Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

I found this a bit trickier today, and it took me a while to get started.

Eventually the SW corner went in, and the NE corner held out the longest.

Rhyming pair in the downs, a few anagrams and our usual "primary".

Good fun, though - thanks Everyman.

I agree that the NE is tricky. I’ve still not completed it.
I thought it was going to be on the easy side before that. I want to write in 18a but can’t equate the seemingly obvious answer with ‘ delivering’.
5 d and 8d are my favourites so far.

…….penny has dropped on 18a.

Yes today's way a little tricky, but all completed and parsed except 14d. I have a word that fits meaning where people go to worship, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what it has to do with beans! Can anyone enlighten me?

Justsolve, that was also my LOI. It is an informal meaning of bean (not the legume).

is 7d a double definition? if it is, the first one is very loose!
not keen on 11d either.

@chrise - Yes, 7d is a double definition. Like you, I felt that the first one is a bit tenuous (had to look it up to be sure). I didn't have a problem with 11d although it took me a while to twig the answer.

You have to look quite hard for support for the first definition, but the ODE comes to Everyman’s rescue…
“To hold (a drink), sipping it occasionally”

Can anyone shed some light on 13a? 'Sleep', the definition, and even the answer all seem straightforward enough, but how on earth does 'with partners' give the final two letters?

bridge partners