Lots by Viking

Puzzle explanation

Across answers are shown in the table below. One instance of the letter “t” was misplaced in entering each of these. This reflected the magnum opus of Marcel Proust (to be highlighted in the grid) À la recherche du temps perdu, often translated as In Search of Lost Time. The one and only time that T = time was used in the clues was for the very first letter in the grid, although that one was not “lost”.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 TRITE T + (w)RITE
5 STARDOM MR TOAD’S*
10 REMOTE R(eluctant) + EMOTE & lit
12 ORATE ORNATE – N
13 ACTUARIAL ACTUAL about AIR <
15 CITE EXCITE – EX
16 TANNOY t’ + ANNOY
17 TRESSY DRESSY, ’T for D
18 PATROL Composite anagram of PUT ON TRIAL using UNIT
20 RETRO Hidden
22 LETHE LET + HE
25 PYTHON Composite anagram of HYPNOTISER using RISE & lit, though the reference appears to be apocryphal
27 FOETOR FO + ROTE <
28 UNTOLD COULDN’T* – C
30 TRIO RIOT, with T first
32 KNOTTIEST INK BLOT TEST* – BL
33 ESTRO (d)ESTRO(y)
34 TUSSLE TU + LESS*
35 ON TOAST NOT* + OAST
36 EATER HEATER – H, reference back to OVEN
Down
1 TRAVAIL TAIL around RAV
2 RECIT RE + (s)C(r)I(p)T
3 ÉTAT GET AT – G
4 TORPOR PRO(tes)TOR*
5 SEITY SENILITY – NIL
6 ROTTER (ga)ROTTER
7 ORRIS-ROOT (OR + OR + OR + IT’S)*
8 TAMEST TAM + EST (French); ref “chilli”, hence (French) Caribbean location
9 MEATY EM < + AT + Y
11 FAIRLY FLY around AIR
14 ON THE TURN UNROTTEN* + H(eading) & lit
19 OPTION (O + PINOT)*
21 OLDSTER d in (h)OLSTER
23 EO IPSO (ISOTOPE – T)*
24 TRENTO T + RENT + O
26 HUMITE MIT in HUE
27 FREET FLEET, L to R
28 TUTUS Two definitions
29 LISLE CARLISLE – (CA + R)
31 REST REPAST – PA
Back to 2008 menu