A good crossword from Aardvaark I thought. Not easy, but everthing is there to be found. The clues are very solid, no stray words or dubious definitions at all.
Aardvark has put in some nice misdirections – I spent ages trying to think of literary refererences to ‘most lovely city’ and there were plenty of anagram and inclusion indicators that turned out to be nothing of the sort.
Hold mouse over clue number to see the clue.
| Across | ||
| 9 | ALAN-A-DALE | A (one) NADA (nothing) Left inside ALE (beer) – member of Robin Hood’s band of merry men |
| 10 | ARIEL | shinE (final letter of) inside LIRA (old brass, money) – definition is ‘spirit’ |
| 11 | LITOTES | TOT (child) inside LIES (tales) – definition is ‘figure of speech’, deliberate understatement |
| 12 | IMITATE | Male and Jaques TATI reversed inside IE (that is) – definition is ‘model’ |
| 13 | AIL | AI (A1 – brilliant, the best) and Light (initial letter of) – definition is ‘pain’. |
| 14 | NAT KING COLE | (LACKING TONE)* – American pianist and singer |
| 17 | GARDA | GARD sounds like ‘guard’ (safety, eg position on sports team) and A |
| 18 | RIA | AdRIAtic – definition is ‘coastal inlet’ |
| 19 | BEVEL | BEVErLy Hills with R (Republican) and Y (unknown in equations) removed (rejected) – definition is ‘inclination’ |
| 21 | DISCERNMENT | anagram of DINNER SET Menu and Charge (original=first letter of) |
| 23 | GEL | LEG (pin) reversed – a dressing for one’s hair |
| 25 | EMIRATE | MI (note of scale) RAT (mole, spy) inside EuropE (border of) – an office of state in a foreign country |
| 27 | CYPRESS | PRESS (media) follow (track) CelebtitY (unoccupied, with nothing inside) – a tree that grows (is rooted) in the Mediteranian countries |
| 28 | RICIN | RN (tars, Royal Navy) containing (housing) ICI (‘here’ in French) – poisonous chemical from the caster oil plant |
| 29 | LEICESTER | LEER containing (while absorbing) NICEST (most lovely, without leading letter) – definition is ‘city’ |
| Down | ||
| 1 | PAELLA | LEAP (bound) reversed inside LA (‘the’ in French) – definition is ‘meal’ |
| 2 | WAT TYLER | Time after Time and ELY (bishopric or ‘see’ in East Anglia) reversed (revolutionary) inside (during) WAR (battles) – English revolutionary |
| 3 | MARTINGALE | GALE (wind) under (south of) ANTRIM* – a strap forming part of a horse’s tack |
| 4 | LASS | Litre ASS (mug, fool) |
| 5 | FELICITATE | ETA (Greek character) TIC (fit, convulsion) reversed following LIFE* – definition is ‘praise’ |
| 6 | MALI | I (single) LAM (beat) reversed – African country |
| 7 | MIKADO | MIKe (microphone diminished=shortened) ADO (song and dance) – English term for the Emperor of Japan |
| 8 | BLUEBELL | BELL (ring, e.g. telephone) under (found at foot of) BLUE (down, sad) |
| 15 | TARANTELLA | ARAN (wollen sweater) on William TELL inside TA (Terrretorial Army) – definition is ‘dance’ |
| 16 | GOBSTOPPER | OB (old boy, ex pupil) insdie GS (grammar school) and TOPPER (top hat, headwear) – definition is ‘sweet’ |
| 17 | GADGETRY | GAD (exclamation of surprise) GET (understand) RY (railway) – definition is ‘mechanism’ |
| 20 | VIGNETTE | TEN G reversed (over) inside (probed) VITE (quickly, French) |
| 22 | STITCH | ITCH (irritation) following ST (street, road) – something made by one who sews |
| 24 | LUSTRE | ScarleT (edges of) inside LURE (draw) |
| 26 | AUNT | TUNA* |
| 27 | CHIC | CIC (Commander in Chief) contains (controls) House (front letter of) |
*anagram