MPP No 082

A puzzle by Prolixic

 

The instructions said:  A number of solutions contain a common feature and a smaller number of solutions have the opposite feature. What is the total number of solutions in question? The clues give an additional hint about the feature that you are looking for.

The consonants in 15 solutions appear in alphabetical order or reverse alphabetical order . Because the solution to 28a  has a repeated consonant, the Official Adjudicator also accepted 14 as a correct answer to the question.

The additional hint is revealed when you notice that the first letter of each clue spells out LOOK AT THE ORDER OF THE LETTER ENTRIES

Congratulations to this month’s winner – John Bee- who wins a Telegraph puzzles book of his choice.

Across

1a     Lord‘s leading after check with rook (6)
CHRIST – CH (check) and IST (first, leading) with R (Rook) inserted

4a    Offer the greatest support following everyone else? (8)
BACKMOST– BACK [the] MOST (offer the greatest support

9a     Officer leaves executive head of university (6)
RECTOR – DI (Detective Inspector, officer) leaves DIRECTOR (executive)

10a     Kinky Shah with a gin and port (8)
SHANGHAI – An anagram (kinky) of SHAH with A GIN

12a    Archdeacon in French city ousting nationalist retaliators (8)
AVENGERS – VEN (archdeacon) found in the French city of AnGERS (in place of the ousted N for Nationalist)

13a    Terribly pompous people relaxed entering The Bahamas (6)
BLIMPS – LIMP (relaxed) entering BS (The IVR Code for the Bahamas)

15a     Two notes towards the end (4)
LATE – LA and TE (two musical notes)

16a     Hideous play about author on the face of it (10)
APPARENTLY – An anagram (hideous) of PLAY ‘about’ PARENT (author)

19a    End of serious dice game involving lavish tips (10)
SCRAPHEAPS – the S at the end of serious, CRAPS (dice game) ‘involving’ HEAP (lavish)

20a     One owned by Mary and the French doctor (4)
LAMB – LA (French definite article) MB (Bachelor of Medicine, doctor)

23a     Ruined race with editor (6)
DASHED – DASH (race) ED (editor)

25a    Displays a contemptuous look describing a king’s footwear (8)
SNEAKERS – SNEERS (displays a contemptuous look) describing or going round A (from the clue) K (king)

27a     Equine event venue involved with the cops (8)
CHEPSTOW – An anagram (involved) of W (with) THE COPS

28a    Reach American communications company with key international number (6)
ATTAIN – ATT (American communications company) A (musical key) I (international) N (number)

29a    Outrageous tragedian dismissing one amateur star (3,5)
RED GIANT – An anagram (outrageous of TRAGEDIAN once you have ‘dismissed’ I (one) A (Amateur)

30a     Father Time pursues Peers (6)
PRIEST – T (time) pursues or goes after PRIES (peers)

 

Down

1d     Trim back of dog? (7)
CURTAIL – CUR TAIL (back of dog)

2d    Hero of Bronte has traveller carrying casket for Victor (9)
ROCHESTER – Swap the V for Victor in a ROVER (traveller) with a CHEST (casket)

3d     Excessive drinker – one may follow Victoria (6)
SPONGE – If Victoria is a cake….

5d     Long to be embraced by teachers (4)
ACHE – Lurking in (embraced by) teACHErs

6d    Electronic device limiting current and resistance is more helpful (8)
KINDLIER – KINDLE (electronic device) ‘limiting) I (electrical current) and followed by R (Resistance)

7d    Type of writing produced by old German thespian (5)
OGHAM – O (old) G (German) HAM (thespian)

8d     Try this cocktail, it’s dry (7)
THIRSTY – An anagram (cocktail) of TRY THIS

11d     Extended highlight in two parts (7)
TRIPLED – In two parts tells you to split high and light – TRIP (high) LED (light)

14d    Rotational movement travelling faster than the speed of light (7)
WARPING – Double definition

17d     Excited ad-men rate Elastoplast? (9)
TRADENAME – An anagram (excited) of AN MEN RATE

18d    Night time entertainment with a family briefly going round Fleet Street? (5-3)
APRES-SKI – A (from the clue) KIn (family ‘briefly’) going round PRESS (Fleet Street?)

19d     Tipple bars regularly mixed with cider (7)
SIDECAR – An anagram (mixed) of the regular letters of bArS and CIDER

21d    Revolutionary sailor has to pose holding opponents helmet (7)
BASINET – A reversal (revolutionary) of AB (sailor) with SIT (to pose) holding N E (opponents in a game of bridge)

22d    I should be wearing hose as one providing service (6)
WAITER – I (from the clue) inserted into (wearing) WATER (hose as a verb)

24d     Employ feature of Foucault’s pendulum (5)
SPEND – A feature of FoucaultS PENDulum

26d    Stamp name for Penny(4)
COIN – A verb meaning to stamp; to name; or a piece of money such as a penny

Thanks to Prolixic and the BDs for their parts in the March competition proceedings