Puzzle 45 Themer I
These last six puzzles come with a theme, or carry instructions that influence the clues in some way. Let’s begin with a mild ‘themer’ owning a subset of interconnecting answers.
1 Boy’s finishing for love in current style, usually (9)
6 Spotted one laughing aboard dinghy, enamoured (5)
9 Grease—the painting? (3)
10 Flavour source available, processed with fennel core (7,4)
11 After 51, count bungled print design (7)
12 Photographic pioneer guy beside the point (7)
14 Sack Labour fizgig (8)
16 It has ears—half ears—and a bit of eye (6)
18 Love commercial muck (6)
19 Alcoholic radical led a nasty, fiendish mister (8)
21 Girl is confusing aces with jack (7)
22 Unravel at Xmas time when drunk, we hear (7)
25 Organic supply shop came top for mulching (7,4)
27 Briefly pursue old invader (3)
28 Partial stratagem most rejected in battle (5)
29 Van Gogh had this biscuit (6,3)
DOWN
1 Fish a pest on line? (5)
2 13-down star finally visited city’s 7-down, 24-down, 26-down and … (11)
3 … municipal figures known to Caesar (5)
4 Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is chronic! (4-4)
5 Cried out deeply (6)
6 Jewel in The Crown a plot marker? (9)
7 Examine tuber bud (3)
8 A nun discontented with beer in Sydney’s inner west (9)
13 May, say, hold one call from 1-across, regarding old comic troupe (5,6)
14 Wave lifts pancakes (9)
15 Line-up, maybe, is more disturbing (9)
17 Sponge on club (8)
20 Explorer announced passion to travel north (6)
23 Wood fuzz mentioned (5)
24 Edict withstanding revolution (5)
26 She has a change of heart in America (3)
Here’s our first encounter with a standfirst—the crossword-term for any instructions sitting above the puzzle’s clues. As you’ll read, all Across answers are related, and thus their clues avoid any definition. (Hence wiser solvers will attack the Down clues first.)
(NB: Answers to all Across clues share a theme, and go otherwise undefined. Down clues are normal.)
ACROSS
8 Alpha twice interrupts Mr Average? (8)
9 Is dramatic 19-down retrograde? (6)
10 Backed one household cleaner (4)
11 Pole-axe rebel leader during another struggle (5,5)
12 Drug and Alcohol Unit (6)
14 Smooth 24-down capering within (8)
15 Arteries stemmed injury (7)
17 An animated explorer on podcast? (7)
20 Gets this copy bias universally trimmed (8)
22 Zipper heard? (6)
23 Report lashed out (10)
24 Aqualung discovered (4)
25 Criminal core grasps one rule (6)
26 Model helper holds boxer back (8)
DOWN
1 Literary recluse needing walls in beleaguered 9-across (8)
2 A pointless 25-across leads to … (4)
3 … themed entry coin (6)
4 Tree announcing another themed entry (7)
5 Aristocratic Spooner to purchase trumpet (4-4)
6 Sweet cereal of poor lost rogue? (5,5)
7 RGN in sound or sea? (6)
13 Hood’s hood? (10)
16 Misshape blurry focus (8)
18 Brainstorms plus storm front (4,4)
19 A gag implicit in this compiler’s grandeur (7)
21 It dangles a graduate in costume, cryptically (3-3)
22 Are the cooks to prepare leftovers? (6)
24 Pass trainer’s first horse (4)
If you’re unfamiliar with 19-across, this puzzle may beat you. Then again, every related clue gives you the raw material you need for success …
1 A harvest (and what may store it) seen from behind Greek temple (9)
6 Dated writer virtually encaged a bird (5)
9 A daughter to 5-down emerged (5)
10 Two-thirds of season fulfilling old Greek writer of 19-across (3,6)
11 13-down’s eldest oddly 
couple? (6)
12 She constantly disputes ice-breaker breaking off metal now and then (8)
14 5-down’s middle child (cruel sot) left 19-across destitute (3)
16 Strew ill-skewered herbicides (11)
19 Novel influence deters rupture internally (11)
20 Yoghurt brand to go downhill (3)
21 Fans err terribly, wearing Proteas cap showing coarse plant (4,4)
23 11-across’s sister lives in denial, eating the wrong way (6)
26 Supports tether/ … (9)
27 … or paddock fences removed by 13-down’s wife (5)
28 Linger, exchanging ring for a partner of 5-down (5)
29 Mini-vehicle has a cruel prang involving three bees in the air? (6,3)
DOWN
1 Papa (the ticklish lodger) lacking interest (9)
2 Sit for torso, bust (5)
3 Took an early look, and quietly criticised … (9)
4 … topless Fonda film, with strings attached? (4)
5 Power grass-cutters without 19-across patriarch (3,7)
6 Prompt 13-down’s son (5)
7 Lawyers at contests ousting upstart (9)
8 Recluse more akin to 13-down’s first son? (5)
13 19-across patriarch arranged trees among shops, over brick veneer (6,4)
15 Flaky coal drips, carrying excess fluid? (9)
17 Oil-well model twice blasted slight European hooter (6,3)
18 He whines to vendor keeping French wine skyrocketing? (9)
21 6-down’s sister getting old boy dressed (5)
22 Suspicious of 19-across survivor? (5)
24 Hearts of resilient Saracens touching on hip? (5)
25 22-down son to 5-down? (4)
Not just a standfirst, this puzzle also owns several rule-pushing clues (such as 8-across and 15-across), making this teaser as tortuous (and torturous) as they come.
(NB: Answers to all the Across clues share a theme, and go otherwise undefined. Down clues are normal.)
ACROSS
8 Large axe? (8)
9 Model wearing bright … (6)
10 … retro belt (4)
11 Regular guys (men) had set pieces (10)
12 Debate losing steam from the outset (6)
14 Disorderly 2-down 24-down (8)
15 Candy stick? (7)
17 Crookedly handling barbed-wire? (7)
20 Strip booty for Spooner (8)
22 Money-clip in Job Centre (6)
23 Linen wasn’t crumpled (4,6)
24 Gutless 17-across move (4)
25 A speed beyond 1000 (6)
26 Square legs (8)
DOWN
1 Most stick up for city leaders fleeing (8)
2 23-across force detailed payola (4)
3 Ways to finish snags? (6)
4 Lee’s aim deviated 1829 metres (3-4)
5 Adventure excites on vacation, getting a dwelling within castle walls (8)
6 Feature of Cagney’s angels and ribald fire-front experts (5,5)
7 Tax accounts lack an over-the-top application (6)
13 Harry, Alice, Donna, Scot (10)
16 Cleaned up a perfect score, destitute? (8)
18 Figures smooch, soon head over heels! (8)
19 Call centre abandoned, having reported duplication (7)
21 A crude vessel carrying a Palestinian statesman, once (6)
22 Returned aboard airman’s second plane (6)
24 Cut drug run (4)
Some clues are starred this time, while the grid has its own instructions. No wonder this crossword occupies the book’s pointy end. Look both ways!
(NB: You must solve 15-across before entering related answers to the starred clues, each lacking a definition element.)
ACROSS
*7 Expecting a replacement for tenderfoot (7)
*8 Crank letters (7)
10 Lure to give line distortion (8)
11 Copper plus iodine contributing to weird radioactive element (6)
12 Devotee’s heart forbidding bouquet (5)
*13 Some music I do, I represent revolution (8)
15 Avenge her talents, but fail (4,3,6)
17 Obedient blokes in detox group depressed to miss turn (8)
*19 Sailor initially jettisoned bark’s contents (5)
*22 Hit the smorgasbord? (6)
23 Mutant spawning bird feature (8)
*24 Mystical Orient’s interior (7)
*25 Spanish mackerel catcher? (7)
DOWN
*1 Guessing four (or six) off (6)
*2 Minor law, say (8)
3 Ends of purer merino improving class jumpers? (5)
4 Chisels lop back a Hill End gem (5,4)
5 Unlimited sum steadier for Shylock (6)
6 Wins shirt worn to cover ref (8)
*9 The Spanish doctor I’m joining in Wild West (6-5)
14 Way-out side stole paddle-wheeler (9)
15 Plane figures pin up 25-across material after facelifts (8)
*16 Suspect falls? Boo! (8)
*18 One orally spluttered upon?! (6)
20 Cottoned on fast, grasping either Karl Marx essence (6)
21 Virtuous harpist, in fury, swapped hands (5)
What theme would you deem a dream conclusion for Rewording the Brain?
(To reword your brain, the letters occupying the shaded squares will be overlooked by their respective clues’ wordplay. Every other clue is normal.)
ACROSS
1 Fresh against Christmas season wrapping (5)
4 Hotspots? They order locks (9)
9 We contribute to online workshop (7)
10 Rank desserts, reviewed with hesitation (7)
11 Like piranha lessening shock on one exposed bank (9)
12 It’s essential to test opinion! (5)
13 Boring years, twice losing energy in prison (6)
15 Finally you had to loosen locks (7)
17 He made a scale more loaded, carrying ton (7)
19 Revealing bigfoot (6)
22 Contemporarily oppose poetry? (5)
23 Darned pro in spin?! (3,6)
25 Outflow edging sort of trout? (7)
26 12-across mentioned Audrey Hepburn’s title role (7)
27 Incessant greediness sadly raging (6,3)
28 Oz painter nearly owns odds to make comeback (5)
DOWN
1 1-across piece for Seinfeld character (6)
2 Electrifying box from below (7)
3 Perversely love to try language (5)
4 Larger university shredded Herald? (9)
5 Playwright unmasked writers on Central Avenue (5)
6 Barer grub (fritters) here?! (6,3)
7 Girl picked up a summery glow at quiet end of Cronulla (7)
8 Siberian dogs wagged some days (8)
14 Flaming seabird crossing Black Island to waste vessels (6,3)
15 Made for the city, unlike 1-across (9)
16 OT book favouring rock and roll, for example (8)
18 Unloaded cartridge firearm (7)
20 Tricked up Latin for wedding … (7)
21 … or European-sounding decree (6)
23 Make peace with Scottish distiller? (5)
24 Former Israeli PM offers nothing cryptic! (5)