i Cryptic Crossword 4125 Eccles

Difficulty rating (out out five): ⏳⏳⏳

Three egg-timers for difficulty, but five stars for enjoyment! This crossword was a pleasure to solve from beginning to end. In particular, the surface readings – so important in a good cryptic – are all very plausible, often entertaining, often full of misdirection. Just what a crossword is all about.

We have some great mental images: a queen assaulting a shopkeeper, drug-dealing clergy, a suspicious-sounding package found in a caravan, a bar with mainly mediocre spirits on sale, someone preparing bananas and custard…  I’m sure you have your own favourites. I’ve got ten clues with ticks or ☺ against them, so I won’t list them all. All done without stretching any definitions beyond recognition, with no word-play so convoluted that it was hard to unpick, and no vocabulary from the less-frequented recesses of the dictionary. There were one or two homophones or assonances, all sounding convincing to me, although I am aware that opinions differ on this most contentious of issues. All in all, a delight!

I loved the sixteen people arrested at a famous French landmark, but from among many contenders, my Clue of the Day is the simple but amusing 24d: “Deer and cow noises echo (5)”.

Here’s the link for the answers and explanations: https://www.fifteensquared.net/2020/06/10/independent-10502-eccles/