The solved grid
1M
O
2T
H
3E
R
4E
A
5R
T
6H
7V
E
A
A
S
A
E
A
8A
P
P
A
R
A
T
9W
A
X
E
N
N
I
T
O
M
A
10W
O
R
S
H
I
P
P
I
N
G
11C
H
L
O
O
I
12S
H
13A
R
K
S
K
I
N
L
L
T
R
L
E
14O
N
C
L
15O
U
16D
N
17I
N
E
R
U
O
H
L
A
18R
U
M
B
A
19Z
O
O
M
I
N
G
A
E
T
E
T
A
U
P
20D
R
E
S
S
C
I
R
C
L
E
Across
1 Across Disturbed, Homer threat conjures the planet personified (6,5) → MOTHER EARTH Anagram
Anagram of “Homer threat”.
8 Across Some of cap parathas kept for the state machinery (7) → APPARAT Hidden word
Hidden inside “cap parathas”.
9 Across Pallid: wax finish and a printer's spacing unit (5) → WAXEN Charade
WAX + EN.
10 Across Hippo wrings wildly while paying devout homage (11) → WORSHIPPING Anagram
Anagram of “Hippo wrings”.
12 Across Tough fabric made from a sea predator's skin (9) → SHARKSKIN Charade
SHARK + SKIN.
14 Across Ecstatic, losing a letter from being on cloudy nine (2,5,4) → ON CLOUD NINE Deletion
ON CLOUDY NINE without Y from the middle.
18 Across Really unusual music brings applause, initially - a lively Cuban dance (5) → RUMBA Initialism
First letters of: Really, unusual, music, brings, applause.
19 Across Speeding along, or adjusting a camera lens (7) → ZOOMING Double definition
Two separate definitions of the same word.
20 Across Theatre's premium seating tier, or a fashionable social set (5,6) → DRESS CIRCLE Double definition
Two separate definitions of the same word.
Down
1 Down Strange, I whalemen occupy the meantime (9) → MEANWHILE Anagram
Anagram of “I whalemen”.
2 Down Animal hidden in meta pirate scheme (5) → TAPIR Hidden word
Hidden inside “meta pirate”.
3 Down Listening organ plus ordinal ending gives our planet (5) → EARTH Charade
EAR + TH.
4 Down Telepathy holding directions blocks legal claim (5) → ESTOP Container
TO inside ESP.
5 Down Draw milkweed hides unpasteurized dairy product (3,4) → RAW MILK Hidden word
Hidden inside “draw milkweed”.
6 Down Curse brings endless agony, yielding six-sided figure (7) → HEXAGON Deletion
HEX AGONY without its final Y.
7 Down Very adventurous navigator, initially, drives small delivery vehicle (3) → VAN Initialism
First letters of: Very, adventurous, navigator.
11 Down Mountain pass joins sports association for fellow worker (9) → COLLEAGUE Charade
COL + LEAGUE.
12 Down Assaulted violently, or raged furiously (7) → STORMED Double definition
Two separate definitions of the same word.
13 Down Curved like a bow, describing a curate turned awkward (7) → ARCUATE Anagram
Anagram of “a curate”.
15 Down Some of voodoo zest leaks out slowly (5) → OOZES Hidden word
Hidden inside “voodoo zest”.
16 Down Garment worn by South Asian men: 500, heated, then one (5) → DHOTI Charade
D + HOT + I.
17 Down Cilia disturbed, relating to the hip bone (5) → ILIAC Anagram
Anagram of “CILIA”.
18 Down Golf average, returned, is sharp criticism (3) → RAP Reversal
PAR reversed.
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
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corrections policy.
