Clues
Across
- 1 Tragic scholar rapidly obtains university entry (5)
- 4 California - first stylish civilization in America? (4)
- 5 Small and mischievous djinni flees bottles, heading west (5)
- 6 Match action (4)
- 7 Fervently religious about vintage automobile (5)
Down
- 1 Raw meat changing hands (5)
- 2 Module about Farage’s leadership “not appropriate” (5)
- 3 Sharp end to bloodthirsty insect uprising (5)
Setter’s notes
Number fifty! I remain the worst possible judge of how hard my own puzzles are, so I’ll say nothing about the difficulty of this one.
1 Across has two equally valid readings, so take your pick: either “university” = U, and FAST obtains its entry (goes around it), or “university entry” is the first letter, U, which FAST “obtains”. I had the first in mind when writing it, but the second works just as well.
Across
- 1 “Rapidly” = FAST, around “university” = U — FAUST, the tragic scholar.
- 4 “California” = CA, with “stylish” = IN placed first — INCA.
- 5 Hidden word, reversed (“heading west”): “djinNI FLEes” — ELFIN.
- 6 Double definition: “match” (to be compatible with) and “action” (a legal case) — SUIT.
- 7 “Religious” = HOLY, about “vintage automobile” = T (the Model T) — HOTLY.
Down
- 1 “Meat” = FLESH, with L swapped for R (“changing hands”) — FRESH, i.e. “raw”.
- 2 “Module” = UNIT, around the leading letter of “Farage” = F — UNFIT.
- 3 The last letter of “bloodthirsty” = Y + “insect” = GNAT, all reversed (“uprising”) — TANGY.