The solved grid
1P
A
2R
S
3N
I
P
4C
A
5R
O
6B
E
U
A
A
A
U
7D
E
N
I
M
8A
L
B
E
D
O
S
A
T
E
R
B
I
B
9N
A
I
A
D
10T
E
A
R
I
L
Y
T
S
I
G
S
11H
O
12P
E
C
H
E
S
13T
14S
U
H
O
P
15I
N
16T
E
M
P
O
17M
A
N
G
O
N
W
P
K
I
N
N
18S
P
A
R
K
L
E
19F
R
E
E
D
E
N
I
F
A
E
20T
I
G
O
N
21V
E
S
T
U
R
E
Across
1 Across Root vegetable formed as rap pins twisted (7) → PARSNIP Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “RAP PINS”.
4 Across Pod found amid Mecca robbed (5) → CAROB Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “Mecca robbed”.
7 Across Germany, briefly, joined to a strategy game creates tough fabric (5) → DENIM Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 2 and 3 letters long.
8 Across Priestly robes clutching old Tokyo give measures of reflectivity (7) → ALBEDOS Container
Put a 3-letter run inside a 4-letter word.
9 Across Turned back, Dai an is a water nymph (5) → NAIAD Reversal
Reverse a run of letters to build the answer, which begins with “N”.
10 Across Reality shattered, weepily (7) → TEARILY Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “Reality”.
11 Across The epochs, confused, form a bridal trunk (4,5) → HOPE CHEST Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “THE EPOCHS”.
15 Across Electromagnetic pulse trapped inside an enthusiastic mood, exactly on beat (2,5) → IN TEMPO Container
Put a 3-letter run inside a 4-letter word.
17 Across Monkeys and nightjars gather overhead, initially, for tropical fruit (5) → MANGO Initialism
Take the first letter of each: Monkeys, and, nightjars, gather, overhead.
18 Across Fizz in a glass of prosecco, or great vivacity (7) → SPARKLE Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
19 Across Forte joined to a waterside plant, released (5) → FREED Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 1 and 4 letters long.
20 Across Game of tag, when switched on, creates a big cat hybrid (5) → TIGON Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 3 and 2 letters long.
21 Across Evert us wildly to reveal fine attire (7) → VESTURE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “evert us”.
Down
1 Down Pants confused by editor produce nitpickers (7) → PEDANTS Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “PANTS ED”.
2 Down Weakling of the litter, somewhat stunted (7) → RUNTISH Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 3 letters long.
3 Down Nervous aunts make everyone depressed initially, called (5) → NAMED Initialism
Take the first letter of each: Nervous, Aunts, Make, Everyone, Depressed.
4 Down Vegetable, or old slang term for cash (7) → CABBAGE Double definition
Look for two different meanings of the same word.
5 Down I raid, disarrayed, revealing distances from centre (5) → RADII Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “I RAID”.
6 Down Transport near produces a tall fur hat (5) → BUSBY Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 3 and 2 letters long.
8 Down Vegetable buried in a quartic hokey-pokey (9) → ARTICHOKE Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “quartic hokey pokey”.
12 Down Inflate relatives to make a big orange squash (7) → PUMPKIN Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 4 and 3 letters long.
13 Down A metric ton and gold form the rear of an old car (7) → TONNEAU Charade
Join two pieces end to end, 5 and 2 letters long.
14 Down A strange deep son embodies a poetic foot (7) → SPONDEE Anagram
Rearrange the letters of “deep son”.
15 Down Small design within a larger one, made by inserting minus resistance (5) → INSET Deletion
Remove 1 letter from the middle of a longer word.
16 Down Sharp nasal sound as tigers wander across national grasslands, initially (5) → TWANG Initialism
Take the first letter of each: Tigers, Wander, Across, National, Grasslands.
17 Down Petty tiffs concealed in term iff sounds correct (5) → MIFFS Hidden word
The answer is hidden inside “term iff sounds”.
How this puzzle was checked
Every clue in this crossword was verified against its own wordplay by
software, then the finished puzzle was read and edited by hand before
publication: definitions, indicators, enumerations and surface readings
all get looked at, and clues that don't hold up are rewritten. The
editorial standards set out what that
covers.
Spotted something wrong here? Email
badclues@decryptic.app and
this page will be corrected. See the
corrections policy.
