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Copy of Two Thousand and One, with music finale (5) | MIMIC | Definition: Copy
This needs to be read as "Two (Thousand and One"), i.e. MI MI, plus [musi]C |
Runs out of air? Oh dear! (9) | DIARRHOEA | Definition: Runs
(AIR OH DEAR)* – luckily I had already been able to practise spelling this when it came up as an answer in the Eccles Independent puzzle on Wednesday |
Supports bar locks (10) | BUTTRESSES | Definition: Supports
BUT (bar) + TRESSES (hair, locks) |
Tie the knot after most excellent love is given (8) | BESTOWED | Definition: given
BEST + O + WED (tie the knot) |
Get some sleep before family calls for tableware (6,5) | NAPKIN RINGS | Definition: tableware
NAP (sleep) + KIN (family) + RINGS (calls) |
Each letter is liberal (10) | PERMISSIVE | Definition: liberal
PER (each) + MISSIVE (letter) |
An underground place of humiliation (9) | ABASEMENT | Definition: humiliation
A BASEMENT (underground place) |
19 artist's work to fade out ultimately, such a recipe for disaster (3,4,2,5) | THE KISS OF DEATH | Definition: a recipe for disaster
THE KISS + (TO FADE)* + [suc]H. Probably the most famous *Kiss* is Rodin's sculpture, but I think this one is the painting by Gustav Klimt, which (as I've just discovered) is "considered a masterpiece of Vienna Secession". |
Meet something funny with B Ford (4,2) | COME BY | Definition: Meet
COMEDY with "B for D" |
NY Times singularly spreading hatred (6) | ENMITY | Definition: hatred
Anagram of NY TIME |
Celebrity passes what sounds like ambulance during a limo trip (3,7,6,5) | SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI | Definition: Celebrity passes
"What sounds like ambulance" is "sick transit", plus (DURING A LIMO) |
Range in the Arabian desert (5) | ANDES | Definition: Range
Hidden in arabiAN DESert |
In train wreck, old Sophocles? (9) | TRAGEDIAN | Definition: Sophocles
AGED in TRIAN – an anagram (just) of TRAIN |
Wrong to be suspicious with a promotion (4) | AWRY | Definition: Wrong
WARY (suspicious) with the A "promoted" to the top |
Pony went bust worth not much money (8) | TWOPENNY | Definition: worth not much money
(PONY WENT) |
Drive to evaluate Spooner's lily pad? (4,4) | ROAD TEST | Definition: Drive to evaluate
Spoonerism of "toad rest", which might descibe a lily pad |
Are you, as they say, taken in by strong Arab commander leaving home course? (5,5) | FRUIT SALAD | Definition: course
R U ("are you") in FIT (strong) + SALADIN (Arab commander) less IN (home) |
Starts to put record straight about some current spoilers (9) | PAMPERERS | Definition: spoilers
AMPERE (measure of electric current) in P[ut] R[ecord] S[traight] |
Endlessly going off on tirade is not clever (8) | IGNORANT | Definition: not clever
Anagram of GOIN[g] + RANT |
Website tribute about the centre of Aleppo (4,4) | HOME PAGE | Definition: Website
[al]EP[po] in HOMAGE – usually the home page is only part of a website, I'd say |
Life in Paris before Napoleon evacuated a capital city (6) | VIENNA | Definition: capital city
VIE (French "life") + N[apoleo]N + A |
Scarcity put right inside 28 (6) | DEARTH | Definition: Scarcity
R inside OF DEATH |
'Head off, bottom up' as a slogan (5) | MOTTO | Definition: slogan
Reverse of [B]OTTOM |
Surgeon's first working rule: man, I like the aortic valve! (9) | SEMILUNAR | Definition: like the aortic valve
S[urgeon] + (RULE MAN I)* – the aortic valve is semilunar (half-moon) in shape (as is the pulmonary valve). A suitably medical one to finish on |
Extended picnic? (6,3) | SPREAD OUT | Definition: Extended
Double definition – a picnic might be a SPREAD that you have OUTside |
Total pressure in reservoir (4) | SUMP | Definition: reservoir
SUM (total) + P |
Returning computer nuisance, it's said, in military operations (8) | CAMPAIGN | Definition: military operations
Reverse of MAC (Macintosh computer) + homophone of "pain" (nuisance) |
Feel excited anticipation in time at fireside (6) | TINGLE | Definition: Feel excited anticipation
T + INGLE(fireside) |
So near sports ground (6) | REASON | Definition: ground
(SO NEAR) |
Newly-weds receiving order for sedatives (8) | BROMIDES | Definition: sedatives
OM (Order of Merit) in BRIDES |
In addition, no worse (2,4) | AS WELL | Definition: In addition
Double definition – if a sick person is no worse, they're AS WELL as they were |
Son ready for heavy drinking (8) | SWILLING | Definition: heavy drinking
S + WILLING |
Sober lad goes wild — he can't take defeat (3,5) | BAD LOSER | Definition: he can't take defeat
(SOBER LAD) |
Scottish design nationalist renegade rejected (6) | TARTAN | Definition: Scottish design
Reverse of NAT[ionalist] RAT (renegade) |
Applaud role reversal? Nonsense (8) | CLAPTRAP | Definition: Nonsense
CLAP (applaud) + reverse of PART (role) |
Put on an extra court for heroin user, say (6) | ADDICT | Definition: heroin user, say
ADD I (one – so, put on an extra) + CT |
Miserable meeting first vicious man (6) | SADIST | Definition: vicious man
SAD (miserable) + 1ST |
Pass over country road in Arctic transport (3-5) | SKI-PLANE | Definition: Arctic transport
SKIP + LANE |
Supposedly black comedian malign at heart (3,1) | ALI G | Definition: Supposedly black comedian
Middle letters of mALIGn. Ali G is a character created by Sacha Baron-Cohen, one of whose catchphrases is "is it because I is black?" (the joke being that he isn't) |
A guy's gone off to find a religious assembly (9) | SYNAGOGUE | Definition: religious assembly
(A GUYS GONE) |
Not required to be forgiving (5) | SPARE | Definition: Not required
Double definition |
Poster I designed brings sharp response (7) | RIPOSTE | Definition: sharp response
(POSTER I) |
Oriental perhaps like a Scotsman? (5) | ASIAN | Definition: Oriental perhaps
AS (like) IAN (crosswordland's favourite scot) |
The edition you pick up in the street? (7) | OMNIBUS | Definition: edition
Double definition – book and public transport |
One may have designs on your body (9) | TATTOOIST | Definition: One may have designs on your body
Cryptic definition – unusual in a Vulcan puzzle to get so far down the clues before hitting one |
On a fine day, time for reading here in the garden? (7) | SUNDIAL | Definition: On a fine day, time for reading here in the garden
Another cryptic definition – sundials are often found in gardens, and only show the time on sunny days |
'80s child has shed pounds for a very long time (9) | MILLENNIA | Definition: a very long time
MILLENIAL less its final L. Millennials are people who came of age around the turn of the millennium. Rather a weak clue if you ask me, as the two words involved are so closely related |
Post delivered by householder? (5,4) | SNAIL MAIL | Definition: Post delivered by householder
Cryptic definition, from the idea that a snail "carries its house on its back" |
Girl closes hackneyed religious ceremony (4,5) | LAST RITES | Definition: religious ceremony
TRITE in LASS |
Bird's circuit over part of mansion (7) | LAPWING | Definition: Bird
LAP (circuit) + WING (part of a large house) |
Unwillingly involves person I sacked (5,2) | ROPES IN | Definition: Unwillingly involves
(PERSON I)* – the unwillingness is on the part of the person roped in rather than the roper |
Look embarrassed to lose energy, a warning sign (3,4) | RED FLAG | Definition: a warning sign
RED (embarrassed) + FLAG (lose energy). "Look" is a bit out of place – "Looking" would work better |
Cutting a crossing (5) | AXING | Cutting a crossing (5)
A + X (cross) + ING |
At sea once, a small boat (5) | CANOE | At sea once, a small boat (5)
(ONCE A) |
Nothing drunk by a poet ready to set sail (6) | ABOARD | Definition: ready to set sail
O in A BARD |
Given additional quality by Nutmeg? (6,2) | SPICED UP | Definition: Given additional quality by Nutmeg
Cryptic definition, with nutmeg being a spice as well as our setter |
Keep informed of tiny changes (6) | NOTIFY | Definition: Keep informed
(OF TINY) |
Hinders second examiner's case, cutting corners (8) | SNOOKERS | Definition: Hinders
S + E[xamine]R in NOOKS (corners) |
Head deity's mantle encapsulating old belief (4,2,4,4) | CAPE OF GOOD HOPE | Definition: Head
O in CAPE OF GOD (deity's mantle) + HOPE (belief) |
Presume army reservists are asked to reassemble (4,2,4) | TAKE AS READ | Definition: Presume
TA (Territorial Army, former name of the Army Reserve) + (ARE ASKED) |
Game partners try turning over to canoodle (4) | SNOG | Definition: to canoodle
S N (partners in Bridge) + reverse of GO (a try) |
A brother we shot in turn-of-century conflict (3,4,3) | THE BOER WAR | Definition: turn-of-century conflict
(A BROTHER WE)* – there were actually two Boer Wars, but the phrase used on its own usually means the second, 1899–1902 |
Don't stint, inserting late pound in meagre bill (5,2,7) | SPARE NO EXPENSE | Definition: Don't stint
EX (former, late) PEN (pound, as in an animal's enclosure) in SPARE (meagre) NOSE (beak, bill) |
Self-help group covering roughly half the folk on campus (8) | ACADEMIA | Definition: the folk on campus
CA (circa, roughly) + DEMI (half) in AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) |
One admiral at sea a regular record keeper (6,4) | ADRIAN MOLE | Definition: a regular record keeper
(ONE ADMIRAL)* for Sue Townsend's fictional diarist |
Extremely gregarious dogs still at home when light fades? (8) | EVENINGS | Definition: when light fades
EVEN (still) IN (at home) followed or "dogged" by G[regariou]S |
Leading lady cleared out in cunning fashion (6) | ARCHLY | Definition: in cunning fashion
ARCH (leading, as in Archbishop) + L[ad]Y |
Spots men carting bottles up (4) | ACNE | Definition: Spots
Hidden in reverse of mEN CArting |
Remote land available for purchase in reserve (7) | OUTBACK | Definition: Remote land
OUT (available for purchase) + BACK (in reserve, as in keep back/keep in reserve); or maybe OUT BACK as a phrase: "I've got some out back" |
Scour island for shooter (8) | RIFLEMAN | Definition: shooter
RIFLE (scour) + (Isle of) MAN |
Shipping line's carrying artillery to fight source of evil (8,3) | PANDORA’S BOX | Definition: source of evil
RA (Royal Artillery) in P AND O'S (shipping line's) + BOX (fight) |
Obscure brash Yankee about to take the lead (6) | CLOUDY | Definition: Obscure
C (circa again – about) + LOUD (brash) + Y (Yankee in the NATO phonetic alphabet) |
Yearned to possess sink (3,4) | DIE DOWN | Definition: sink
DIED + OWN |
Charlie feeding writer German fare (9) | PASSENGER | Definition: fare
ASS (fool, Charlie) in PEN + GER |
First non-medallist reportedly approaching with plenty to say (11) | FORTHCOMING | Definition: with plenty to say
FORTH (homophone of "fourth", the first position not winning a medal) + COMING (approaching) |
Schedule daily cold drink (4,5) | TIME SCALE | Definition: Schedule
TIMES (newspaper, daily) + C + ALE |
Goalie maybe put off guarding goal (8) | DEFENDER | Definition: Goalie maybe
END (goal) in DEFER; "maybe" because there are other kinds of defenders, so it's a definition by example |
Pasture with fine mature greenery (7) | LEAFAGE | Definition: greenery
LEA + F[ine] + AGE (to mature) |
Tetchy self-righteous son occupying shower? (7) | WASPISH | Definition: Tetchy
PI (self-righteous) S[on] in WASH (shower) |
Asian from India pursuing desire to throttle setter (6) | YEMENI | Definition: Asian
ME (the setter) in YEN + I (India – the phonetic alphabet again) |
Jet from Bluegrass State arrived first (4) | INKY | Definition: Jet
IN (arrived) + KY (Kentucky, the Bluegrass State) |
Close to end of May, seabird seen about in part of France around Toulon (4,4) | VERY NEAR | Definition: Close to
A complicated one to start with: [ma]Y in ERNE (seabird), all in VAR: the French *Département* which has Toulon as its capital |
At the gent's, we're told, instead (2,4) | IN LIEU | Definition: instead
Homophone of "in loo". "Gent's" looks like a greengrocer's apostrophe to me: surely it should be gents' or just gents |
Balls first Reardon and then Selby hold — these, perhaps (4) | REDS | Definition: these, perhaps
ED (Ed Balls, former Labour politician) in R[eardon] + S[elby]. Ray Reardon and Mark Selby are snooker players (of very different generations), giving us a lead to the red balls in the game |
Breaks in Turin — rest and quiet disturbed (10) | INTERRUPTS | Definition: Breaks in
Anagram of TURIN REST P (piano, quiet) |
State that Alabama's like the borders of Korea (6) | ALASKA | Definition: State
AL[abama] + AS (like) + K[ore]A |
No farewell to learners — in no way! (3,2,3) | NOT AT ALL | Definition: in no way
NO + TA-TA (goodbye) + L L |
Megaera is one from Ireland in the past? Certainly! (7) | ERINYES | Definition: Megaera is one
ERIN (old or poetic name for Ireland) + YES (certainly). The Erinyes are the Furies of Greek mythology, and Megaera is one of them |
Invite to tango, perhaps, bumping daughter sideways (7) | ASKANCE | Definition: sideways
ASK + DANCE less D |
Clothing and home design company (Gap, perhaps) — first to emerge overleaf (4,4) | NEXT PAGE | Definition: overleaf
NEXT (company as descibed) + GAP* + E[merge] |
Queen is overthrown and might be burnt (6) | SIENNA | Definition: might be burnt
Reverse of ANNE IS – Burnt Sienna is a pigment used in paints |
Feeling unwell, having no more classes (3,2,5) | OUT OF SORTS | Definition: Feeling unwell
Double definition – if you have no more classes (i.e. types) you might be said to be "out of sorts" |
Leading Grampian location, especially Nevis! (4) | GLEN | Definition: Leading Grampian location, especially Nevis
First letters of Grampian Location Especially Nevis, &lit – Glen Nevis is overlooked by Ben Nevis, which is at the western end of the Grampian mountain range. I can recommend the walk to Steall Falls if you're in the vicinity and don't fancy climbing the Ben |
As an au pair would at No 54 with a German (4,2) | LIVE IN | Definition: As an au pair would
LIV (54 in Roman numerals) + EIN (German "a") |
Repeated time and time again in new diet (8) | ITERATED | Definition: Repeated
T + ERA (another "time") in DIET |
In France I joined Sam, a dealer in diamonds (8) | JEWELLER | Definition: a dealer in diamonds
JE (French "I") + WELLER (Sam W, Mr Pickwick's servant) |
Young hawk and first eaglet, for example, soaring (4) | EYAS | Definition: Young hawk
E[aglet] + reverse of SAY (for example) |
How one might see there's no sulphur in wine (6) | RETINA | Definition: How one might see
RETSINA (wine) less S |
Round and round and round! (7) | OROTUND | Definition: Round
O + ROTUND |
Salts suggesting chivalrous legal claims (8) | NITRITES | Definition: Salts
Homophone of "Knight Rights" |
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