A Puzzle by Radler
+ - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - + - +
The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
Tough as one would expect from Radler but at least this time I managed to solve it all in one session
Across
1a Mass of cover for viewers outside grounds for cooking (8)
CORNMEAL: The front covering of the eye goes outside the abbreviation for Mass
5a Somebody who bothers about religious teaching (6)
PRIEST: A nuisance (someone who bothers) goes about the abbreviation for Religious Instruction
10a Chairs provided inside to take courses at home (3,2)
EAT IN: The inside letters of a synonym for chairs
11a Offered relations evidence retained by firm (9)
SOLICITED: Provide evidence ‘retained’ by hard (firm)
12a Broad area: track animals here (9)
STOCKYARD: Sturdy (broad), the abbreviation for Area and an abbreviated road (track)
14a Religious text from two Sundays (one in particular)? (5)
PSALM: The abbreviation for Sunday inserted into the name of a particular Sunday before Easter
16a Pictures brothers, one with caution (6)
WARNER: Some film-making brothers or someone who cautions
18a Policeman cancelled kitchen decorator ... (7)
OFFICER: Cancelled and someone who decorates cakes
21a & 23a. ... and his colleagues being young conservatives? (3,4) (2,4)
THE BOYS IN BLUE : This informal name for the colleagues of 18a could also describe young men in the Conservative Party
26a Telly programme (5)
KOJAK: A 1970s television series, the forename of the actor playing the eponymous lead character being “Telly”
29a Journalist shown nude boobs (9)
NEWSHOUND: An anagram (boobs) of SHOWN NUDE
31a Container holding trophy calmly emptied by old people in room (9)
OCCUPANCY: A container holding a trophy followed by the outside letters of CalmlY, all put after the abbreviation for Old
32a Drop in it after 75% pass (5)
VISIT: IT (from the clue) goes after three-quarters of an endorsement on a passport (pass)
33a Temperature station probes against screens (2,4)
TV SETS: The abbreviation for Temperature and a station, the latter ‘probes’ the abbreviation meaning against (often used when talking about football matches)
34a Fuel required, unless sad Ed's just seconds away (8)
UNLEADED: Remove all the Ss (seconds away) from words 3,4 and 5 in the clue
Down
1d Important person from age as one overseas (6)
CHEESE: Merge words three and four in the clue and you will see a word someone from overseas would use for the solution
2d Good reason to limit drink (9)
RATIONALE: A verb meaning to limit and a type of beer (drink)
3d Someone having haircut (3)
MAN: Cut the last letter from a bushy head of hair
4d Defeats easily, but not completely, thus lost (2,3)
AT SEA: Hidden in the first two words of the clue
6d Run over on limit (5)
RECAP: On the subject of and a limit
7d Run over (5)
EXTRA: Double definition; one of them cricket related
8d Italian returns to country away from northern coastline (8)
TIDEMARK: A reversal of an abbreviated Italian and a European country without the N
9d Flora's boy breaking violin string, scraped violin (8)
GLADIOLI: A boy ‘breaking’ or going between a G (violin string)and the inside (scraped) letters of vIOLIn
13d Cousins strip removing top ... (3)
KIN: Remove the first letter (top) from a verb meaning to strip
15d ... or bottom for slender runner (3)
SKI: Remove the ‘bottom’ letter from the verb in the last clue
17d Rich Harry earns ton (8)
RESONANT: An anagram (harry) of EARNS TON
19d Had group meeting gate-crashed by American wrongly accused (9)
CAUCUSSED: An anagram (wrongly) of ACCUSED ‘crashed’ by one of the abbreviations for American
20d Escort under suspicion of secret surveillance (8)
STAKEOUT: A verb meaning to escort goes under the first letter (suspicion) of Secret
22d I heard you would say this ... (3)
BAA: A homophone (I heard) of you – the solution being something that animal would say
24d ... or this, and I'm annoyed (3)
BAH: Another homophone of what the animal would say gives us an interjection of annoyance
25d Rising water level, England's boundaries rewritten (6)
EDITED: A reversed (rising) water level and the outside letters (boundaries) of EnglanD
27d American athletes and their supporters? (5)
JOCKS: An informal US sportsman and/or supports worn on a particular part of their bodies
28d Totalled £1000 per place (5)
KAPUT: The symbol for 1,000, each or per person, and a verb meaning to place
30d Right parts to gain admission (3,2)
WAY IN: Yes or right ‘parts’ a verb meaning to gain
32d Shirtsleeves, coats turned up like neckline (3)
VEE: Hidden in reverse (coats .. turned up) in the first word of the clue
I do enjoy a battle with Radler and this was certainly a battle. At one stage I had the whole of the bottom filled in with the top half completely empty. Perseverance paid off and I eventually got to the end.
I think I can parse all the answers except for 1d for which I’ll have to wait for the review.
Ticks from me for 11a, 18a, 34a, 7d, 20d, 27d and 28d.
Many thanks to Radler for the enjoyable challenge.
Raffle = draw, backs= supports.
I’m stuck on 24d
A similar noise to 22d is an interjection of annoyance
Are you confusing the NTSPP with Vintage 27? The wordplay you quote applies to 1d in the Vintage Puzzle.
Thanks again to Radler and thanks to CS for the review (especially for explaining 1d which earns me a good self-kicking).
A collection of NTSPPs awaited my return from holiday
This Radler puzzle certainly took longer to sort out than those from Starhorse and Meles combined – but that doesn’t surprise me at all… The other non-surprise was that the parsing of one clue eluded me (although perhaps I should be surprised that it was only one). Thank you to CS for explaining 1d – but I do note I was in very good company! In amongst all the blood, sweat and tears there were several favourites that emerged – the linked 18/21/23 and 22/24 plus 29 (hah!) 2, 7 (shortest clue ever?), 25 & 28.
Thanks for the fun challenge, Radler, and my thanks also to CS.