I found the left hand side fell out very easily; the right took a little longer, but followed in due course, ending in the NE corner.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Young attendant pursuing animal in disorder (7) | ||
| RAMPAGE | A charade of RAM (‘animal’) + (‘pursuing’) PAGE (‘young attendant’). | ||
| 5. | Master welcoming publicity for setter’s place of study (7) | ||
| ACADEMY | An envelope (‘welcoming’) of AD (‘publicity’) in ACE (‘master’) + MY (‘setter’s’). | ||
| 10. | American soldier winning heart of churlish young woman (4) | ||
| GIRL | A charade of GI (‘American soldier;) + (‘winning’; at first glance, this suggested to me an envelope rather than a charade) RL (‘heart of chuRLish’). | ||
| 11. | Think about marine struggling in difficult situation (4,2,4) | ||
| BEAR IN MIND | An envelope (‘in’) of EARINM, an anagram (‘struggling’) of ‘marine’ in BIND (‘difficult situation’). | ||
| 12. | Son tucked into timid person’s dessert (6) | ||
| MOUSSE | An envelope (‘tucked into’) of S (‘son’) in MOUSE (‘timid person’). | ||
| 13. | I sat with pope, surprisingly well suited for the purpose (8) | ||
| APPOSITE | An anagram (‘surprisingly’) of ‘I sat’ + ‘pope’. | ||
| 14. | Second uniform given to Special Air Service circumnavigating earth by way of the world’s oceans (5,4) | ||
| SEVEN SEAS | A charade of S (‘second’) + EVEN (‘uniform’) + (‘given to’) an envelope (‘circumnavigating’) of E (‘earth’) in SAS (‘Special Air Service’). | ||
| 16. | Provision of meals to pig beginning to diet (5) | ||
| BOARD | A charade of BOAR (‘pig’) + D (‘beginning to Diet’). | ||
| 17. | In which to measure land bordered by Acacia Crescent (5) | ||
| ACRES | A hidden answer (‘bordered by’) in ‘AcaciA CREscent’). | ||
| 19. | Tournament in which Women’s’ Institute deviously lob Dutch men (9) | ||
| WIMBLEDON | A charade of WI (‘Women’s Institute’) + an anagram (‘deviously’) of ‘lob’ + D (‘Dutch’) + ‘men’. | ||
| 23. | Group of people meeting wild animal, displaying a bundle of nerves (8) | ||
| GANGLION | A charade of GANG (‘group of people’) + (‘meeting’) LION (‘wild animal’). ‘Displaying’ introduces the definition. | ||
| 24. | Woman, having died, spread out in all directions (6) | ||
| DILATE | A charade of DI (‘woman’) + (‘having’) LATE (‘died’). | ||
| 26. | Fellow thespian stalking man is a criminal (10) | ||
| MALEFACTOR | A charade of MALE (‘man’) +(‘stakling’) F (‘fellow’) + ACTOR (‘thespian’). | ||
| 27. | Plans to have unwanted emails returned (4) | ||
| MAPS | A reversal (‘returned’) of SPAM (‘unwanted emails’). | ||
| 28. | Take a gamble, packing thin cover for bed (7) | ||
| BLANKET | An envelope (‘packing’) of LANK (‘thin’) in BET (‘take a gamble’). | ||
| 29. | Champion with red nose after a beating (7) | ||
| ENDORSE | An anagram (‘after a beating’) of ‘red nose’. | ||
| Down | |||
| 2. | Extra large source of embarrassment following a swim with fatty? (7) | ||
| ADIPOSE | A charade of A DIP (‘a swim’) + (‘following’) OS (‘extra large’) + E (‘source of Embarrassment’). | ||
| 3. | Problem with bottom builds up (5) | ||
| PILES | Double definition. | ||
| 4. | Leg bits cooked with birds’ entrails (7) | ||
| GIBLETS | An anagram (‘cooked’) of ‘leg bits’. | ||
| 6. | Carpenter in fast food joint (6) | ||
| CHIPPY | Double definition. | ||
| 7. | Sad musical set in dreadful US retail outlet (9) | ||
| DIMESTORE | An envelope (‘set in’) of MESTO (‘sad’, Italian, used as a ‘musical’ direction) in DIRE (‘dreadful’). | ||
| 8. | The essence of theism in stern place of worship (7) | ||
| MINSTER | A hidden answer (‘the essence of’) in ‘theisM IN STERn’. | ||
| 9. | Mother and two boys snuck in to nick hostess’s last savoury nibbles (9,4) | ||
| MACADAMIA NUTS | A charade of MA (‘mother’) + an envelope (‘snuck in’) of ADAM + IAN (”two boys’) in CUT (‘to nick’) + S (‘hostess’s last’). | ||
| 15. | Poor revenger taking drug is always fresh and vigorous (9) | ||
| EVERGREEN | An envelope (‘taking’) of E (‘drug’) in an anagram (‘poor’) of ‘revenger’. | ||
| 18. | Painter of church silver given everything (7) | ||
| CHAGALL | A charade of CH (‘church’) + AG (‘silver’) + (‘given’) ALL (‘everything’). | ||
| 20. | Bad horn replaced by Irish drum (7) | ||
| BODHRAN | An anagram (‘replaced’) of ‘bad horn’. | ||
| 21. | Creature about to go into work? (7) | ||
| OCTOPUS | An envelope (‘to go into’) of C (‘about’) + ‘to’ in OPUS (‘work’). | ||
| 22. | Business involving Iran’s leader results in angry outburst (6) | ||
| TIRADE | An envelope (‘involving’) of I (‘Iran’s leader’) in TRADE (‘business’). | ||
| 25. | Dance in place bordering on hell (5) | ||
| LIMBO | Double definition. | ||
Well, somebody’s got to be first responder, so it might as well be me.
Thanks for blogging, Peter. I found this a bit harder than your average Quiptic, but it was all pretty fairly clued, without any bells or whistles, which I suppose is what these puzzles are about. I liked OCTOPUS and MALEFACTOR, but needed your explanation for DIMESTORE.
Yes, a bit of a struggle.
Where is everybody? Even the Rufus blog is quiet so far.