Toughie No 905 by Osmosis
I’d rather go to the Dentist!
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BD Rating – Difficulty **** – Enjoyment **
Probably the hardest puzzle of the week, but, for me, lacking in the entertainment department.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought. You can also add your assessment by selecting from one to five stars at the bottom of the post.
[NB This post has been restored from a back-up copy. Unfortunately the comments made on the day are no longer available.]
Across
1a Singer wrong to stick with a cunning comeback? (7)
{SINATRA} – a wrong followed by the A from the clue and the reversal (comeback) of a word meaning cunning
5a Herbaceous wild flower cut back, decays — pecked on the outside (7)
{BISTORT} – reverse (cut back) a verb meaning decays inside a verb meaning pecked
9a Bird close to exhaustion after party (5)
{RAVEN} – the final letter of (close to) exhaustioN follows a wild party
10a Language from punk regularly pelting Scotsman? (9)
{UKRAINIAN} – the even letters (regularly) of pUnK followed by a word meaning pelting and the ubiquitous Scotsman
11a Smeared foundation around part of face, on commercial (10)
{BADMOUTHED} – a three-letter word for a foundation around part of the face itself preceded by (on) a three-letter commercial
12a Bug Roger Moore secretly reveals (4)
{GERM} – hidden (secretly reveals) inside the clue
14a Artist appearing in print media, unusually (4,8)
{PIET MONDRIAN} – a two-letter word meaning appearing inside an anagram (unusually) of PRINT MEDIA
18a Politician at front of House, shivering, having passed Bill (7,5)
{WILLIAM HAGUE} – the initial letter (front)of House followed by shivering and preceded by (having passed) the name for which Bill is the shortened form
21a Classical leading man that finishes off screen ‘eart-throb (4)
{NERO} – this former leading man in the Roman Empire comes from the final letter (finishes off) screeN followed by a heart-throb without the leading H
22a Training in warmth extremely harmful, regarding athletics event (10)
{HEPTATHLON} – Physical Training inside some warmth followed by the outer letters () of HarmfuL and a two-letter preposition meaning regarding
25a One wearing reddish-brown redirected everybody seeing 1970s film (5,4)
{ANNIE HALL} – I (one) inside (wearing) the reversal (redirected) of a reddish-brown used for dyeing hair and followed by everybody
26a Broadcaster, on reflection, totally right in evening dress (5)
{BRAGG} – reverse (on reflection) the final (right) letter of eveninG and dress or attire
27a Two medical departments the latest to denounce coalition (7)
{ENTENTE} – repeat (two) Crosswordland’s usual abbreviation for a medical department and follow them with the final letter (latest) of denouncE
28a Occasion held outside where French get level (4,3)
{EVEN OUT} – an occasion outside the French for where
Down
1d Writer outside in sunshine clutches pen (6)
{SCRIBE} – the outer letters of SunshinE around (clutches) a pen or stall for oxen
2d TV channel set up in North America — this region? (6)
{NEVADA} – reverse (set up) a TV Channel that shows repeats inside N(orth) A(merica)
3d Violent end to demonstration raised complaint (10)
{TENDONITIS} – an anagram (violent) of END TO followed by the reversal (raised) of a demonstration (3-2)
4d Notice university supported by banks in light blue (5)
{ADULT} – the usual two-letter word for a notice followed by U(niversity) and the outer letters (banks) of LighT
5d European city boozer with tea? Yankee leaves area (9)
{BARCELONA} – a pub or boozer followed by a variety of tea from which the letter represented by Yankee in the NATO Phonetic alphabet has been removed (leaves) and by A(rea)
6d Mum’s supplied with hip bone (4)
{SHIN} – an exhortation to keep mum or quiet followed by an adjective meaning hip or trendy
7d Fat old couple eating enjoy life at the Italian (5,3)
{OLIVE OIL} – a pair of O(ld)s around (eating) a verb meaning to enjoy life and followed by the Italian definite article
8d House English chaps in temporary accommodation (8)
{TENEMENT} – E(nglish) and some chaps inside temporary accommodation
13d Bill put on sauce counter is subject to change (10)
{ADJUSTABLE} – a charade of a bill or poster, a sauce and a counter
15d Fair model, I’m not sure, over fifty? (9)
{TEMPERATE} – start with a model or pattern and insert a two-letter word meaning I’m not sure instead of (over) the Roman numeral for fifty
16d Pasty left among foreign booze, seeing theatrical performance (4,4)
{SWAN LAKE} – an adjective meaning pasty or anaemic and L(eft) inside some rice wine (foreign booze)
17d Music-player from Irish county keeping in tune primarily (8)
{CLARINET} – an Irish county around (keeping) IN and followed by the initial letter (primarily) of Tune
19d Prog-rock band with mansion oddly rejected Texan place (2,4)
{EL PASO} – a three-letter prog-rock band followed by the even letters (oddly rejected) of mAnSiOn
20d Head of gunners comes in to consider heaving man on board (6)
{KNIGHT} – The initial letter (head) of G(unners) inside the reversal (heaving) of a verb meaning to consider
23d Linguistic notation learner used during course (5)
{TILDE} – L(earner) inside a course or drift
24d James is academic (4)
{DEAN} – the surname of the iconic actor whose first name was James
I thought a lot of the wordplay was over-contrived.
