Def Jam

a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Each clue’s unaltered definition is given after its solution note.

Across

  • 1.
    PARROTS: REP + EATS ("per" rev. [parrots]
  • 6.
    ROSARY: BE(A)DS [rosary]
  • 10.
    LEFT: A + BAN(DONE)D [left]
  • 11.
    WHIM: NOT(I) + ON [whim]
  • 12.
    TOO: ALSO (hidden) [too]
  • 14.
    STINKER: PO(LECA)T ("lace" anag.) [stinker]
  • 15.
    TOOL: H(A + MM)ER [tool
  • 16.
    BE: (s)EXIST [be]
  • 17.
    WONDER: MI(RAC)LE ("car" rev.) [wonder]
  • 22.
    SORTED: O + RDERED ("redder" anag.) [sorted]
  • 23.
    STEEPLE PART: SP + IRE [steeple part]
  • 24.
    DATE: E + SCO(R)T [date]
  • 27.
    EASIER: SIMPLER (anag.) [easier]
  • 29.
    BALL HOLDERS: TEES ("tease" homophone) [ball holders]
  • 30.
    EARNEST: SOLE+ M(a)N [earnest]
  • 31.
    SPEECH: UTTERANCE (anag.) [speech]
  • 32.
    SAUCE: PEST + O [sauce]
  • 33.
    DRAW: ATTRAC + T ("cart at" anag.) [draw]

Down

  • 1.
    SPREAD: RAN + CH [spread]
  • 2.
    ROUTE: PAT + H [route]
  • 3.
    RIDDLES: ENIGMAS. (anag.) [riddles]
  • 4.
    HOLD DEAR: AD + ORE [hold dear]
  • 5.
    SPY: SNOOPER (anag.) [spy]
  • 6.
    PRETTY GIRLS: BELLES ("bells" homophone) [pretty girls]
  • 7.
    UNION: A + FL + C(I)O [union]
  • 8.
    WRECKS: DI'S + ASTERS [wrecks]
  • 9.
    SAW: S + POTTED [saw]
  • 13.
    FAKE LOCKS: HAIRPIECE (anag.) [fake locks]
  • 17.
    SLIP-UP: MISS + TEP ("pet" rev.) [slip-up]
  • 18.
    LYNN: LORETTA (hidden) [Lynn]
  • 19.
    LAY: SECU(L)AR ("saucer" anag.) [lay]
  • 20.
    COOKS BEEPERS: TI(M)ERS [cooks' beefs]
  • 21.
    DESSERT: GELATO (first letters) [dessert]
  • 25.
    LOW: SHORT (R for U in "shout") [low]
  • 26.
    PRINCIPLE: TEN(E)T [principle]
  • 28.
    HORNE: LENA (hidden rev.) [horne]