Entertaining crossword from Bradman with a “fishy” flavour and some deft anagrams. 1a, 25a, 2d, 4d, 6d amused me especially.
The last two answers need your inputs. // Updated, thanks to crypticsue.
Across
1 UMPIRES MP (politian) IRE (anger), in US (America).
5 CASTLE L (learner) in CASTE (class)
8 DORSAL FIN (ISLAND FOR)*. A dorsal fin is a part of a fish, best recognised as the sign of an approaching shark.
9 POP-UP POP (dad) UP (revolting). A pop-up (book) has specially folded paper giving its pages a three-dimensional effect. Not to be confused with pop-up (ad), the most annoying creation of internet marketers.
11 REICH RICH (with lots of money) around E (the east). Old German word used to mean ‘territory’.
12 WATERGATE WAT (rebel Wat Tyler, leader of the English Peasants’ Revolt, 1381) ERG (work unit), ETA (Greek character) reversed
13 ARTISTRY hidden in ‘pART IS TRYing’
15 DEFEND FED (took nourishment) reversed, END (death)
17 MAIMED M (maiden) AIMED (sighted)
19 CAROUSEL CAROL (sing) around USE (employment)
22 NAKED LADY i.e. woman lacking undergarments (1d). A new term for me – Wikipedia lists three plants that go by this name.
23 MOPES MES[s] (endless muddle) around OP (work)
24 SHIVA (HAS)* around IV (four). The Hindu God of destruction.
25 HEADSTONE HEAD’S TONE (the way principal talks)
26 AGLEAM A GAM (school or herd of whales), around LE (‘the’ as a Parisian would say)
27 DESCENT S[now] in DECENT (fairly good)
Down
1 UNDERGARMENTS (DUSTMEN GARNER)*
2 PERSIST hidden in ‘suPER SISTerhood’
3 ROACH ROC (big bird) around A, [fis]H. Fish of the carp and minnow family.
4 SOFTWARE (FOR WASTE)*. Superbly coded anagram.
5 CANUTE A N (knight), in CUTE (adorable). Canute (c. 985 or 995 – 1035), also known as Cnut the Great, was a king of Denmark and neighbouring lands.
6 SUPERHERO (HOPE SURE)* around R (right), with the clue serving as an apt definition.
7 LAPLACE LAP (drink) LACE (doctor, as in, to adulterate). Refers to Pierre-Simon, marquis de Laplace (1749 – 1827), a French mathematician.
10 PREADOLESCENT (CLOSE PARENTED)*
14 SHELDRAKE SHE (the female), DR (doctor) in LAKE (the water). A type of duck.
16 MARYLAND [bo]Y in MARL (clay) AND
18 INKLING INKING (writing) around L[ife]
20 SUPPOSE SUP (drink) POSE (model)
21 FATHOM F (female) AT HOME (reception?) – E (English). Does reception equal ‘AT HOME’, or do I have the parsing wrong? // Update: See comment#1.
23 MOSES [bab]E in MOSS (plant in damp habitat) // Update: &lit – the baby Moses was found “in a small craft of bulrushes coated in pitch” (link). Thanks to crypticsue for the explanation.
I did enjoy solving this one, thank you Bradman.
21d People used to have parties, which I supposed could be called receptions, the invitations for which said that ‘so and so was AT HOME’.
I think 22d is a brilliant clue. Moses was indeed found in a basket made of plant material.
Thanks schuchi for the review.
Thank you crypticsue. I should have cottoned on to the &lit in 22d…I did wonder why Bradman chose the word “babe” when he could have used a more natural word ending in E. Now it makes sense.
Please accept my apologies if this breaks site etiquette but you’ve a typo at 10d – “preadolEscent”.
As ever, thank you for the blog.
Oops. Thanks Stuart. Fixed.
I had 16D parsed using the variety of china clay called Marland that originated in Devon…..but your way solves my problem of the seemingly superfluous “and in”.
Thanks to setter and reviewer.
I think I have seen invitations from couples saying (e.g.)
AT HOME September 10, 2011 6-30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
meaning it was RECEPTION time they were ready to welcome visitors.
What an enjoyable knock by Bradman this was. Thanks to him and to shuchi for the blog.
Re 21d: ‘At home’ was also used as a noun, e.g.: ‘… giving an “at home” for …’.
I originally put in ‘gather’ (understand), having ‘gate’ for reception minus ‘e’ and ‘her’ for female, which got me looking for an obscure Scots word for 26a until I eventually twigged.