Independent 9818/Tees

A fine holiday Monday offering from Tees, where I’m convinced that there is something going on, but I’m blowed if I know what it is.

The grid gives a chance for a message around the exterior, but I can’t find one; there are various references in the solutions to countries and battles, but again, I can’t see a theme. Perhaps I’m just so used to the Indy puzzle having a theme that I’m looking for something that’s not there.

 

Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

7 Dipso by hotel, in Maine area, in state
MINNESOTA
‘Hotel in Maine’ is INN inserted in ME, then you need to add SOT for ‘dipso’ and A.

8 Answer found in search for plague
HAUNT
An insertion of A in HUNT.

10 Gutless swine about to plagiarise writer
SCRIBE
An insertion of CRIB in SE for the outside letters of ‘swine’.

11 Pirate shot and beheaded put ashore
PICAROON
A charade of PIC for the photographic ‘shot’ and [M]AROON. A pirate, and a setter in Another Place.

12 Commoner with title leaving old London borough
BARNET
BAR[O]NET. The ‘commoner’ bit refers to the fact that BARONETS are not peers, just commoners like the rest of us (apart from Brenda).

14 Molly in 22 song married and separated
MALONE
A charade of M and ALONE. The song, set in DUBLIN (22dn) is Molly Malone:

In Dublin’s fair city,
Where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, “Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!”

16 Thrust permitted in gym
POKE
An insertion of OK in PE.

17 Artist brought home and saved?
BACON
A td, triple definition. Francis BACON, the ‘artist’; and you can also idiomatically ‘bring home the BACON’ and ‘save your BACON’.

18 Owed pounds in honourable affair
DUEL
A charade of DUE and L for ‘pounds’.

19 No bail out for Britain?
ALBION
(NO BAIL)*
ALBION is a very old word for ‘Britain’. It is most often encountered now in the term ‘Perfidious Albion’ (originally from the French La Perfide Albion) which is well-established as a pejorative anglophobic expression and has surfaced recently during Brexit negotiations. Perfide? Nous? It’s because everyone keeps picking on us (see 24/26).

21 Firstly taking rum, the French walk unsteadily
TODDLE
A charade of T for the first letter of ‘taking’, ODD and LE for one of the words for ‘the’ in French.

24/26 Way to enter big forts made awkward in battle
STAMFORD BRIDGE
An insertion of RD for road, or ‘way’ in (BIG FORTS MADE)* with ‘awkward’ as the anagrind. The battle of 25 September 1066, when Harold Godwinson’s army defeated the invading Viking forces, only to return south to find that the Normans, led by William, had landed three days later in Pevensey. The Battle of Hastings followed, and the rest, as they say, is history.

27 Rubbish loaded back into metal skip
SLATE
Hidden reversed in mETAL Skip.  ‘The prize puzzle last week got slated.’

28 Organ in brave action supplied
DELIVERED
An insertion of LIVER in ‘deed’, which is just an ‘action’, but is often associated with bravery, so fair enough.

Down

1 Irish church supports bishop in punishment
BIRCH
Since it’s a down clue, it’s IR and CH under B.

2 Picture making one wise after endless sin
ENVISAGE
A charade of ENV[Y] and I SAGE.

3 Towards back seat repaired by sailors
ASTERN
A charade of (SEAT)* and RN for Royal Navy, or ‘sailors’.

4 Beer container almost dry — add litres!
BARREL
BARRE[N] plus L.

5 Finish stone work
STOP
A charade of ST and OP for opus or ‘work’.

6 Chance upon confrontation
ENCOUNTER
A dd, relying on the fact that there are two related, but subtly different, meanings to ENCOUNTER in its ‘meeting’ sense.

9 One letter with another producing insight?
ACUMEN
I’m a bit lost here. I think it’s a charade of A, then a transliteration of the two letters Q and N, but I can’t get the M bit. Or perhaps it’s something completely different. Some kind person will tell us, I’m sure.

13 Bird covering bill becomes silent
TACIT
An insertion of AC for account or ‘bill’ in TIT. And you know why you can’t have one. Listen, I’m as frustrated as you are. I haven’t had one for ages.

15 Girl made grand in swindle over small amount
DOOLITTLE
A very clever charade of DO, O and LITTLE. Eliza is the DOOLITTLE in question, the girl who done good by having elocution and etiquette lessons with Professor Higgins and thus becoming ‘grand’.

17 Down town, unknown number go inside pub
BANGOR
The town in County Down, NI, is N and GO inserted into BAR.

18 Lord upset by crime that’s involved one hit with hammer
DULCIMER
A reversal of LUD (most often heard in ‘Yes, M’Lud’) and (CRIME)* The anagrind is ‘involved’.

20 Popular Paraguayan tea one kept in jug
INMATE
A charade of in and MATE (pronounced mah-tay) for the ‘tea’.

22 Record new words for Labour leader in capital
DUBLIN
A charade of DUB, L for the first letter of ‘Labour’ and IN for the capital of the Republic of Ireland and Molly’s home city.

23 Fit silver on table at last
AGREE
A charade of AG for the chemical symbol for ‘silver’, RE and E for the last letter of ‘table’.

25 Judge wants old-fashioned award sent up
DEEM

It might have gone like this:

‘What did you learn at school today, Pierre?’
‘That “meed” is an archaic word for “deserved share of praise”, Mam.’
‘Ooh, that’s interesting. Tea won’t be long.’

The reversal indicator is ‘sent up’.

Many thanks to the Teeser for the Bank Holiday entertainment.