FT12520 / Bradman The link between Bradman and Ena Sharples

Solving Time:  26 minutes

The answer to my question is contained in today’s 1 across.  Another nice puzzle and, I’m
pleased to say, a great deal easier than his appearance as Pasquale in last Saturday’s
Guardian (more tomorrow!).

The usual elegant clueing from Bradman with 10 across standing out.  I liked 28 across
as well, but I suppose purists may argue that Bogart never starred opposite Garbo,
so the defnition is slightly misleading.

ACROSS  * = anagram (CD) = Cryptic definition    (R) = Reversal

1  GUNSLINGER    SNUG (R) + LINGER.  Ena Sharples and her chums used to drink their Milk Stouts in the Snug of the Rover’s Return.  A small bar adjacent to the main bar.
7  TOSS      Chambers defines “toss” as an affected sign, a toss of the head away to show disdain.     TO + SS
9  ABUT     TUBA (R)
10 PRESS BARON         Great clue!  “Rags” here of course refers to newspapers.
11 DIVERS      The last clue I completed, after spending a few minutes trying to think of a breed of bird to fit.  However it’s a type of bird   DIVERS(E) that’s needed.
12 THURSDAY      YARD SHUT*
13 ANTIPOPE     TIP inside A NOPE – Liked this clue as well.
15 EWER       Hidden answer 
17 CHIN        CHIN(A) – China Plate is Cockney Rhyming Slang for mate. 
19 INCIDENT       CID inside  IN E N T
22 ESURIENT       I SEE RUNT* Whenever I see’esurient’, I am always reminded of the Monty Python Cheeseshop Sketch.
23 ELFISH       (S)ELFISH
25 GIANT PANDA       ANT + PAN inside A DIG (R)
26 LOGO        Double def
27 AGUE        A GUE(ST)
28 GRETA GARBO        Marvellous appropriate anagram –  Google doesn’t seem to show me any films in which they starred together, more’s the pity.

DOWN
2 UNBRIAN       UM (Hesitation) + BRIAN
3 SATIE         SATI (See Chambers – Suttee) + E
4 IMPOSTOR        I + MOST (with P inside)  + OR
5 GOES THE DISTANCE               CONTEST HE IS AGED*
6 RISQUE            QU (Queen) Inside RISE (Tower)
7 TRANSCEND         NERDS CAN’T*
8 STORAGE            OR inside STAGE
14 IGNORANCE      ONE CARING*
16 SCHEMATA               SCH (school) + MA + TA (Volunteers = Territorial Army)
18 HISSING          HIS + SING
20 NASHGAB        A completely new word on me – Nice straightforward clue for it
   NG (No good) with A SH (One quiet) inside + A B
21 SEA PIG       Nice (cd)  Pigs might fly!
24 FELLA      FELL (4th def in Chambers) + A

 On a more serious note, I hope that Don (and Azed) have not been affected by the recent floods in the Oxford area.