A Puzzle by Meles
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid
Meles is in the NTSPP spot today with a very enjoyable puzzle, so many thanks to him.
Across
1a How running shoes might be laced (6)
SPIKED: Double definition, very nice
5a Lack of interest as one-way journey's ending (6)
APATHY: Indefinite article (one) plus a way/route plus the last letter of journey
8a Dammed musician with our piano, he's awful (7)
ORPHEUS: OUR P(iano) HE’S* (awful). Shame that there appears to be a typo in the clue
9a Maybe first selection from record in album (7)
ORDINAL: Hidden (selection from)
11a Think Goldfinger's prepared flashy display? (6,9)
FORKED LIGHTNING: THINK GOLD FINGER* (prepared)
12a Possibly a place for bats and clubs, replacing section of bar (4)
CAVE: Bar/except for, with the abbreviation for Clubs replacing that for Section. I'm not overly keen on this, firstly the comma seems unfair and “S of bar” seems a bit of a stretch but that might just be me
13a Heading for home, large rat in zoo runs along the ground (10)
HORIZONTAL: H(ome) L(arge) RAT IN ZOO* (runs)
17a Awful House Republicans provided dishonesty after starting late (10)
HORRIFYING: Abbn for HOuse plus that for Republican x2 plus provided/as long as plus dishonesty/fibbing minus its first letter
18a Tech company avoids progress, it's a bad look (4)
OGLE: The world's most famous tech company without a synonym of progress.
20a One very quiet, his backing understood by Edward to be innocent (15)
UNSOPHISTICATED: A charade of an informal one, adverb meaning very, the abbreviation for quiet, HIS from the clue, understood/implied rev and EDward.
23a Behaves contemptuously towards relative by marriage (7)
STEPSON: Split the solution 5,2 to reveal the wordplay
24a Retired couple enthralled by city break, primarily in the bedroom (7)
BOUDOIR: A couple/pair inserted into one of Crosswordland's favourite cities and the initial letter of break all reversed
25a Football action that's found at the start of article? (6)
HEADER: Cryptic/double definition
26a One of two, or one amid a number? (6)
EITHER: The letter that looks like the letter one inserted into a number in the sense of numbing
Down
2d Cover up with rag no more (5,4)
PAPER OVER: Rag here in the sense of a tabloid plus no more/done
3d Stink raised over games player wearing gloves (6)
KEEPER: Rev stink/pong and insert the usual games/exercises
4d Finally found our style dancing and randomly jumping about (9)
DESULTORY: FounD OUR STYLE* (dancing)
5d In a group of some wandering nomads heading north (5)
AMONG: Hidden and reversed (some/heading north)
6d Compulsive behaviour not about to cause a reckoning (8)
ADDITION: Compulsive behaviour/unbreakable habit without the abbreviation for about
7d Regularly head to unrivalled Asian capital (5)
HANOI: HeAd plus a way of writing unrivalled split 2,1
8d It's no time for skating when people are at work! (6,5)
OFFICE HOURS: Cryptic definition with a play on the first word of the solution, split 3,3. Very amusing
10d Tell grandee about money (5,6)
LEGAL TENDER: TELL GRANDEE* (about)
14d Possible to light Belgian poorly to limit appeal? (9)
IGNITABLE: BELGIAN* (poorly) limiting or containing the usual appeal. Can't make much sense of the surface read here
15d The tension's high when someone is on this! (9)
TIGHTROPE: Cryptic definition, with a play on different meanings of tension. Very nice
16d Got shot of detectives put in position (8)
DISPOSED: Abbreviated detectives plus put in position/sat
19d Declare innocent joke almost breaks law (6)
ACQUIT: A joke/witty remark without its last letter placed inside a law in parliament perhaps
21d Vegetable all of us would like ultimately, after seconds (5)
SWEDE: The abbreviation for Seconds plus an abbreviated way of saying “all of us would” plus the final letter of like
22d What's common to champion and wrongdoer? That's private (5)
INNER: Common letters of synonyms of champion and wrongdoer. Very nice
A very enjoyable puzzle – thanks to Meles.
I thought that we were heading for a pangram but I can’t find all the letters.
I presume that there’s a typo in 8a.
Top clues for me were 1a, 9a and 24a.
What a delightful puzzle, which was a joy to solve.
I spent too long over my last three or four in while struggling to fit in the two missing letters needed for a pangram, which never materialised!
I have far too many ticks on my page to try to pick a podium selection.
Many thanks, Meles.
Thanks Meles for an enjoyable cranial workout to start my Saturday that did require caffeine assistance.
Smiles for 1a, 23a, 24a, 26a, 2d, 8d, and 19d.
Thanks again and thanks in advance to Stephen.
Grand fun with lots to like. Honorable mentions to 1a, 8a, 11a and 24a, but cotd goes to 8d. Thanks to Meles.
Very entertaining … many thanks to Meles.
Favourites: 8d, 9a and 20a (that was a nice ‘un)
Thanks to Meles for this Saturday morning puzzle before it heats up here … 31C today is prediction.
Liked 8a, 11a, 13a, 15d & 22d — with 11a the winner.
Thanks to Meles again and to Stephen.
Another top quality very enjoyable puzzle from this setter. Our favourite was 8d.
Thanks Meles.
Didn’t quite finish last night but the last few simply flew in this morning. Most enjoyable; favourites were 11ac and 13ac.
Thanks, Meles and StephenL.
Like Exit we didn’t quit finish last night but enjoyed completing the rest over coffee this morning. We struggled to understand 12a but guessed the answer. Favourites were 8d and 1a. More, please, Meles. Thanks also to StephenL.
Thanks to everyone who solved and commented, and especially to Stephen for the review, very much appreciated. Apologies for the typo in 8a, really annoying when they sneak through. Hopefully will be back here before too long!