Hello, cryptic friends!
It’s always a joy when variety day rolls around, and I hope today’s offering doesn’t disappoint! It’s easy-moderate in difficulty. International solvers, you’ve probably got this on lock, but you may need to peek at a reference at a couple points. Americans, you have no excuse (I kid, I kid).
Thanks to Nate Cardin and Hayley Gold for the test solve this time around!
Take care and enjoy the puzzle! Next week is a fifth Wednesday, and I may be taking it off or might have something cool to share. If not, see you on the 7th of July with a themed crossword!
Square Pursuit 
Great puzzle, Steve. There was plenty of good stuff here. N.B. There’s a missing “l” in “little” in 20d.
I got the whole thing but there was some tough sledding due to some good old fashioned tricky clueing and also some unfamiliar stuff. I didn’t know the game of Mancala, the word freegan, the Spanish for “royal”, or Rihanna’s SOS; also didn’t parse “echoey hall”.
Looking forward to #10.
Richard B.
>
LikeLike
Hey, thanks for the typo catch! I’m glad this one landed even with the unfamiliar words and trickery! Always appreciate you solving!
LikeLike