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed Para!

Hey AJ

ajaye said:

Hi Harry and all

11ac FUSSPOT old woman (def) with trouble (FUSS) getting weed (POT)

Click to expand...

ajaye said:

7dn RIPEN mellow (def) druid regularly (direction to take alternate letters from druid? = RI) seen on stall (PEN)
18ac BOTTOM - dual def?

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed AJ!

Bottom is a dual def pun - Bottom the Shakespearean role and bottom as in what can be pinched.

Parametric said:

12 across, "fashion designer". I heard fine songs (anag contents) upset (anag) one like McCartney (def; misdirect makes you think it's Paul McCartney, but it's Stella McCartney).

17 across, "assailed"? Ales said (anag contents) to be "revolutionary" (anag indicator) slated (def).

17 down, "atheist". I don't believe (def) a man who says God exists (a theist).

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed Para!

Parametric said:

1 down, "scarfed". Son (s) worried (cared) about female (f) ate quickly (def).
9 down, "indiscriminate".
19 down, "masseur". At church service (mass), regret (rue) blowing up (anag) rubber (def).

Click to expand...

Three fer three!


9d - INDISCRIMINATE (insertion)

Did Hoskins & Son cut charge for wholesale? (14)

did - D
hoskins - I
& - inclusion link
son - S
cut - insertion indicator (A B and C cut D)
charge - INCRIMINATE
for - definition link
wholesale? - definition

(IN(D+I+S)CRIMINATE)

LeadHead said:

The rest are all really tough and I have no idea for any of them but, as a complete stab in the dark:

21A: HOLDING PATTERNS(?): it matches the letters...crates hold things...but other than that, it is a complete guess

Click to expand...

Always worth a stab in the dark, LH


21a - HOLDING PATTERNS (cryptic definition)

In which crates are stacked up by the tower? (7,8)

Misdirect to a warehouse where crates are stacked up in a tower. Crates = planes, a stack-up is where planes go in a holding pattern, the tower is an aircraft control tower.

Parametric said:

16 down, "pea green". Writer (pen) to cover match (agree) in Hue (def; sea green is a colour).
22 down, "learn". Pick up (def, eg to pick up a language) Listener (ear) to fill in (posicator) Latin (l) name .

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed, Para!

That makes 25 across look like "tenderness"?

Click to expand...

Bang on!

25a - TENDERNESS (semi&lit)

Head nurse put forward a case for this (10)

head - NESS
nurse - TENDER
put forward - positional indicator
a case for this - last of def (case can be read as patient or as an argument)

Overarching def, the nurse is promoting tenderness should be used on ward, or she is putting forward a patient to a doctor because of them feeling a tenderness.

(TENDER)(NESS)

Parametric said:

My guess is that 26 across is "beer". That's live (be) right (+r) on one drug (e = ecstasy) or another (beer, as in alcohol, the drug)?

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed Para!

Alcohol is a drug because it's a stupefying agent - I think it's the legality of it which causes the distinction rather than what it does.

Which means that 15 down is not "satirical". Perhaps "saturnine"?

I figured out what 14 across is, but I'm going to maintain my dignity and not put it in.

Click to expand...

Bang on! (I'll put 14a in to save your blushes)


14a - ONANISTS (&lit)

Number seen around nasty stains? (8)

number - NO
seen around - reversal indicator
nasty - anagram indicator
stains - anagram fodder

Overarching def is a number of people seen around the result of wanking are likely to be wankers.

(ON<)(ANISTS*)


15d - SATURNINE (word split insertion surround)

Go insane after divorce without one's bitter (9)

go - TURN
insane - word split fodder & insertion GO IN SANE indicator
after divorce - word split indicator
without - surround indicator
one - I
is - definition link
bitter - definition

(SA(TURN)(I)NE)

Parametric said:

2 down, "classless". Egalitarian (def) girl (lass) opening college (c first letter) bar (less, as in all bar one).

20 down, "pampas". Grass (def) idiot up after revolutionary plot (reverse sap+map).

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed Para!

Parametric said:

OK, let me grab my third for today:

10 across, "against". V (def) &A (+a) acquires (+gains) original piece from Tiffany's (+t).

Click to expand...

Perfectly parsed Para!