NTSPP – 213

NTSPP – 213

Is it really 20 years? by Vigo

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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

A review of this puzzle by crypticsue follows

Just to make us all feel our age, Vigo has produced a themed crossword to celebrate the fact that tomorrow marks  twenty years since a certain film arrived on our cinema screens.

Across

7a           Casino in Utah hosting revolutionary club (5)
{UNION}  An association or club is found hidden  and reversed (revolutionary) in casiNO IN Utah.

8a           Clasp strange English fans with pity (6,3)
{SAFETY PIN}   An anagram (strange) of E (English) FANS and PITY.

10a         Old city involved in bail out for underground venture (6)
{BURIAL}  The old Biblical city beloved by crossword setters everywhere is inserted into an anagram (out) of  BAIL.

11a         Bond‘s affairs exposed (8)
{ALLIANCE}   Remove the outside letters (exposed) of some amorous relationships.

12a         Blunder from the right involved Oxford University Society taking up a cause (8)
{ESPOUSAL}  A reversal (from the right) of a failing or blunder with the abbreviation for Oxford University Society inserted.

13a         Execute nasty boy taking drug (4)
{OBEY}  To carry out instructions (execute)   An anagram (nasty) of BOY with the abbreviation for the drug Ecstasy inserted.

15a         Covers a celebrity helping to make famous fashion label (7)
{VERSACE}   A helping or part of coVERS A CElebrity.

17a         Regiment goes to El Salvador to recover bodies (7)
{CORPSES}    A division of the army (regiment) followed by the IVR code for El Salvador.

20a         Fiancée’s odd expression (4)
{FACE}   The odd letters of FiAnCeE.

22a         Pleasure seeker appears good before a bad turn gets exposed (8)
{GADABOUT}  The abbreviation for Good, A (from the clue), an anagram (turn) of BAD and another way of saying exposed.

25a         Try to get to Northern Cayman Islands perhaps (3,5)
{TAX HAVEN}   Another way of saying to try or make heavy demands on ,  a verb meaning to possess (get) and  N (northern).

26a         Short one’s directly responsible for 7, 11, 12, 24 and 10 (6)
{CURTIS}   The person who directed the film that gives us today’s theme.  The order in which the themed clues are listed  is significant!    An adjective meaning short or concise followed by I[‘]S (one’s).

27a         American soldier wears coolest ensemble in green (9)
{ECOLOGIST}   Someone who concerns themselves with ‘green’ issues –   An anagram (ensemble) of COOLEST with the two letters by which an American soldier is known inserted.

28a         Grant‘s initial arrest is followed by charge (5)
{AWARD}   The initial letter of Arrest followed by a minor person looked after by a guardian (charge).

Down

1d           Tortured genius had cracked (9)
{ANGUISHED}   An anagram (cracked) of GENIUS HAD.

2d           Observes parasite in dock – original sinner? (8)
{MONITORS}   A parasite, the mention of which always makes my head itch,  inserted into a verb meaning to dock or make fast a ship, the result being finished with the ‘original’ letter of Sinner.

3d           Put up notice on furniture of a certain age (7)
{DATABLE}   A reversal (put up in a down clue) of an abbreviation for a notice followed by an item of furniture.

4d           Rolling in dough thoroughly to finish… (4-2-2)
{WELL-TO-DO}   An adverb meaning thoroughly, TO (from the clue)and a verb meaning to finish or accomplish.

5d           ..place mince across centre of fryer and turn frequently (6)
{GYRATE}   The ‘centre’ of frYer is inserted into verb meaning to mince or reduce to small slivers.

6d           Launch tenor and contralto in joint return (5)
{PITCH}   Launch into the air –   the abbreviations for Tenor and Contralto are inserted into a reversal (return) of a joint of the body.

9d           Guns changing hands for charity (4)
{ALMS}   Change the second letter of the weapons of which guns are an example from an R to an L (changing from a right hand to a left hand).

14d         Commercial peculiarly lacking lines has new content (9)
{PECUNIARY}    Relating to money.    Remove the Ls from PECULIARLY and replace the first one with an N (has New content).

16d         About to go around a Grand Canyon or Silicon Valley? (8)
{CLEAVAGE}  Lovely definition!    C (about) plus a verb meaning to go with A (from the clue) and G (grand) inserted.    The ‘valley’ indicated by the solution would, of course, have been made with siliconE.   I know,  certain other people would have deemed this an ideal opportunity for an illustration, but they will have to remain disappointed.

18d         Creep following local on progressive night out (3,5)
{PUB CRAWL}    A local hostelry followed by a verb meaning to creep.

19d         Worry about past that involves one original sin (7)
{AGONISE}  Insert into a duration of time (past)  a preposition that means that involves the matter of, I (one)and the ‘original’ letter of Sin.

21d         Hard one left in fear for some time (6)
{AWHILE}   The abbreviation for Hard,  I (one) and L (left)  are inserted into some fear.

23d         Avoid    amphibious landing craft (4)
{DUCK}   A verb meaning to avoid responsibilities or a kind of amphibious military transport vehicle.

24d         Light felt cold then hot (5)
{MATCH}  a piece of cloth like felt  followed by the abbreviations for Cold and Hot.

 

Happy Birthday and thank you to Vigo