| Across | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | CATAPULT | |
| Sling a listening device secured by religious group (8) | (A + TAP) inside CULT | |
| 5 | POSTS | |
| Structural supports are removed from damaged seaports (5) | Anagram of SEAPORTS minus ARE | |
| 9 | MANAGER | |
| Feeding unit opened up by a supervisor (7) | MANGER outside A | |
| 10 | WAGONER | |
| Western driver, possibly, lost in combat (7) | GONE in WAR | |
| 11 | LAYING | |
| Putting down any girl out of line right away (6) | Anagram of ANY GIRL minus R | |
| 12 | STEADIER | |
| Pilot, taking notice, connected to one with stabilising influence (8) | STEER outside (AD + I) | |
| 13 | POLICYHOLDERS | |
| People covered slippery cargo area wearing Australian loafers (13) | (ICY + HOLD) inside POLERS | |
| 16 | ENTERTAINMENT | |
| Lodge and tent carrying broadcast of main leisure activity (13) | ENTER + (TENT outside anagram of MAIN) | |
| 20 | EXORCISM | |
| Ogre is playing a part in exam’s release? (8) | EXAM with A = (ORC IS) | |
| 21 | PRATER | |
| One who talks a lot to class involved in public relations (6) | RATE in side PR | |
| 24 | SPECULA | |
| Capsule refitted with polished metal reflectors (7) | Anagram of CAPSULE | |
| 25 | RAILING | |
| A supporting barrier is trouble inside circus enclosure (7) | AIL inside RING | |
| 26 | LIMIT | |
| Check stock of local imitations (5) | locaL IMITations | |
| 27 | CAUGHT ON | |
| Criminal punched by a thug in a frenzy got wise (6,2) | CON outside anagram of A THUG | |
| Down | Answers and Clues | Explanations |
| 1 | COMPLY | |
| Go along with outlet free of complexity (6) | COMPLEXITY minus EXIT | |
| 2 | TANGY | |
| Bug turned up on side of sticky tart (5) | GNAT reversed + STICK(Y) | |
| 3 | PAGINAL | |
| Computer system, one opening up like a book (7) | (LAN + I + GAP) reversed | |
| 4 | LARD | |
| Part of regular diet is fat (4) | reguLAR Diet | |
| 5 | PIGTAIL | |
| Sort of plait covering one girl’s head? (7) | Anagram of PLAIT outside [I + (G)IRL] | |
| 6 | SENTIMENT | |
| Feeling it, upstanding people should be used in broadcast (9) | [(IT reversed) + MEN) inside SENT | |
| 7 | SURPRISE | |
| Stable outside Paris not getting a start (8) | SURE outside (PARIS minus A) | |
| 8 | SWITCH ON | |
| Charming person embraced by child set off (6,2) | WITCH inside SON | |
| 13 | PETROLEUM | |
| Crude role in silent picture originally given backing (9) | ROLE inside [MUTE + (P)ICTURE] reversed | |
| 14 | CLASS WAR | |
| Troubled rascal, running around, saw heartless conflict caused by social division? (5,3) | Anagram of RASCAL outside S(a)W | |
| 15 | REVERSAL | |
| Odd bits of rust appearing in display switch (8) | (R)u(S)t inside REVEAL | |
| 17 | RECRUIT | |
| Take on fawn – it must be south of river (7) | (ECRU + IT) after R | |
| 18 | EARNING | |
| Scholarship with no upper limit is making money (7) | (L)EARNING | |
| 19 | DRAGON | |
| Large lizard is to continue slowly and tediously (6) | DRAG ON | |
| 22 | TWIST | |
| Pair nearly is on time to dance (5) | (TW)O + IS + T | |
| 23 | ARIA | |
| Distracted au pair not impressed with leading song (4) | Anagram of AU PAIR minus UP |
I was never going to get – 20a, no matter how much assistance – brilliant.
EXORCISE – EXORCIST was far as I went
Yes – ’twas my clue of the week.
I agree that 20a was a brilliant clue.
On reflection, 13a gets my gold logie because of entertainment value, and the research I engaged in to become totally satisfied with the answer. I had not heard of polers in the context. I engaged in conversations with horse drawn carriage enthusiasts and learned that a friend (of my age) actually drove bullock wagons in his youth. It generated discussions with several friends, and provided a history (and heritage) lesson for the grandchildren and myself.
And I found the word and definition in a dictionary on my shelves. What more could you ask for.
I had polers as the remaining letters and found out about bullock wagons etc but still don’t get how polers = loafers
Lyn – in the Chambers Dictionary, poler is listed as an Australian word. The second definition is “a shirker”.
In the Macquarie, the third definition is “a lazy person; loafer”.
Many thanks, Greg and Arthur,for info – can now move on well satisfied (&. more knowledgeable). Have a huge real dictionary tucked away so perhaps it is time to reinstate it rather than relying on online versions. Again thanks and cheers,
Lyn
Lyn
I have talked with several people who have worked with bullock teams, or who had family who did so in the years 1900 to 1930. They immediately identified “polers” as loafers.
Universally they identified the pair of polers as the animals at the rear of the team, closest to the wagon, harnessed to the pole, which contribute little to the pulling of the wagon, but contribute by holding the pole and assisting with the steering. They are perceived to be loafing – hence the epithet (you lazy poler) for a person (in Australia or New Zealand) for a person who is judged as not pulling their weight.
I cannot access Macquarie on line but Chambers on line does not have a definition for “poler”.
However, my Australian Oxford Pocket Dictionary (reprinted 1981) records the definition “(Aust.) horse, bullock, &c., harnessed alongside the pole (& leaving most of the pulling to others). (sl.) sponger, idler.”
The dictionary definition is sound, but I have thoroughly enjoyed discovering the word and its origin, and will dine out on the story for weeks.
Many thanks, Greg and Arthur,for info – can now move on well satisfied (&. more knowledgeable). Have a huge real dictionary tucked away so perhaps it is time to reinstate it rather than relying on online versions. Again thanks and cheers,
Lyn
Lyn – if you have a smartphone, The Chambers Dictionary and Thesaurus apps are well worth the small outlay.
Thanks, Greg. (I have the latest apple which is smarter than me) Lyn