A quick solve for me today as the wordplay, or subsidiary indication as some prefer to call it, was quite clear in all the clues. I prefer something that presents a bit more of a challenge but this puzzle would definitely suit beginners and intermediates in the art of cryptic crossword solving.
| Across | ||
| 1 | VIGOUR | VIGO (Spanish city) UR (old one {city}) |
| 4 | TONE-DEAF | anagram (volatile) of DATE around (embracing) ONE (single) F (fellow) |
| 9 | BRANCH | B (bishop) RAN (administered) CH (church) |
| 10 | PUMP IRON | PUMP (soft shoe) IRON (club {golf}) |
| 12 | ALACRITY | AL[l]Y (friend half-heartedly) around (taking in) A CRIT (a review) |
| 13 | ODDS-ON | O (old) DON (academic) around (holding) D (degree) S (succeeded) |
| 15 | TOTE | TO[r]TE (rich pastry right away) |
| 16 | INFILTRATE | I (current) anagram (in shabby state) of FLAT I RENT |
| 19 | AZERBAIJAN | A BA (a graduate) around (pocketing) ZER[o] (almost nothing) 1 JAN (start of year) |
| 20 | WORM | ROW (argument) reversed (backed) M (male) |
| 23 | PIRATE | P (page) IRATE (cross) |
| 25 | ILLUSION | ILL (trouble) U (for all to see) SION (holy city) |
| 27 | OUTBURST | R (king) in OUT (striking) BUST (sculpture) |
| 28 | VIZIER | VIZ (namely) I (one) ER (queen) |
| 29 | EGYPTIAN | anagram (suffering abuse) of GAIN TYPE |
| 30 | STIGMA | A MG (car) IT’S reversed (backfiring) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | VIBRANT | VIB[e] (sensation almost) RAN (rushed) T (time) |
| 2 | GUARANTEE | anagram (messed up) of A NEAT RUG [fir]E (close to fire) |
| 3 | UNCORK | UN (article for Frenchman) CORK (Irish place) |
| 5 | ONUS | NOUS (common sense) with its head lowered |
| 6 | EXPEDITE | EX (former) PE (exercise) anagram (revise) of DIET |
| 7 | EUROS | SO (in a high degree) RUE (regret) reversed (raised) |
| 8 | FINANCE | N (new) in (pocketed by) FIANCÉ (one preparing for match) |
| 11 | STAND-IN | T[ire] (beginning to tire) in (entering) SAN (hospital) DIN (noise) |
| 14 | MIRACLE | RAC (drivers organised) in MILE (race) |
| 17 | AGONISING | A GO (an attempt) NI (province) SING (celebrate) |
| 18 | OBSTRUCT | B (bachelor) ST (good man) in (dividing) anagram (reformed) of COURT |
| 19 | APPROVE | A PP (a very quiet) ROVE[r] (car with concealed rear) |
| 21 | MINERVA | MI (note) NERVA (Roman emperor) |
| 22 | QUAINT | QU (queen) AIN’T (is not commonly spoken) |
| 24 | RATTY | hidden in (some) ‘bRAT TYpically’ |
| 26 | ASIA | alternate letters (regularly observed) in ‘mAn’S rIvAl’ |
I did like 19ac. 21dn annoyed, but only through my ignorance of emperors.
Thank you, Gaufrid.
I must say that I prefer your style of blog. The simpler the better in my opinion.
I want to get on with the next challenge! However, I do appreciate the usefulness
of a more comprehensive approach for beginners in more complex puzzles.
As this was such an easy crossword, I wondered if it was unusual in the fact that
all 26 letters of the alphabet made an appearance. I’m trying to be as low-key
as possible on the matter – after recent comments on fifteensquared!