This puzzle is a tribute to those on the Oxford University Press ‘AskOxford’ website, which I enjoy tackling every month. They have two or three gimmicks that they use in some of their crosswords, this crossword imitates one of those.
Preamble
The eight clues whose answers do not reach the perimeter are normal. The other twenty-four contain a jumble of the answer’s letters, plus an extra letter. These 24 extra letters spell out the title of The Oxford... (10,2,12), an entry from which is spelt out around the perimeter.
Across7. Mollifies papa’s deserting rats (8) 9. Slow Mumbai dog ailment (6) 10. Garlic-lover’s channel (4) 11. Farewell to present that is used first (5) 12. Opera can pull Turks apart (4) 13. Paid next to nothing, widen one’s horizons (6) 15. I ignore open gown she wears (8) 17. Difficult alphabet included risk (6) 18. Cheap paper with label for the common people (6) 21. So, notes mass together as musically grand (8) 23. Bury the human-interest story (6) 25. A world apart, and unaccountably missing (4) 27. Brother artist returning at the end of the working week (5) 28. Foreign money for Ian Hislop? Yes! (4) 29. Uncover another description of a coward (6) 30. Assert that I am infantile (8) |
Down1. Six chins protrude from ancient statue (6) 2. A lamentable supper, perhaps (4) 3. He has water all around as tendrils threaten (8) 4. I call Zulu warriors “blue” (6) 5. Peer at a metal heron (4) 6. Yelp indignantly whilst conceding defeat (8) 8. Run quickly through artless shindig – there’s very little to it (6) 14. Some had zest when young blades (5) 16. Nick isn’t at church (5) 17. Somehow he had ordered himself a dictionary entry (8) 19. A harridan cites this as environmental pollution (4,4) 20. Element initially shown only drawn in under mercury (6) 22. Fan, fed on hurt feelings (6) 24. Picture in pieces showing Lucas, Simon, Josh, etc. (6) 26. The evil Italian novelist (4) 28. I spat out pocket bread in the US (4) |