Sunday Times Prize Crossword 4600 Sunday July 27Th 2014

[Vimto]

A bit of tidying up to do today. 19 across. Clue: What could be dreariest spouting on broadcast? (7). I have: T?R?D?S. I thought TIRADES but can't quite see why; anagram nearly? 27 across. Clue: Single beer bottles available (5). I have ??O?E. I thought ALONE for SINGLE and I can see ALE but can't quite be satisfied with it. 26 down. Clue: Without rooms for treating sick pupils (4). I have ?A?S. Finally, 24 across. Clue: Excellent stock including Little Women (5). I have: S?E?L. I thought maybe SWELL as in excellent but it's very much an American word. It's also a word you hardly ever hear these days. Amos and Andy, Lucille Ball and the rest could hardly string a sentence together without something being "swell". I wonder why it's out of fashion? Your thoughts and enlightenment please.

[scorpiojo]

19 dreariest minus re (on)

[scorpiojo]

24 stock - sell + w(omen)

[gangesboy]

27 al on e - alone
24 sell with W (little Woman) inside - swell

[scorpiojo]

26d wads? Wards-pupils/rooms for treating sick people?

[kalahari]

26 dn: Sans (French without) also short for sanitorium / sanitoria

[Vimto]

26 down is a real poser. Scorpio and Kalahari have both given me credible solutions and I can't favour one over the other. I have also thought of BAYS as in sick bay. I recall spending some time in sick bay when I was a PUPIL at boarding school. Please input your thoughts.

[scorpiojo]

I think Kalahari has it

[scorpiojo]

..although pupils is still puzzling me

[gangesboy]

I think pupils could refer to eyes and therefore wads might be correct as per scorpiojo

[samovar]

I think sans, we always referred to being in the "san" when you were ill when I was at school. And the without is as in Jacques speech, "sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything ."

[samovar]

Forgot to add, do you know what 29 Ac. is?

[dontwakemeimbusy]

Chambers definitions
sanatorium - building for treatment and isolation of sick pupils
sans - without

[Neveracrossword]

29 A. A-team backed in stores -they're meant to keep locks immaculate (6,4). Shower Caps.

[samovar]

Thanks for Shower Caps, Neveracrossword !

[mattofthemint]

26 down was a real puzzler - and it's not even Dean Mayer! But I'm certain now that it is WADS on two counts. Wards without the r and also because in Scottish law wards are referred to as pupils.

[kalahari]

Mattofthemint, sans means "without". I cannot parse "wads" into the clue.

[Delboystinson]

I think tirades too, an anagram with one extra e, possibly setter error. Alone is correct- ale enclosing on (available). 26 down is sans, french without and vernacular for sanitoria. 24 across is sell ( stock) including w for little women

[scorpiojo]

Dreariest minus re (on) = tirades

[flocker]

definitely SANS