Puzzle 29 Tricky I
Beware the curious twist on the alternation formula to open this new series. But otherwise a ‘friendly’ start to an evasive set coming your way.
1 Child-bearing yields Penny, oddly? (9)
6 Spike incorrect to change lead (5)
9 End of cacti pierced rambling peanut plant (7)
10 Book half-written by great biographer of Johnson (7)
11 Navigation tool consequently operated in reverse (5)
12 Angle to write? (4,1,4)
14 Covering most of 27-across (3)
15 Dismiss beauty as explosive (11)
17 Allergy trial to cancel cricket game (7,4)
19 Pagoda enshrines deity (3)
20 Dance till ruination of a romantic dinner (6-3)
22 Furtively examines grammatical roles (5)
24 Shackled, wearing mini, Ron stammered (2,5)
26 One footloose infant enters in the style of Persian hero (3,4)
27 Familiar parent, though backward (5)
28 Equals spy ring? (4,5)
DOWN
1 London diarist reported spies (5)
2 Obsolete SMS didn’t start in court (7)
3 Troop Finn deployed for charity (3-6)
4 Original bloke broke head lantern (11)
5 Rearing son to be hooligan (3)
6 Kiss a Turkish official (5)
7 Original bloke is upright (7)
8 Midas’ bloomer should he 12-across? (9)
13 Set up Whale Channel on air? (11)
14 Pain-loving chaos is rampant during 2000 (9)
16 Joining a tabaret, with a nude missing 14-down’s pleasure? (9)
18 Wrought iron art displays rose (3,4)
19 Secret police cited in largest apology (7)
21 Eccentric concentric? (5)
23 Exchange about $1000 for bog (5)
25 Drain blood (3)
You’ll notice a few more cross-references (as seen in 8-down), plus several spliced clues, such as 1-across. Welcome to the world of trickier puzzling.
1 See 28-across
5 Island apartment’s ATM panels (3,4)
10 See 23-down
11 Plots for the late adversary corrupted by gangleader (10)
12 Snug to a pig dwelling (6)
13 He believes coach lit crackers (8)
14 Open to query a bed—strange piece of furniture (9)
16 Dog, parrots, hawks? (5)
19 Hurt with a safari knife (5)
21 Bulldozers reach into bankrupt city (9)
24 Flaunt high-fibre breakfast? (8)
25 Don’t start please, OK (6)
27 Tom stopped charged routine (10)
28,1-across Wine conventions near Papuan city (4,7)
29 Puts away short boundaries to gain cricketing prize (7)
30 Water source handy with odd tyre changes (7)
DOWN
2 Lionel overtly covering Marley classic (3,4)
3 Parramatta sounded out old Wallaby skipper (5)
4 SPECTRE swiped moneybag? (8)
6 Meets fair Eliot (6)
7 P-perfect sound of fog? (3-6)
8 Old man is at fault with 9-down, say (7)
9 Old lady madly curled belt-holder for painter (6,7)
14 Decline party food (3)
15 Jason’s crew loves slang? Vice versa, we hear (9)
17 Spot unknown object (3)
18 Trash you’d recycle, losing nothing in island near 1-across (8)
20 Kinky pair on bed, pinkish … (7)
22 … yellow, bearing no end of outrage! (7)
23,10-across Heroic Dickensian ringlet, we hear (6,4)
26 Light recorder? (5)
Zs, Js, Qs and Xs spice up several junctions in this grid. Use those rarities to your advantage.
8 Freezing quiet surrounds speaker and I (10)
9 Locks in Thai restaurant (4)
10 Turmoil disheartened paramour dreadfully … (6)
11 … in revised fling—adult rating libido (3,5)
12 Gosh! One quest radiated glamour (8)
13 Divers occasionally those who renege (6)
14 Sardonic one in Clancy (Overflow) (7)
16 Shot at bait (7)
19 Block my site: Puzzled (6)
21 Contrary skill by broadcaster ace, reaching puzzle’s essence in Dixieland (4,4)
23 Outspoken eulogist not as high as Hawaiian volcano (5,3)
25 Pearl’s house destroys terrible couches (6)
26 Slight object lost footing (4)
27 Uber-cool UK field can swing (10)
DOWN
1 Prop up handy tracks for purplish stone? (8)
2 Secretary gets short kid to cough up (3,3)
3 Frank almost 16? (4-6)
4 Goof to lament favourite getting up (7)
5 Big-screen finale dumped lead couple (4)
6 Native American female opens cola with end of knife (8)
7 Change pirate? (6)
13 Mathematician, on leaving snake forums? (10)
15 I get 2000 coin, very out-of-place in store (8)
17 Hurry up bizarre Zaire restaurant (8)
18 Overworks melodies (7)
20 Cheap platter carries silencer (6)
22 Jack regarding reddish quartz (6)
24 Raise 1554 cm? (4)
You may need a 7-across to find all three puns clued here.
7 Organised defenders on borders offering this creature? (7,3)
9 See 21-down
10 Lattice current during Middle Ages? (6)
11 Prepare text in code, typo ruined on omission (8)
12 Jewel on axes (4)
13 Putting down infant with frog, jumping (10)
14 Clever dick sabotaged our helicopter (7,6)
17 Politician’s primary place to be?! (10)
19 Registered meagre rain (4)
20 Blood-soaked hip instrument (8)
21 Negotiate healthy, saddled horse (6)
22,3-down Soul music’s Cooke to come again, before me too (4,4)
23 She barely rode into history! (4,6)
DOWN
1 Firmly fix gent doffing cap to outspoken jerk (8)
2 Left off-limits virus by outflow (6)
3 See 22-across
4 Study of lines in the sand? (10)
5 An obvious mammal feature is weird (not odd) on aardvark, say (8)
6 Stirring proposal (6)
8 Rubbed up tie and buckles lacking oomph? (13)
13 Generously diverted tuna by land (10)
15 Detailed flower sign on holy beads (8)
16 Soul mate? Right-o! (4-4)
18 Add more rounds to dire ordeal (6)
19 Every year, pusher quoted temple (6)
21,9-across Cowboy’s classic time for drawing? (4,4)
A long phrase, a dash of opera, philosophy, literature, dance, maths, business and greengrocery—all jammed into a 15 x 15 box.
1 Snake Sect perverted views (7)
5 Shattered glass at prison camps (7)
10,6-down Hopeful glimpse, unless it’s a 4-down (5,2,3,3,2,3,6)
11 Revheads, the opera? (6)
12 Underworld boss clipped main love poet (8)
13 Dance, then carols are broadcast (10)
15 Barge angles stern lower? (4)
16 Sounded appalling to sample vessel (4)
18 Rake leaf to grip ground (10)
20 ‘Bale’ money for vintage Hollywood siren? (8)
22 Heavyweight gains edge over tea tycoon (6)
23 Slammin’ Sam stereotyping basic software (9,6)
24 Vehement how decimals are calculated on bottom line (7)
25 Dutch humanist, at times, gets result 17-down (7)
DOWN
2 Leaves foreign cash to accommodate ATM requirement? (7)
3 Transient record linked to house’s first Green, almost (9)
4 Coach’s alternative coach? (5)
6 See 10-across
7 Tenor tours across Milan-Zaragoza (5)
8 Marx getting rough with company fraud? (7)
9 How countdowns proceed to be ruthless? (4,2,7)
14 Cockney lad loudly evaluates Asian flower (9)
15 Leo, say, dispatches pointers (9)
17 Bewildered tots climbing after final walls collapsed (2,1,4)
19 Going wild, author embracing ecstasy?! (7)
21 Inferior argument rejected servile ends (5)
22 Successful dieter or also-ran? (5)
The quirky pattern alone should ring warning bells. This is one free-ranging puzzle. Enjoy the itinerary.
8 The way a Williams sister exchanged points (6)
9,2-down French soldier to cry foul by Pole, having mountain-climbing worry (6,2,8)
10 Fairway feature to follow on (3-3)
11 Suits 14-across mare’s gambol (8)
13 A gram wasted sweet wine, say, in aromatic mix (5,6)
14 Dictator’s recognised novel (3)
15 Make out impasse in 11-across (7)
17 Helper reverted to drip method in Israel (3,4)
20 20-down short gown (3)
22 Mabo claim event? It lit a reform! (6,5)
24 Apes bishops (8)
25 Heading into Nauru brickworks (6)
26 US writer at funeral spree penned shock ending (8)
27 Pressure 21-down’s neighbour, dispelling boisterous leader (4,2)
DOWN
1 Odd gear in designer jumper (8)
2 See 9-across
3 Function disrupts quiet historical building (6)
4 Engineering VIP cheery at barely resting (11)
5 Darn story related bogan hairstyle (4,4)
6,7-down Way for British navy bloke to make beer, as heard in 17-across (6,6)
7 See 6-down
12 Dad possibly attended, he’s stripping desk found here: (11)
16 Kits can’t deploy the basics (3,5)
18 Old hands check mounted trap (8)
19 Asian guerrillas coveting skirmish (4,4)
20 Scam toilet paper procedure? (3-3)
21 Outspoken cove to exhaust capital (6)
23 Travelled to foreign sea after uni (6)
I channelled my inner homie to create 15-down. And ‘messive’ apologies to any Kiwi solvers tackling 25-down.
1,11-across Powerful athlete spinning girl with feet (6-6)
5 Preface return of prize article for nothing (8)
9 Student services wreaked havoc (15)
10 Twisting ponytail in fireplace (8)
11 See 1-across
12 Maitre d’ welcoming turn to link seamlessly with hotel patron (5,5)
16 Lean inventory (4)
18 Harmony to sag in recital (4)
19 Hiker’s device for one on trails? Pity (10)
22 See 3-down
24 Want hornet half-stabbing leg? (8)
26 Perhaps one did more Lit by crash course? (10,5)
27 Provide tucker outside the Tube? (8)
28 Blondes ignore interior layout (6)
DOWN
2 All examine veneer: highly surreal Boyd (9)
3,22-across Announced restful street kid possibly producing rubbery gum? (5-6)
4 End of guilt trip results in flogging (7)
5 Adipose tissue, I guess, largely causes weariness (7)
6 Little flower fastener enclosing peeled bulb (7)
7 Turn cataracts into godsends? (9)
8 Girl intermittently skipped troop-ship to attend marine base (5)
13 Snarled at clock, wearing quiet garment for penitent (9)
14 Guru in casino finishes card game (3)
15 ‘Yo! Have a drink.’ (3)
17 Cake pan or vanity case? (6,3)
19 Old Roman wheels spy into bed (7)
20 Less clear how Scrooge held it aloft (7)
21 Embellished hearing began after attorney’s opener (7)
23 Rising fame nearly interrupted medical procedure (5)
25 Hikes with NZ fools by sound (5)
At first glance, this puzzle may seem closer to a Friendly grading. Until you try solving it. Fact is, I’m getting you 23-across for the Gnarly finale!
1 Last month, our foremost spirit dignified behaviour (7)
5 Indonesian island almost repelled river missile (7)
9 Grating quality vexed city nerds (9)
10 Brave partner belittled team win (5)
11 Stripped ego should expose demon (5)
12 Extolled outstanding court expert (9)
14 New Yorkers hugely drug-injected for delicate operation (7,7)
17 The wages of sin? (3-6,5)
21 Beg ‘Peter’ of fiction, perhaps (9)
23 Prepared fresh rye sandwiches and sides (5)
24 I get loud sticker from Arctic shelter? (5)
25 Trace call—it’s in disarray (9)
26 Felt excitement when model socialised topless? (7)
27 Botch email in steamy gym? (7)
DOWN
1 Style pundit prescribed intake (6)
2 Physical reef structure surrounds small hole (9)
3 Sport swimmer dropping in to see Santa’s helper (7)
4 Guillotine followed, absorbing terrible pain when used (11)
5 Glee just on your faces? (3)
6 Six (or it’s sixes and sevens) for guest (7)
7 Yahoos lowered water-flower’s pith (5)
8 Renegade nods away of late (8)
13 Somehow outer Brisbane seems anti-truancy (11)
15 Odd reminder prepared way for literary hoax of 1944 (3,6)
16 Locate code objective (8)
18 Where you may find butter running hot? (2,1,4)
19 Makes bubbly seawater, curiously lacking tungsten (7)
20 Pirate’s agreement to audit two in old Rome? (3-3)
22 Gown’s hem stitched—only synthetic? (5)
25 Showing up my blue (3)