No.45 March 2019

All across answers apart from 17/18 either contain, or are, a baby name rejected by the Department of Internal Affairs in 2018. When the name is part of the answer it’s ignored in the wordplay, e.g. “OSIRIS” might be clued “Love is for an Ancient Egyptian god”.

Across 1 Intentional, without a bit of common sense (9) 9 Cockney Scot’s away (here?) (6) 10 Seneschal does more to start with (5-4) 11 Ace’s big in Patience? (1,5) 12 Male swan god with a hood (4,5) 13 Bishop with an Irish lilt (6) 17/18 Big head threatens Leopold and Molly (6) 19 Distemper originally a condition of big cheese (7) 20 The Saviour whose ashes I’m scattering? (7) 21 See 17 Down 23 Charles was once an artist (6) 27 Auckland, for example, is a thing in Cyprus (9) 28 Hacked off hack? (6) 29 About iron establishment frequented by Arthur Conan Doyle, Ziggy Stardust, and other luminaries. (4,5) 30 Giant rhubarb lost a fan of Arsenal FC (6) 31 Preserve no burden for comic dog (9)

Down 2 Indian ruler replacing States of America is Muse of Astronomy (6) 3 Piloting expert from ravine, including its end (6) 4 60s youth to study labour saving device (3,3) 5 Nearly evens out about hesitations, like ‘3’ (7) 6 Rule of a 19 – is my starter served after the salad? (9) 7 Stealing object prior to potting (6,3) 8 Auspicious anniversaries on which to put in our 2 cents (9) 14 Bounds of hoppers after a long year (9) 15 Work obscured Scotsman’s snakes (9) 16 Scientist Peter bareheaded – get a bowler, perhaps? (9) 17/21 Mate gives go-ahead for streams (6) 18 See 17 Across 22 A vodka up a palm tree – those are (more or less) my principles! (7) 24 Yours truly, a short 23 and the ignored part of 27 rise to get pay off (6) 25 Agree with insurers, otherwise death! (6) 26 It should be planned, they say, like a drawing pin (6)

Last month’s solution

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