Crossword Help Forum
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Enjoyable edition with some clever surfaces.
COD: 8a
FOI: 4a
LOI: 15d

I agree with 8a as COD. That must be the best Spoonerism I have ever seen in a crossword. When coupled with the rhyming anagram of 22a, and several other witty clues, this is Everyman at his best, IMHO.

Managed this one somewhat faster than usual, without help.

But can someone explain the "ultimately overblown" part of 1A ?

("Perhaps selfie after selfie" made perfect sense after staring at the answer for a bit.)

Daz - the 'ultimately' relates to the second 'selfie'. The Def is 'overblown'.

I demur in regard to praise of clue/answer 22A. The clue is

Loud coo and cluck up here? (5-6-4)

[with coo and cluck in italics].

The words "coo" and "cluck" are way too suggestive of part of the answer for this to be a good clue — and the whole anagram is poorly mixed.

And is "up" now an anagram indicator? (D.S. Macnutt would be spinning in his grave.)

Thanks, Phil10000.

But in the U.S. where I live, I am not familiar with the "overblown" nuance of the answer (which conveys an excess of something), just the mainstream meaning of "stupendous".

I'm American and the "overblown" nuance of 1a is not unfamiliar. Back in the day, it would often be used ironically in reference to, for instance, films produced/directed by Cecil B. DeMille. 😁

[SPOILER ALERT] In fact, see the first sentence of this book blurb: https://www.ucpress.edu/flier/books/cecil-b-demille-and-american-culture/paper
:-)

Very good I thought. A rare solve where each clue fell in order. Agree with 8a as COD. I used to work in that part of town. I saw recently that our old office, itself a former theatre, is a hotel now.

A nice gentla start to Sunday. COD: 8a ... simply brilliant!