Crossword solution
to 2163: Muscle
The LITERAL QUINTET (13/22) was TERSE (37). 7A suggests ‘reest’, 40 steer, 5 stere, 6 ester, 19 trees and 26…
to 2162: Stand in
Superfluous letters in definitions form the phrase HOLD THE FORT. Thematically created entries at 5, 10, 17, 19 and 38 are defined…
to 2161: Appellation contrôlée
The unclued lights begin with DOC (the Italian abbreviated equivalent of APPELLATION CONTRÔLÉE). First prize Dennis Cotterell, Carlisle Runners-up…
to 2160: 18 down
The unclued lights are all CHARACTERS (18D) in Plato’s dialogues, all but SOCRATES (1A) appearing in titles. In six cells,…
to 2159: Wine, woman & song
The three groups associated with EMPEROR (24) were MOTHS (1A, 25D, 39), PAPER SIZES (9, 16A, 44), and PENGUINS (13,…
to 2158: Late bloomers
The unclued lights are the surnames of people (nine of whom were botanists) who gave their names to flowers. …
To 2157: Song X
If the grid were a TIMEPIECE (13/12), the six perimetric words (GRANITE, LIMESTONE, SERPENTINE, GREYWACKE, DALRADIAN and HORNFELS) might collectively…
to 2156: Shoreline
The perimeter is occupied by seven SANDPIPERS. First prize Tim Hanks, Douglas, Isle of Man Runners-up Hilda Ball, Belfast;…
2155: Poor Billy’s left out
The unclued lights are SIBYLS (the title was an anagram of BILLY’S with L omitted). First prize Judith Bevis, Newport,…
to 2154: Clickety click
The MUSICAL (33) BARON (29) Lloyd-Webber’s BIRTHDAY (40) was on 22nd March; he was 66 (hence the title). His works…
to 2153: Selling
Corrections of misprints in clues form the phrase BAIT AND SWITCH. Unclued lights are examples of bait (10, 16, 23,…
to 2152: T20
Each letter of each solution and each unclued light has to be represented in the grid by its numerical position…
Solution to 2151: Sources
The three theme words are CHAMBERS (12A, 16A, 40A), OXFORD (colleges) (24A, 4D, 8D), and (works by Wilkie) COLLINS (9D,…
Solution to 2150: Content
‘To fill the hour — that is happiness’ (given by initial letters of superfluous words in clues, and 3 4A)…
to 2149: Super!
When preceded by GREAT, each unclued light yields a phrase listed in Brewer 19th edition. First prize Mrs T.…
to 2148: Eighth of February
Unclued lights can each be abbreviated so that together they give the letters of FEBRUARY: FAHRENHEIT (19), EARTH (32), BASS…
Solution to 2147: Amazing Performance
Taking one unchecked letter from each across solution gives EXTRAORDINARY RENDITION, whose victims, according to Chambers 2011, include TERRORIST SUSPECTs.…
Solution to 2146: 4 ÷ 4 = 8
One 4-letter word is to be placed in the middle of another to yield an 8-letter solution: 6 ÷ 19…
to 2145: Two in a row
Each pair consists of two in a ‘row’ in a variety of meanings. PURL (14) & PLAIN (25) (line of…
to 2144: Leonids
The work was ‘THE TAMING OF THE (1D) Shrew’. ‘Shrew’ is suggested by 15, 27 and 33. The ‘Shrew’ of…
to 2143: Revising geography
The unclued lights are all geographical locations – paired as anagrams: 13/9, 23/28. 30/17, 34/6 and 42/33. (33 Down is…
to 2142: Wintry
Extra letters in clues give ‘wrapped in wild snow’, a quotation from a poem by ALEXANDER BLOK (10). Partially indicated…
to 2141: Megacant
The unclued lights are examples of super slang listed on pp 7/8 in the Word Lover’s Miscellany section of Chambers…
To 2140: Essex Man
The hero is Father Brown, appearing in column 3. ‘The Innocence (22) / Wisdom (15) / Secret (6D) / Scandal…
to 2139: Separated
The key word is BUTTERMILK (8), which can be separated into words defined by 15, 27, 40; 4, 23, 25;…
