A lovely little puzzle from Orense today. Nothing very difficult, but plenty of wit and variety; all in all, a nice way to spend a sunny ten minutes. Or maybe I’m just in a good mood because I got a cheque in the morning post and my A-Level results days are a long way behind me.
ACROSS
1. ADAM’S APPLE A + dam [female horse] + sale [auction] incorporating pp [musical notation for pianissimo, very quiet] to give the layringeal prominence characteristic of a man
7. AVER Braver [more courageous] minus Br(itish) to give ‘aver’, state or say
9. AVID Reversal of diva [opera singer]
10. BROOMSTICK Very nice cryptic definition; ‘stake’ as in stick or staff
11. ASSAIL Ass [fool] + ail [suffer]
12. RENOVATE Anagram of vote earn
13. BRIGANDS Bands [groups] incorporating rig [equipment]
15. SODA Two consumables: soda water, invented by Joseph Priestley in 1767, and the tasty Irish loaf soda bread
17. LIMA Anagram of mail (love the anagram indicator) to give the Peruvian capital
19. IMPOSTOR Anagram of promotions minus on
22. WARDROBE Ward [part of hospital] + robe [gown] – robe seems to be doing double duty
23. ASHRAM A + sham [pretence] incorporating r(esistance) to give the Indian spiritual retreat
25. MIGRATIONS MiG [jet fighter] + rations [limits amount]
26. RAIL R(ight) + L(eft) [opposing sides] incorporating AI [A1, first class]
27. LYNX The big cat sounds like ‘links’, a seaside golf course
28. BAKED BEANS Baked [hot] + beans [heads] – a delicious clue
DOWN
2. DIVISOR D(ay) + I [one] + visor [face protector] to give the number below the line in a dividend
3. MEDIA Me [compiler] + reversal of aid [help]
4. AMBULANT A + MB [doctor, Bachelor of Medicine] + u(nion) + l(eft) + ant [worker]
5. PROGRESSIVE ROCK Brilliant cryptic definition: a stone in motion, and a kind of cerebral rock music
6. ERMINE Er [show of hesitation] + mine [pit] to give the white-form stoat beloved of furriers
7. ACTIVISTS Acts [Biblical book] incorporating anagramk of visit
8. EXCITED Exited [went out] incorporating c(ape)
14. GRAND PRIX Grand [£1,000] + prix [French for ‘prize’ – only half-cryptic, this clue]
16. UPRAISED Up [leading] + r[ole] + anagram of ideas
18. INANITY In [at home] + (wh)y incorporating a nit [a bug – a nit was originally only the egg of a bug (a headlouse, specifically), but the definition got stretched, as definitions generally do]
20. ORATION O(ld) + ration [distribute – a second appearance for ration (see 25ac.)]
21. HOT TUB Hot [popular] + T(rade) U(nion) b(rothers)
24. HORSE Sounds like ‘hoarse’
Thanks Orense and ringo. A pleasant crossword. I am inclined to agree that the second appearance of ration is unfortunate.
With this shape of grid I am on full nina alert these days and having found that 1ac, 9ac, and 11ac all began with A I was disappointed that the pattern was not continued – but that is not in any way a criticism.
I did not see any double duty in 22ac: I parsed it as Part of a hospital (WARD) gown (ROBE) in (linking word) store (WARDROBE) here (possibly redundant indication that store is the definition).
I would not call 14dn only half-cryptic. Although I have described the device of cluing a two-word phrase by defining each word individually as mundane, this clue has a nice surface and works for me.
A minor quibble with 16dn: I do not like “role began” for “first letter of role”. Would not “beginning” be better?
Hi Pelham.
Re. 22ac, I’m just not sure that ‘store’ by itself is sufficient to define ‘wardrobe’ – but I’m just being picky. Fair points on the others, particularly 16dn – I agree.
Straight forward solve with the exception of entering Mali for 17A on the first pass……