LIFEAcross
1 Interceder tried maxi
getting dressed (9)
9 Sloth-like nursemaids? (4)
11 Decorum in good session
with spirits (10)
12 Terrier requiring food (4)
14 Drink Charles imbibed as
dyspepsia cure (6)
18 Gross aristo snubbed
knight (4)
20 Kay sat fiddling with classy
kimonos (7)
21 Decay infecting maple
pedestal (7)
23 Content of burrito cooked
in iron dish (7)
24 Painter is saucy in
conversation (5)
25 Fool about with English
poem (5)
27 Lottery prize is this Scot:
Frank! (7, hyphened)
30 Poles crew for Charon? (7)
32 Route first-born talked
about with Oscar’s butler
(7, hyphened)
36 Chief knave with cur’s
heart (4)
38 Malign lady pockets sixth
letter (6)
39 Go slow inside city (4)
40 European celebrity still
painted by artist (10)41 Wavy Navy in uniform
dyed regularly (4)
43 Empresses freely assist
art (9)Down
1 Priestess in pulpit after
mass (5)
2 Bit of durra – spot of
cereal (5)
3 Most gifted alto made
joyous (6)
4 Old viol famous rioter
chucks about (5)
5 Decorator wearing
coat (7)
6 Aircraft designer from
hythe in Kelso (7)
7 Woman is engaging court
and makes law (6)
10 Nasty Peter, icier and very
unsympathetic (11)
13 Bag carried by little lass (7)
15 Most like lute (easily
transported in case of
concert) (8)
16 Crop lauded and valued
again (11)
22 Actually excellent tailored
coat (7, two words)
26 Maybe red-bodied
and blue-horned bats
meander (7)28 Compounds of actinium
turned dull bluish-grey (7)
29 Fanny Adams entering
canon’s house (6)
31 Pancake contains caviar,
perhaps it’s tossed (6)
34 Workers over in cattle
farms? (5)
35 Prosecutor pitched up in
courts (5)Crossword
2328: Second
coming
by Pabulum
Then he said: ‘You’re my inspiration, Clemmie.’
Inspiration! It would be a wonder if he
remembers a single word I say.
Frank McDonald
B’s not at her brightest when copying the Latin. Her
latest slogan for getting shot of the invaders is
REXIT MEANS REXIT. I suspect Suetonius won’t
be impressed by that. What’s wrong, I suggested, in a
tactical retreat to the Fens, a bit of a punt on the
Broads, retire to Cromer sort of thing. The people
have spoken, said B, returning to her investigation of
the latest Mona fashions. Apparently they’re
wearing transverse-slash necklines, and carrying
badger handbags. Whatever you like, I told her, it’s
your chariot. Second husbands must know their
place. She went off in the afternoon and razed St
Alban’s: to impress the faithful and appease the
Trinovantes (their leader, Mogga, is getting pretty
uppity). What about a new slogan? I suggested: say,
Strong as a stable. Or, woad and see. She gave me
that taut smile. The tribal powwow this autumn will
be another bloodbath.
Bill Greenwell
I’ve never liked March — the scaly tail of winter
— but this year I’ll be especially glad to get past
the Ides at least. The atmosphere here is febrile,
menacing even. Julius says I’m imagining things, of
course. And now that he’s officially dictator for
life he’s even more the great Ego Sum, and thinks
he’s invulnerable. Veni, vidi, vici is his answer to
everything. When I murmur something about
hubris he tells me not to spout Greek at him.
‘Greek is for the schoolroom. And I’m certainly
not going to feature in anyone’s so-called tragedy.’
He’s always been brilliantly successful at
facing down opposition but I’m afraid he’s not as
good at realising what’s going on behind his back.
A soothsayer once said he was born by the knife
to die by the knife. But she was probably just
another feeble-minded Greek. Pray Mars.
W.J. Webster
... John’s started behaving rather strangely.
Pressure of the job, naturally, but certain tongues
have been wagging re his ‘controversial’
replacement of G.H. as Foreign Sec. Sour grapes
will flourish in any vineyard, especially SW1. But
PM does have her all-seeing Grantham eye on him
so could be he’s heading for higher things: Tarzan
and Hurdy-Gurdy need to look to their ‘Laurels’.
On the subject of slapstick comedians, J’s been
invited on to the MCC Select ion Committee, viz.
middle-aged codgers with lairy schoolboy ties,
contriving desperate puns involving leg glances,
short slips, bowling a maiden over, &c. Standards
not what they were — ruffians and pop stars get in
nowadays...where will it end, women in the Long
Room? Thomas Lord knows...
J v late home — again; claims some of them
went on to an Indian restaurant, wouldn’t say
which. Most odd: he never used to fancy after-
hours Curries...
Mike Morrison
NO 3019: OFFICIALLY AMAZING
To mark the recent arrival in our house of
the latest Guinness World Records, I am
going to repeat a challenge set several dec-
ades ago and invite you to submit a limer-
ick describing a feat worthy of inclusion in
that great publication. Please email up to
five entries each to [email protected]
by midday on 4 October.
SOLUTION TO 2325: HARD TASKThe theme was PIGS.First prize J. E. Green, St Albans, Hertfordshire
Runners-up Michael Moran, Penrith, Cumbria;
John M. Brown, Rolleston on Dove, StaffordshireNameAddressEmail6A and 42 (whose unchecked
letters give IDEA) combine
to suggest the title of a novel.
Remaining unclued lights give
the forenames (in one case a
nickname) of six of its char-
acters, whose surname (5) will
appear diagonally in the com-
pleted grid and must be shaded.
Elsewhere, ignore two accents.