Monday's puzzle was great fun, and I say that because I got ALL the answers. Look, no red pen! I also finished in under two hours. It had several cute clues and I only struggled with 16A, which was my last one solved. I particularly liked 1A and 13A. I had anticipated some Harry Potter questions upon seeing the lightning bolt in the centre, but no. Must have been some fluke.
Here's the pic:
1A - Samurais sometimes swing such sharp sabres! (6)
Stop! Before anything - look at that clue. Look at it...notice anything interesting? Oh yes we do! All the words begin with the letter S. Searching for a definition it's quicker to discount "Samurais" as there aren't many synonyms so looking at "Sabres" we can guess those S-words are leading us to SWORDS.
5A - Discard actors out of form? (4,3)
Definition is "Discard" and with a question mark you have to think puns. I know, it's painful but you can do it. A group of actors could be a CAST and when we're not on form we are said to be OFF. We get CAST OFF.
9A - Public relations: reef damage is in favour (6)
"Public relations" = PR "reef damage" where damage is our anagrind and reef the fodder. Mix up PR + REEF to get PREFER, a word meaning "in favour"
10A - Brandishing one in metal trade (8)
Definition is "Brandishing" and "one" = I and "in metal trade" = WELDER put the I inside that for WIELDER.
11A - Old person ordering size ten, ironic (6,7)
I got the first bit easily enough but I don't know how to parse the second. A synonym for "Old person" is a SENIOR and the 7-letter word is CITIZEN but how we get that from "ordering size ten, ironic" I'm not sure. I've tried evens and odds and anagrams but where is it? How is "ironic" being used here? Is "size ten" supposed to be a sort of homophone?
13A - Point weapon at Turkish extremists in heat (6)
"Point" usually means a compass point, but which one? "weapon" = ARM "at Turkish extremists" means take the extremes, or first and last letters, from Turkish to get TH leaving ARMTH and we're left with our definition "heat" so we'll use W for WARMTH.
15A - Certain liquids crack nuts (not uranium) (8)
This took me a while. "Certain liquids" is our definition. "crack" = SOLVE and "nuts (not uranium)"should remind us when we see an element we should take it's chemical symbol, in this case uranium = U but it's "not uranium" so we will take away the -U from "nuts" to leave NTS for SOLVENTS.
16A - Greens voters hide around in forests, it felt...(8)
I got this last. It is a container clue as hinted by the word "hide" and "Greens voters" is our definition, only we don't have a straightforward hidden word. No, even that is hidden. The letters are reversed in "foreSTS, IT FELt" for LEFTISTS.
18A - ...right to interrupt result as safeguard (6)
I had the cross letters and tried to find a synonym for "safeguard" with a letter R from "right" "interrupting" the word. ENSURE is our answer. I don't know how "ensue" (our answer -R) fits.
19A - Lucille loves grandma, Sorting mail for kid's party attraction (7,6)
The "Lucille" in question is BALL "loves" = O and "grandma" = NAN then "sorting mail" is a partial anagram with sorting being the anagrind. In this instance, "loves" means OO (Is that because loves is plural?) so we ultimately get BALLOON ANIMAL, something we may find at a "kid's party"
22A - Tyrannised and defeated one court ace Edward (8)
Definition is "Tyrannised" and I may have this cocked up but I think it's: Take the D from "defeated" and one = I, the C from "court" the A from "ace" and a short version of Edward is TED but that solution misses a letter T as the answer is DICTATED. So where does the middle T come from?
23A - Devo live! Take out ID to progress (6)
Follow the instructions. We have a bold statement to start and are then told to "take out ID" and when we remove those letters from "Devo Live" we get EVOLVE, a word for "to progress"
24A - Cricket score trial? 4,3)
Aw, yuck! A cricket question! I waited until I had the cross letters and guessed TEST RUN as an answer for this double definition.
25A - Nobleman enters top yacht twice annually (6)
A "Nobleman" here is an EARL and that word "enters, top yacht" which means take the first letter from , or top of, "yacht" to get Y but we need it "twice" for YY, then the EARL "enters" those to get YEARLY, a synonym for "annually"
2D - Term for the Western Ring Road (4)
"Term" is our definition and we want the W from "Western" "ring" = O and an abbreviation for "Road" is RD for WORD.
3D - In war, I fled gun (5)
We have a short container clue hint with "In" and we want a synonym for "gun" so look closely to see "waR I FLEd" RIFLE. I do wonder why LR didn't write "I fled with gun" does the word "with" alter the clue too much?
4D - Sniper who's honest? (8,7)
Question mark clues mean pun fun. STRAIGHT SHOOTER.
5D - Cattle around a road - they're easily spooked (7)
Definition is "they're easily spooked" "cattle" = COWS and add to that an abbreviation for road = RD, but that's a letter short. If we take the A and throw those together we get COWARDS.
6D - Terrific bowl from express courier? (7,8)
I'm not sure how this is solved. "Terrific bowl" gives me crickets. Tumbleweeds. Is this another cricket clue? Am I to think cricket and not cereal or soup? I got this as "anything from an express courier" would be a SPECIAL DELIVERY.
7D - Sundials and hourglasses for 11-acrosses? (3,6)
Looking back to 11A being Senior Citizens, what are "sundials and hourglasses"? OLD TIMERS.
8D - Cooler renters get mail from admirers (3,7)
"Cooler" = FAN and then I left this clue for a bit because I wasn't sure how "renters" fit in this but "mail from admirers" brought me back around to FAN LETTERS. So help me understand how "renters" fits this. **Sorry, a bit letter and I see now. It's a very British word usage. I get it now, slow on the uptake.
12D - Invents breath-freshener and hits the jackpot? (5,1,4)
Question mark clues! Gosh they're everywhere. How about MAKES A MINT.
14D - Disfigures silly metal suit (9)
Definition is "disfigures" and "silly" is an anagrind and "metal suit" the fodder to give MUTILATE. It also gives stimulate and ultimates, so a versatile word,
17D - Put boot into understudy (5,2)
Something of a double definition, I got it be looking at "understudy" = STAND IN, but I'd think "Put the boot into" would be STAND ON. Answer key says...IN.
20D - Smell of warm-centred doughnut from mum (5)
What is with so many puzzles having doughnut clues? Are these compilers all pastry fiends? Thinking cryptically now; definition is "smell" and "warm-centred" means take the middle letters from wARm for AR, a "doughnut" = O and "mum" = MA for AROMA.
21D - Corrupt England gets six on last ball (4)
"Corrupt" is our definition. Seeing a proper noun we usually (not always) take the first letter: E "gets six" means roman numerals VI and "last ball" means take the last letter from ball for L all together, EVIL.
Only 26 clues! Here's a puzzle where I would've been happy with more to solve. I like this feeling that I can win. It's much nicer than feeling like I'm a dunce.
Have a great day!
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