Probably around the middle of the Beelzebub spectrum in terms of hardness this week. Steady progress for me, though with the crossing pair of 12ac and 11dn proving particularly elusive. Still, everything seems nice and easy to explain this week.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | SEA BAT – AB in SEAT. |
| 5 | EGRESS – (G in ERE) + SS. |
| 10 | HELICONIAN – H + (ICON in ELIAN). |
| 12 | VALLUM – V + ALL + UM. |
| 13 | PEAG – A in PEG. |
| 14 | RING ARMATURE – GRAIN* + R + MATURE. |
| 16 | TOOART – TOO + ART. |
| 18 | SEALANT – EA in SLANT. |
| 22 | GAEKWAR – W in (RAKE + Ag)<. |
| 23 | GROATS – dd. |
| 25 | HEARTSTRINGS – THREATS* + RINGS. |
| 27 | TACK – dd. |
| 28 | QUANGO – QUAN[t] + GO. |
| 29 | VILLANELLE – (LANE + LL) in VILE. |
| 30 | DENNET – DEN + NET. |
| 31 | LINEAR – (N in LINE) + A R. |
| Down | |
| 1 | SHARP-SIGHTED – (GETS HARDSHIP)*. |
| 2 | ALANNAH – ANNAL< in AH. |
| 3 | BILGE – GLIB< + E. |
| 4 | TOURING – (RUIN GOT)*. |
| 6 | GIGA – G[o]I[n]G [m]A[d]. |
| 7 | RAPTOR – RAP + TOR. |
| 8 | STAR-READ – ERRAT[a]< in SAD. |
| 9 | SAGE-THRASHER – SAG + (RASH in ETHER). |
| 11 | CLAMANT – LAM in CANT. |
| 15 | DECREASE – AS in DECREE. |
| 17 | OVERRAN – RA in [g]OVERN. |
| 19 | TACTUAL – T + ACTUAL. |
| 20 | SWINGLE – W in SINGLE. |
| 21 | PARKIN – PARK IN. |
| 24 | LINEN – [gir]L IN EN[tirety]. |
| 26/ | TOLE – LOT< + E. |