Daily Telegraph Cryptic No 30830
Hints and tips by Senf
+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +
BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ****
A very good Wednesday morning from Winnipeg where borrowing some words from John Denver:
All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go (well almost),
‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane,
But I do know when I’ll be back again.
For me, etc (I have to say that for Terence), another entertaining and reasonably straightforward Wednesday puzzle, although there are, for me, two ‘weird’ clues – you probably know which two I am referring to. Is the setter Jay as might be suggested by 1a? Probably not, that is a red herring in my book. However, I was on pangram ‘watch’ but after checking on completion there is no Q in my grid.
Candidates for favourite – 13a, 16a, 23a, 7d, and 26d.
In the hints below, the definitions are underlined. The answers are hidden under the Click here! buttons, so don’t click if you don’t want to see them.
Please leave a comment telling us what you thought.
Across
1a Unfortunately Jay came in late, missing the end of feature film (8,4)
CALAMITY JANE: An anagram (unfortunately) JAY CAME IN LATe with an ‘E’ deleted (missing the end of feature).
9a Darkly handsome, Corbyn strangely overwhelms one (7)
BYRONIC: An anagram (strangely) of CORBYN contains (overwhelms) the Roman numeral for one.
10a Retired Arab drinking first coffee made by this person? (7)
BARISTA: ARAB from the clue reversed (retiring) containing (drinking) the abbreviated form of first as an ordinal number.
11a Wet weather right by road from Newcastle to Alnwick? (4)
RAIN: The single letter for Right and the number of the road, including direction of travel, to get from Newcastle to Alnwick.
12a Handle First Lady held in both hands (5)
LEVER: The biblical first lady inserted into the single letters for both hands – I’ll let you work out which way round they go.
13a Bill for the magistrate (4)
BEAK: A double definition – the second is an old slang term.
16a English trees? Nonsense! (7)
EYEWASH: The single letter for English and two three letter trees.
17a Nick caught rodent in school (7)
SCRATCH: All of the single letter for crickety caught and a three letter rodent inserted into the three letter abbreviation for school.
18a Beginning new climb (7)
NASCENT: The single letter for New and a nounal synonym of climb.
21a Former PM, force in development of Labour (7)
BALFOUR: The single letter for Force inserted into an anagram (development of) LABOUR.
23a Recess not approved? (4)
NOOK: Written as (2,2) a phrase equivalent to not approved.
24a Female isn’t commonly dim (5)
FAINT: The single letter for Female and the ‘common’ or informal form of isn’t.
25a Halt loads of money going west (4)
STOP: The reversal (going west) for a single word for loads of money.
28a At university, graduate beginning to enjoy higher status (7)
UPGRADE: The two word used to indicate ‘at university,’ an abbreviated form of graduate, and the first letter (beginning to ) of Enjoy.
29a Pop broadcast lie, fabricated (7)
LIMEADE: A homophone (broadcast) of two letters for lie and a synonym of fabricated.
30a VIP battered cane spinners (8,4)
PRINCESS ANNE: An anagram (battered) of CANE SPINNERS.
Down
1d Worry about place to put scrap firearm (7)
CARBINE: A synonym of worry containing (about) a place to scrap (or any other form of detritus).
2d State chains wildcat (4)
LYNX: A homophone (state) of a synonym of chains.
3d The Scottish play hard after BTEC and MA churned out (7)
MACBETH: The single letter for Hard placed after an anagram (churned out) of BTEC and MA.
4d Small computers Eliot put on board (7)
TABLETS: The initials of the poet and essayist with the last name Eliot placed after (put on) a type of board.
5d Charlie preserved meat (4)
JERK: A double definition – the first is a slang term for a fool).
6d Easy way to identify 30’s younger brother in the sauna? (2,5)
NO SWEAT: Somewhat of an essay hint and thanks to Gazza for providing the necessary help; not exactly GK as far as I am concerned. In a 2019 interview concerning his association, over several years, with an American financier and doubtful activities that he participated in, Prince Andrew claimed that he was unable to perspire, so, in the heat of a sauna he would be easy to identify. It’s in Wikipedia so it must be true(?) – Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal – Wikipedia – I must lead a very sheltered life!
7d Lad from granite city who’s quite beefy? (8,5)
ABERDEEN ANGUS: Guess a (Scottish) boy’s name (lad) and place it after the city NE of Dundee that is nicknamed ‘The Granite City.’
8d Novel, chapter1 p5: “Beast of Whitechapel” (4,3,6)
JACK THE RIPPER: This the best I can come up with – an anagram (novel) of CHAPTER and the Roman numeral for 1 and P and the answer to 5 (Down).
14d Desert animal arrived then left (5)
CAMEL: A synonym of arrived followed by (then) the single letter for Left.
15d Doctor unwell? That’s a bit boring (5)
DRILL: The abbreviated form of doctor as an honorific and a synonym of unwell.
19d Sulphur smell here exposed parasite (7)
SPONGER: The chemical symbol for Sulphur, an informal synonym of smell (bad), and the internal letters of hERe (exposed).
20d Catch 4 Down reportedly in swingers’ bar (7)
TRAPEZE: A synonym of catch and a homophone (reportedly) of the answer to 4 Down (in a recreational form).
21d British/Germanic settlers joined girl band (7)
BANGLES: The single letter for British and the Germanic settlers from Schleswig who took up residence in, for example, Mercia.
22d Expose Vogue scandal (7)
OUTRAGE: A synonym of expose (when revealing private information about someone for malicious purposes?) and a synonym of vogue related to fashion (the uppercase V is deliberately misleading).
26d Wee child leaving island farmer’s store (4)
BARN: The single letter for Island removed from (leaving) a single word for wee child (North of the Border and in Northern England).
27d A sign of submariner surfacing? (4)
OMEN: The reversal (surfacing) of a fictional submariner (created by Jules Verne).
Quick Crossword Pun:
HAUL + AND + OATS = HALL AND OATES
A little ditty which contains a ‘mild jab or two’ towards our Southern neighbours:
Another pleasant solve – we are being treated this week. I managed to solve three of the long ones around the border and that gave plenty of checkers. A couple were almost general knowledge such as 3d, which I solved after reading the first three words. I didn’t know the word at 9a meant darkly handsome. However, he was “Mad, bad and dangerous to know”. My COTD is 16a with its rubbish English trees.
Thank you, setter for the fun challenge. Thank you, Mr. Mustard for the hints.
Rather stupidly, I fell yesterday. No major injuries but I am incredibly stiff today.
Go easy on that cooking sherry Steve.
Hope the stiffness eases soon.
I hope you make a very speedy recovery, Steve,
Hope the pain soon abates, Steve
Try taking a bit more water with it Steve!
Oh dear. Falling is an awful sensation, I feel it for you.
My wife is usually with me and prevents any fall looking movement. I now call her my carer.Hope the stiffness goes quickly and no more falls occur.
Goodness, I hope you are soon better. A fall is the last thing any of us need. Thanks for the 9a information. I did guess it but LOL at the thought of that PM being darkly handsome. Your quote is very apt!
Please get well soon, Steve. A fall is the most dangerous thing for us youngsters!
Thank you all for your good wishes. I’m stiff and aching but the main damage was to my pride. Isn’t it strange that, when you fall, you immediately look round to see if anyone saw you? I was carrying a bucket of coal at the time so it is now strewn over the driveway. It will stay there for now until I can bend, 😊
Sorry to hear you had a tumble, I hope you feel less stiff soon.
Thank you, MTF. 😊
I feel for you having fallen a number of times in the last year, often due to my dog legging me up, but ones recovery time get longer as one gets older. Not that I’ve got anything against getting older, it’s infinitely better than the alternative.
Clue of the decade at 6d, brilliant!
This puzzle was a lot easier than Wednesdays of late, not really held up at all, this is turning out to be the easiest week ever, famous last words….
Having said that it took a while to see where the 5 fitted in to 8d, V perhaps?
but when I wrote out the missing letters on the page, all became clear.
My two favourites of the day (apart from 6d) were 20d and the lovely 16a, very amusing crossword.
Really good, managed it ok. The quick one almost stumped as I couldn’t get the European country in 6d. It should be European capital!!
I agree re 6d Quick Crossword. I’ll scroll down now to see if anyone else commented
A gentle puzzle with quite a lof ot GK but fortunately knowledege I possess, including that required to solve 6d.
COTD 6d as it raised a smile.
Very enjoyable, a bit harder than yesterday, so bracing myself for tomorrow.
A bit irrational, but I really liked 23a. 29a last in – not exactly a common soft drink, but there you go.
I found this a little less challenging than Twmbarlwm often is, but with just as much fun — so ideal! 9a’s darkly was a new meaning to me, which I’ll attempt to remember. And 1d was a word I’m not familiar with, and which I’m probably not going to remember — fairly clued though, so gettable (once I’d confirmed there isn’t a weapon called a ‘frebint’!).
My favourite is the trees in 16a. I also particularly liked 11a (that stretch of road must be a contender for the number of times making it a dual carriageway has been announced then withdrawn!) and 14d for its simplicity.
Thank you to the setter, and to Senf for explaining p5 in 8d, where I’d noticed the 4 letters I had left over but stupidly couldn’t work out how to get them from 5. Travel well, and see you on Saturday.
Do you know that he was today’s setter?
No, I don’t know — hence the intentional ambiguity of saying it’s easier than most Twm puzzles — which covers both that this is at the easier end of Twm’s range and that it’s by somebody else who sets easier puzzles than Twm does!
I reckon I could then have claimed to be right either way, by saying I meant whichever interpretation which turns out to match the facts — until you rumbled me, Jane! Now we’ll never know whether I would actually have been underhand enough to do such a thing …
(But it does feel like Twm to me.)
Blimey.
Your first word would have been enough, S.
Pot calling kettle?
Nice one, BL! 👍
Agreed!
An extremely fair shout, BL.
That whole exchange – priceless😂
It was a goodie.
To be relived on Saturday with a pint of mead in hand.
😊
This was a hoot with plenty of off-the-wall, left field clues that I thoroughly enjoyed….though some won’t.
I love the idea of 8d but I’m not convinced that it works or is it okay to just have the number 5 on its own? Maybe it is. Anyway ‘props’ to you, Senf, for working out the parsing.
I like what the setter did with 4d in 20d and 6d is indeed hilarious. The amusing 29a was my LOI as it took a while for the PtoD ® (Rog B)
I had the same thought as SC about changing 16a (an excellent spot by the setter). To avoid giving the game away with 28a, could the setter use ‘student’ instead of ‘graduate’ or is ‘student’ only for a learner (L) and nothing else?
My podium for this gentle midweeker is 17a, 6d and 19d.
Many thanks to The SAS. (Paddy Mayne was truly nuts)
2*/4*
As I understand it, when referencing another clue, as in 8d, if there is no differentiation required between Across and Down then the clue number on its own is perfectly adequate. Which is just as well as p5d would not have ‘worked.’
Thanks, S.
It’s good to know.
Ouch. I’ve only just noticed “left field”! Go to the back of the class.
In any event, if you must use such an awful expression, I believe it should be hyphenated …
I had no idea that this expression grated so much, RD. No one has ever balked when I’ve said or written it before.
Is it that bad?
I quite like it.
Luckily, being a very childish student, coming out with rubbish one-liners, flicking elastic bands and throwing paper aeroplanes, I’m already at the back of the class.
Great crossword, completed in ** time with ****enjoyment! Last two in were 29a and 27d, and favourite clues were 16a and 2d.
Thanks to Senf for the hints and to the setter for brightening up a dull Wednesday.
Well that was fun. 9a is a great word that I like to deploy myself from time to time, albeit with a slightly different meaning to today’s definition. I chortled at 21d, which reminded me of sitting around a black and white portable TV in a shared house forty years ago and admiring their work. 16a is very clever and the 6d/30a combo hilarious. Thanks to the setter and to Senf.
Very enjoyable crossword, easier than normal on a Wednesday. The answers to 8d and 6d were quite easy to work out with a few checkers, but like others, I struggled to parse them without the hints. Having got it now, yes 6d is brilliant. Other good clues include 16a, and also 20d. Thanks to the setter and to Senf for the hints.
Some difficult parsing roday,,particularly8d and6d. Thanks to Senf for the explanations. 1a was a good anagram and I liked the lego clue for for the prime minister at 21a. The COTD forme, however was the cryptic lad at 7d. Rhanks to the compiler. Was it Twmbarlwm.
For me, and I stress for me, this was a great guzzle. For years, I have been playing a silly game – can I complete the gryptic guzzle without making any notes on the paper? Reader, today was that day, and also means three days in a row without requiring help.
{The above is further evidence to myself that I am undiagnosed autistic (and/or Aspergers). There is plenty of other evidence, for sure.}
However, all this means I am King Of The World today*
Thanks to the setter and to The Man From Manitoba (all the best for your trip)
*Best wishes to Steve Cowling after his fall. I hope you have a speedy recovery*
*Prediction: tomorrow – I need help with every clue; no longer King Of The World
Thank you, Terence.
Other than last in 29a, where the answer required a head scratch before it popped into my head, this all went in fairly easily. Sorting out the 8d fodder did come after completion however. I’m sure Jezza would be thrilled with darkly handsome but doubt he’d sully his paws with a copy of the DT. Another vote for the witty 6d as clear pick of the clues. 16a&20d can have the other podium places & a mention for the Quickie pun – not really my cup of tea but deservedly Rock & Roll Hall of Famers.
Thanks to the setter & to Senf – have an enjoyable flight.
Hi Hoots
9a reminds me of the fourth subject that Feargal’s perfect cousin studied at university (55 secs in)…
corking lyric recall
2*/4*. This was quirky and good fun apart from the disappointing vague lad in 7d. I noticed it was a Q-less pangram but this is presumably irrelevant.
Twmbarlwm has been suggested by earlier commentators, but I’m not convinced.
6d was my favourite, and 8d is an amazing creation.
Re 4d, does A put on B mean B followed by A in a down clue?
Many thanks to the setter and to Senf.
I’m glad you mentioned that, as I had a big question mark next to 4d… it is a down clue after all.
My guess is that ‘put on’ can mean both with a down clue: ‘put on top’ or ‘put on the end’.
But, being a mere morsel, whadda I know.
Hi T
I’m no expert on DT setting etiquette, but I thought “put on the end” was applicable to an across clue.
I would of (you’ve got to hate that one) thought it would apply to both….’I like the tassel at the end of that curtain cord’.
But, as you say, we’re a pair of clowns who know jack about crossword etiquette but we could recommend a good Wimbledon boozer.
Very enjoyable with a really fresh feel and four forenames round the periphery – thanks to the setter and Senf.
I particularly liked 6d, 7d, 19d and 20d.
Good spot on the perimeter names — having solved those separately, I hadn’t noticed that! I then briefly wondered if the setter knew a group of 4 people with those names and this was a Nina honouring them …. but given the unpleasantness of 8d, I’m guessing not.
Quite common as a Christian name but far more exclusive as a surname 😌 I am used to seeing my first name used to indicate a Burnsian bird but I think it is the first time I have come across this. I love anagrams and 1a came to me before I had even finished pitting the letters in a circle and the something happened with 30. Is it really Wednesday? Yes, we had boiled eggs for breakfast so it must be either Wednesday or Saturday. Speaking of which I am glad your bags are packed and you are ready to go – I shall be wearing a bright pink coat, hoping there will not be too many of them on Liverpool Street station. 29a was last one in, 7d has to be my favourite. Many thanks to Messrs Setter & KISA Senf.
Good fun and took my mind off the cold during a power cut in the office. At least the time’s being used productively!
Excellent puzzle, not too challenging in with some great clues.
Mostly a gentle solve marred for me somewhat by 8d which seemed extremely convoluted for a back-pager. That was definitely a case of guess from the checkers and then work it backwards. Top clues for me were 16a & 6d.
Thanks to our setter and to Senf for bringing us the review despite his hectic schedule for today. I rather enjoyed your Canadian ‘ditty’ – nobody could accuse you of not having totally embraced your adopted homeland!
This was brilliant fun – 6d was a laugh out loud moment and was my COTD.
I thought this a very benign Wednesday offering but good fun from start to finish. I thought 9a an inspired clue bringing to mind all kinds of nightmares but somehow Caroline Lambs description of Byron is also apt. So many great clues to choose from, but my podium comprises 9a, 18a and 24a in top spot. Thanks to compiler and Senf.
Very gentle solve with only one hint needed from Senf and I will not reveal which one for shame at the embarrassment I would feel. Liked 18 and 30.
An enjoyable puzzle today with just 8d and 20d to tussle with the parsing of afterwards.
Top picks for me were 20d, 27d and 4d.
Thanks to Senf and the setter.
Oh fiddle. I see I have got carried away and put everything under a comment about peripheral names. Oh well, I put it down to the ongoing computer struggle which is beginning to wear me down.
Thanks to the setter and Senf. However I don’t understand the parsing provided for 29a nor the reference to “30’s” in 6d. Any help appreciated.
29a: If somebody broadcast “lie made” (on the radio, say), it would sound like the answer, a type of pop.
6d: It’s a reference to a brother of the answer to 30a — see Gazza’s explanation in Senf’s hint for the story if you don’t know it.
Thanks very much. Should have got the 30 reference after reading the explanation for 8d. 29a makes sense now.
Of course, you are all aware by now that I’m a bit eccentric but I’ve just taken this out of the bread machine and it reminded me of someone very much in the news the last couple of days. Same colour, same quiff. I cannot stop giggling!
Do I have to go on the naughty step?
I think that there could be more similarities than the two you mentioned! Go to the top of the class DG, definitely missing out the naughty step.
Definitely not the naughty step. Those of us over here need all the laughter we can get to see us through this.
And how, I’ve already had three apopalyctic fits, if that is not the right word, please feel free to insert your own.
So this Wednesday puzzle, (that I did and also wrote this blog on Tuesday in early evening), was not the norm for me as it went in so well. I am thinking this is not a Twmbarlwm puzzle as I have trouble with his clueing & logic.
For me, and maybe it is a stretch, I think it is very much like a Jay puzzle.
All went in logically and with good clueing, much like a RayT puzzle does.
1.5*/4.5* for me
Favourites 1a, 12a, 16a, 24a, 7d & 26d —with winner 7d
Smiles from 13a, 23a & 14d
I’ll go out on a limb with a couple of half-crowns found under the couch and put them on Jay and if I am wrong … oh well …it would still have been a good Jay puzzle.
Thanks to Jay(?) & Senf
Is 6d in the quickie an error or am I being a bit slow?
(Haven’t had a go at the cryptic yet 😃)
Yes – it’s a city not a country. 😊
Thank you Steve. Had me and Graymattinha quite perplexed. Quite rare to have an error in the quickie I would have thought? 🤔
Thanks Steve. I spent so long wondering whether I had entered a wrong answer! Couldn’t get the pun either as never heard of Hall and Oates!
A well known breakfast cereal, Hilary. 🤭
It depends on the source you used to access the Quickie puzzle. Are you using the paper paper?. When I was preparing the blog (last night, my time) 6d in the Quickie on the web site was and still is ‘European Capital (6)’.
In the paper, Senf it’s clued as European country.
A dogged traditionalist I’m afraid Senf. Still buy the paper version. I couldn’t even consider the thought of not folding the back page and writing in the answers with a pen. Graymatta Senior would turn in his grave. And poor Graymattinha has also inherited the pedanto-gene 🤓
I totally agree. Solving on a well folded paper so notes can be made in the margins is the only way.
Notes in the margin indeed, although I do also have a dedicated “cryptic crossword companion”, ie. Notebook (birthday present, set of 3 from Waterstones, courtesy of Graymattinha) 🤓
👍
My favourite was 6D. It made e me smile.
Other contenders were 16A (English trees) and 20D.
Thanks for your parsing of 8D, Senf. I guessed the answer and caught the use of letter of Chapter and I, but couldn’t fathom the other letters. I think you’ve cracked it.
Wow, a lovely Wednesday puzzle, starting off with the four, long outside clues creating a great foothold. Not the usual Wednesday setter would it be my guess. Could it even be Chalicea? Enjoyed it all, LOL at 9a. Big thank you to the setter and to Senf.
Sorry but I am being stupid here – 6d / what does the 30’s part mean ?
The solution to 30a
Thanks Sue – 🤭- I hadn’t got to that one yet !
I thought 20d very clever / swingers bar 😊 – in 29a my parsing I seem to have a spare “e” – I thought it was a 4 letter obvious word for fabricated after the first 2 letter homophone ?
It’s a homophone of two words — just like a Quickie pun.
In fairness, assuming that was our setter’s intention, it’s a very weak homophone of the second word! I suppose there must be an accent somewhere that would pronounce it in that way?
Jane, are you saying that ‘lie made’ and ‘limeade’ don’t sound the same in your accent? I’ve just said them both several times, and I can’t hear a difference. Now I’m intrigued as to how you pronounce them, because I’m struggling to think now they could be different!
On reflection, I think I’ve made a blunder, Smylers, my apologies to both you and Falcon.
On a much more important matter Jane what’s your verdict on the Welsh accent of Martin Clunes on ITV’s latest overblown drama
Is he meant to have a Welsh accent? As for the drama itself, I’m not sure that I want to sit through another four episodes. It seems, at the moment, to be far more about his son getting involved with a drug gang than anything else.
I wouldn’t bother if I were you & it’s not resolved at the end as another series clearly beckons
No worries — and certainly no need to apologise to me!
2*/3*
8d didn’t work for me but I liked the swingers bar, the English trees and 6d made me chuckle.
Thanks for the explanation of 8d Senf and thanks to the anonymous setter
I can’t believe I understood Twmbarlwm’s clueing without difficulty, so I wonder who set this delightful crozzie. That is not to denigrate Twmbarlwm, whose challenges I enjoy.
Thanks also to the bag packing Canuck.
I don’t think this is Toombarloom, I can’t understand a word of his. First I must thank Senf for his Canadian ditty, a laugh everry 15 seconds! I was amused by 6d. Only yesterday I was reading about King Charles attempts to evict him from Royal Lodge, there was a long story of how that came about … I hope I haven’t broken any rules here! I did quite well, but I shamelessly cheated with two, no chance of getting 8d. I liked 3d, 30a, but top choice is 9a’
Thank you setter for this super puzzle, but I did need your help Senf, so thanks for that.
I agree, Merusa. I don’t think this is the work of the Welsh mountain either. At least, I would be very surprised if it is.
I hope you are well within yourself as my mum in law used to say. 😊
I also liked the English trees, really clever clue. Thank you compiler and Senf
Good evening
First of all, don’t tell my boss, but I’ve done most of the crozzie at work today.
Secondly, how excellent to see God’s Country get a mention in the clue 11a. I will be there next week, halfway between The Toon and Alnwick in my home town of Morpeth.
Now, to the crozzie: note to self – do not hamstring yourself and blow your own chances in the SE quadrant by entering the answer for 26d in 27d’s space! As for the clues, I genuinely laughed out loud at 6d and 8d! My margin is full of workings-out for 8d, just like school Maths homework! These two are joint COTD; 16a comes third.
Many thanks to our compiler and to Senf.
Nice, quirky puzzle completed in average (for me) time. Had to snigger at 6d, and I liked the English trees, but my favourite had to be 21d as it my husband was rather keen on them back in the day! Thanks to Senf for the hints, which I needed for explaining a couple of the answers, and the setter.
Sending my sympathy to Steve Cowling – I’d happily pick up the coal for you but suspect I’m rather too far away?!
Thank you for the offer, Lanzalily but I don’t want you dirtying your hands on my account. After a day or so and some paracetamol, I should be able to bend low enough to collect it.
Crikey a Monday Crossword on a Wednesday how spiffing ***/**** 😃 My favourites are 12a,23a and 7d 👍 Thanks to the Compiler (you are welcome anytime 🤗) and thanks to Senf
I am still not sure which the designated two weird clues were
I completed this surprising Wednesday treat this morning but have only just had time to visit the blog. It was great fun with 16a my favourite clue.
I needed the hints to explain my answer to 8d.
Many thanks to the setter and to Senf for the hints.
Another great puzzle (great to me in that I completed it without too much difficulty!). My only delay was 9a was a new word to me, 29a but having got most of the checkers it couldn’t have been anything else and 21d as I couldn’t get lemonade out of my mind. Many thanks to the setter and Senf.
Loved this, favourites were last two in 20d and the clue of the year so far 6d.
Thanks to setter and Senf
Just me then as I found this tedious and difficult and downright incomprehensible in parts. I gave up on the toughie as well so maybe it’s just me having a bad day. I did manage to bung in the right answers though, monkey and typewriter perhaps. Too grumpy to pick a favourite. Thanks to the setter anyway and Senf
Thanks to the setter and Senf. We completed puzzle before looking at blog. Reassuring to know others struggle where we do!
What does 9a mean?!!! Stolen cheap pen?
Top clues 16a, 12a. Favourite is 7a washed down with 29a.
Some others scream the answers 8d, 3d and 7d, no skill required.
Rare for me to be the last post – a day late indeed😳😳. Was on Dartmoor yesterday so never got chance to look at this one until boiled egg and soldiers time today. A pleasant solve: I didn’t know of His Highnesses medical condition and rather assumed it was just an example of his standard waffle so no problem. Thanks to Senf and have a safe flight – and our setter Twmbarlwm if it be he.
3*/3* …
liked 9A “Darkly handsome, Corbyn strangely overwhelms one (7)”