NTSPP – 136

Not the Saturday Prize Puzzle – 136

Just what the doctor ordered by Gervase

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If you have been to an S&B meeting in the Midlands or the North, you may, like me, have solved a Gervase puzzle on your way home.  BD

Today he makes his debut in the NTSPP series.

The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

A review of this puzzle by Prolixic follows.

HIGH ON DRUGS

It is always a joy to welcome a new setter to the NTSPP fold (as well as a finger biting experience for your reviewer as he wonders whether the newcomer will be wearing hob-nailed boots or pink fluffy slippers).

Today we welcome Gervase to our ranks.  Readers of a blog in another place will know Gervase from his postings on the Guardian crossword blog.  This first puzzle was a joy to solve and to blog.  Traditionally, setters often use drug references.  Gervase has overdosed with his clues with many references in the clues and the grid.  I hope that he did not research the subject too deeply when setting the crossword (or is having a speedy recovery in rehab if he did)!

Favourite clues are highlighted in blue.  Regretably, the answers to many of the clues afford limited opportunities for pictures this week!

Across

1 Weird dream of a missing squash (6)
{DEFORM} – A word meaning to squash comes from an anagram (weird) of DREAM OF after removing the A (missing).

5 Praise a book on making a drug (8)
{LAUDANUM} –A type of drug comes from a word meaning praise followed by the A in the clue and the abbreviation for one of the books of the Bible.

9 Quote work back in verse (6)
{POETIC} – Take a word meaning quote and an abbreviation for  work.  Reverse them (back) to find a word meaning in verse.

10 Distributing ‘grass’ about – cannabis, put another way (8)
{REHASHED} – Put a word for grass (in the botanical sense of the word) around a word for cannabis to find a word meaning put another way.

11 Strong concern (4)
{FIRM} – A double definition with concern here meaning a business or company.

12 Soldiers leave their post.  Traitors! (6,4)
{DESERT RATS} – The soldiers famed for their role in the North African theatre of war come from a word meaning leave their post followed by a word meaning traitors.

13 Brew made with no spirit (6)
{DAEMON} – An anagram (brew) of MADE NO gives a word meaning a spirit.

14 Drug, good for the ambitious (8)
{ASPIRING} – A common drug used as a painkiller followed by the abbreviation for good gives a word meaning ambitious.

16 Drug dealer’s quick to conceal injury (8)
{PHARMACY} – Another word for a chemist (drug dealer) comes from a word meaning quick inside which (to conceal) is a word for injury.

20 Take classical directions (6)
{RECIPE} – A cryptic definition of the classical word or direction used by chemists as the word for take (often abbreviated to R).

23 Ruffians, drunk and disorderly – result: gaol (5,5)
{LAGER LOUTS} – An anagram (disorderly) of RESULT GAOL gives a phase for drunken ruffians.

25 Phosphorus, bad in drug formulation (4)
{PILL} – A form in which drugs come (from a chemist) comes from the chemical symbol for phosphorus followed by a word meaning bad.

26 Sent back blend of pure drug containing another (8)
{REPULSED} – An anagram (blend) of PURE followed by LSD around the abbreviation for ecstasy (containing another) gives a word meaning sent back.

27 Bill to allow drug formulation (6)
{TABLET} – Another form in which drugs come (from a chemist) comes from a word for a bill (often run up in the bar) followed by a word meaning to allow.

28 Drug has different form in the Orient (8)
{MORPHINE} – This drug comes from putting a word meaning different form followed by the IN in the clue and the abbreviation for the Orient.

29 That girl’s about – so is Jenny (3-3)
{SHE-ASS} – Another word for a Jenny (female donkey) comes from putting a two letter word meaning so inside the pronoun meaning that girl’s.

Down

 2 Girl up to featuring in sensual productions (7)
{EROTICA} – Reverse (up) the word TO and put it inside (featuring in) a girl’s name to give a description of sensual productions.

3 The best plump old lady I entertained (7)
{OPTIMUM} – A word meaning the best comes from a word mean plump or choose followed by a word for an old lady (or a young one come to that) inside which (entertained) you put the letter I.

4 Land amid ocean waves (9)
{MACEDONIA} – An anagram (waves) of AMID OCEAN gives the name of a land.

5 Cellar is safe refuge for girl (7)
{LARISSA} – A girl’s name is hidden inside (refuge) the words CELLAR IS SAGE

6 Court official beheaded drug dealer (5)
{USHER} – A word for a drug dealing with the first letter removed (beheaded) gives the name of a court official.

7 He provides policy for river in 2920 (7)
{ASSURER} – Take another name for a donkey (the second part of the answer to 29a and the abbreviation for the answer to 20a then put the name of a river between them,to find the name of a person who provides an insurance policy.

8 A Parisienne headed a number left over (7)
{UNEATEN} – Put the French feminine form of A over (headed) the A in the clue and a number for a word meaning left over.

15 Lice present in army camps? (9)
{PARASITES} – A word describing lice and other pests would, if split 4,5, possible represent army camps where paratroopers may stay.

17 Push–pull! (5-2)
{HEAVE-HO} – a double definition for a word that means push (in the sense of being dismissed from your job) or (when called out in a tug-of-war match) means pull.

18 Supply fresh gear (note witticism about drug) (2-5)
{RE-EQUIP} – A word meaning to supply fresh gear comes from one of the notes in the musical scale followed by a word for a witticism.  Inside this you put the abbreviation for ecstasy to find the answer.

19 It’s said solver’s expected what solver’s owed (4,3)
{YOUR DUE} – Homophone of YOU ARE DUE (solver’s expected) give a phase that described what you are owed.

21 Qualified seaman may be wearing hat (7)
{CAPABLE} – A word meaning qualified or experienced comes from putting a word for a hat on top of a word for a type of seaman.

22 Chickens – with surprise they’re announced as a journalistic award! (7)
{PULLET} – Another word for chickens would if it had surprise added to the end give a homophone for Pulitzer Prize (a journalistic award).

24 Drink for tailless dog (5)
{LASSI} – Take the name of a well known dog who features in many films and remove the last letter (tailless) to give the name of a drink.