Independent 7,127/Dac

Apologies for the late posting. Lousy workload! Nowt lousy about this offering from the mid-week maestro though. Elegant stuff from Dac, who never fails to impress.

Across
1 LIBIDO – I in LIB DO
4 HEBRIDES – BRIDE in HE’S
10 REDEVELOP – (PEER LOVED)*
11 BASEL – BASE,L
12 EQUERRY – [-duk]E + R in QUERY
13 RELATED – RE: + D ET AL rev.
14 SINGE – Hidden in dowSING Endlessly
15 HOOK TIPS – HOOK,TIPS
18 HOLY WRIT – (WORTHILY)*
20 ASSAY – ASS,AY
23 RESTART – REST,ART
25 ENTRIES – EN (directions ), TRIES (tests)
26 GOURD – GO,URD[-u}
27 GRUMBLING – G[-irl’s],RUM,BLING – I’ve seen quite a few clues using BLING of late. My Chambers (2003) only has the entry ‘bling bling’, but I’m wondering if it’s now given in the singular form in other dictionaries?
28 EDENTATE – DENT in EATE[-r]
29 WEIGHT – “Wait”
Down
1 LARGESSE – “Large S”
2 BEDOUIN – BED,OUI,N
3 DIVERSELY – DIVERS above (coming to the surface),ELY
5 EMPIRE OF THE SUN – Cryptic def.
6 REBEL – Hidden in moRE BELligerecne
7 DESKTOP – (DEPT’S OK)*
8 SALADS – LAD in S.A.S
9 PLAYS HARD TO GET – DOuble def.
16 TRACTABLE – CART rev. + TABLE
17 EYESIGHT – Wasn’t 100% sure how this one works: “Rescued by crew, you start to see sense.”
19 OBSCURE – OB’S,CURE
21 SNIPING – Double def.
22 BROGUE – B,ROGUE
24 AUDIT – AUDI,T[-ransmission’s]

10 comments on “Independent 7,127/Dac”

  1. Where is the Gaurdian post for today or is there something wrong with my computer?

    Not a very good puzzle either – one of those where you can’t be sure even when you have the probable answer

  2. 11a was obviously BASEL but from long habit I put in the alternative spelling BASLE – no wonder I couldn’t get 8d for ages. Had to look up Hook Tip on Google to be sure of 15a.
    Not such a satisfying puzzle as some.

  3. BASLE was my first thought too, but the wordplay led me then straightaway and clearly to the other which has become the standard usage in English in more recent times because the city is in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, I think.

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