Enjoyable one, this, though not too challenging. If I were feeling crotchety, I’d say that a couple of the devices were a little hackneyed – but happily I’m not (today, at least), so instead I’ll call them agreeably old-school.
ACROSS
1. ECCLES CAKE Eccles(iastes) [Biblical book] + cake [the verb, meaning to cover] to give the Mancunian pastry
7. ASBO Hidden within fracAS BOy, the punishment being an AntiSocial Behaviour Order
9. KNOB Smutty whichever way you look at it… knob [meaning hump or lump], when flipped gives ‘bonk’ [meaning hump in another sense]
10. IRRELEVANT Anagram of I’ve learnt r(esistance)
11. MULLET Double definition – refers either to the hairstyle [also known as business at the front, party at the back] or the heraldic five-pointed star
12. RESTRAIN Anagram of tears around (corrido)r + in
13. WRITE OFF Anagram of FT for we including I [i.e. one]
15. ITEM I + met [bumped into] reversed, giving an object
17. TIER The Roman river Tiber with b(ass) removed
19. COMMERCE Come [appear] incorporating merc(edes) to give a synonym for traffic (in the sense of trafficking)
22. CAPSULAR Anagram of Pauls inside car [automobile]
23. UMPIRE Ire [anger] following u(ntruths) + MP [politician], to give the official arbiter or judge in cricket, hockey and other games
25. SECOND WIND Second [support] + wind [section of an orchestra]
26. AVID Reversal of diva, the operatic first lady or prima donna
27. TYPE Hidden in pretTY PErson – not sure I’m convinced by ‘engaged to’ as an indicator (engaged in or engaged by, possibly)
28. EAR TRUMPET Anagram of mate erupt r(age)
DOWN
2. CONQUER Con [prisoner or convict] + qu(e)er – as in ‘I came, I saw, I subdued’…
3. LABEL l(ab) + Abel [Biblical murder victim – a decidedly time-honoured device]
4. SPITTOON Cryptic definition using the slang word gob for saliva, and a lovely mental image first thing in the morning
5. AIRCRAFT CARRIER Cryptic definition
6. ENLIST Anagram of Isn’t let, minus t(raining)
7. ADVERTISE Advise [recommend] enclosing (privat)e (secto)r (investmen)t, to give a (rough) synonym for the verb market
8. BONFIRE B(lazing) + one [somebody] surrounding fir [wood] – a very neat &lit
14. TURNSTONE Turns [changes] + tone [colour] – a lovely little clue for a lovely little bird
16. SMOULDER S(trawberry) + moulder [crumble]
18. INANELY I + Ely [another rather antique device, referring to the see or diocese of Ely] ‘trapping’ nan [grandmother]
20. CARMINE Car [vehicle] followed by me [setter] surrounding in [at home] to give a shade of red – the second use of ‘car’ (after 22ac.) seems a little lazy
21. PLEDGE P(enny) + ledge [mantelpiece]
24. PSALM P(riest) + s(inging) a l(ess) m(odern)
Many thanks Ringo, you really are a Star.
However, as I’ve pointed out before, Flimsy is so Robust as to be guilty of misrepresenting himself.
SPITTOON was my favourite in a very enjoyable exercise.
Nice puzzle.
“Agreeable old school”?
Well, surely a well-written crossword with a lot of fine surfaces (which I always like).
Maybe, one car too many, but I enjoyed this puzzle.
Not very hard, but also not one for which Flimsy used the automatic pilot.
Elegant, I thought.
Thank you, Ringo.
Got most of the rhs out but the lhs was untouched.
1a Book=ecclesiates is I think too hard
3d Ditto for Abel -I was looking for body or corpse.
11a Mullet did come to mind for a bad hairstyle but couldn’t see any connection with star so din’t write it in.
13a Surely this is wrong? If I write off a car, I wreck it. If I go on the beer at luchtime I can write off the entire afternoon -but there is no element of cancellation.
22a Never heard of it
27a Agree with you Ringo
4d Wonderful clue -though didn’t get it
Somehow I feel annoyed when answers require biblical, art,plays or literature knowledge. Only biblical applying here.
Bamberger:
1a. I figured out ‘cake’ and worked backwards from there, to be honest. ‘Abel’ at 3d. is a device that’s been knocking around for years – very tough, it’s true, if you’ve not come across it before. But personally I’m not averse to a bit of General Knowledge in a puzzle.
13a. I suppose you could ‘write off’ a debt, which would be the same as cancelling it, maybe?
‘Mullet’ (in the heraldic sense) and ‘capsular’ were both new to me, too.