Guardian Quiptic 634 / Moley

It’s been over a year since I reviewed one of Moley’s Quiptics, and little has changed.  This is yet another very ordinary crossword, notable only for the inclusion of 15 anagrams in 29 clues and the usual plethora of extra words thrown in purely for the benefit of the surface reading.

Across

1a Pays Colonel Short to play music (7)
CALYPSO – an anagram (to play) of PAYS  COL (Colonel SHORT) gives some West Indian music

5a Average disturbance unknown: it’s a contradiction in terms (7)
PARADOX – a charade of a word meaning average, a disturbance and a mathematical unknown leads to a contradiction in terms

10a Jacob’s brother in Charlie’s Aunt (4)
ESAU – the name of Jacob’s hairy brother is hidden in the clue

11a Adjust to new date, remaining correctly aligned (10)
ORIENTATED – a word meaning to adjust is followed by an anagram (new) of DATE gives a word meaning correctly aligned

12a Get off ! It’s flaming hot! (6)
ALIGHT – if this verb meaning to get off is split (1,5) then it gives something that is flaming hot

13a Walked over pupil — completely crushed (8)
TRAMPLED – put a verb meaning walked around a L(earner (pupil) to get a slightly different verb meaning completely crushed (or walked over!)

14a Ease an age problem in part of the Med (6,3)
AEGEAN SEA – an anagram (problem) of EASE AN AGE gives a part of the Mediterranean

16a Quiet US city to produce philosopher (5)
PLATO – a charade of the musical notation for quiet, a US city and TO from the clue gives this Greek philosopher

17a Decline and Fall? (5)
ABATE – two slightly different meanings

19a A rest disturbed after foundation shows a level of interest (4,5)
BASE RATES – put an anagram (disturbed) of A REST after a foundation to get a level of interest charged by different banks

23a Monster with a lethal stare — Herb is king! (8)
BASILISK – this mythical serpent which could kill with a stare is a charade of a herb, IS from the clue and K(ing)

24a In an Englishman’s castle silver is protected with respect (6)
HOMAGE – put an Englishman’s castle around (protected) the chemical symbol for silver to get a word meaning respect

26a So half fold at sea — the result of heavy rain (5,5)
FLASH FLOOD – an anagram (at sea) of SO HALF FOLD gives a possible result of heavy rain

27a Stage part of Driving Miss Daisy (4)
DAIS – this stage is hidden in the last word of the clue

28a A poisonous element here? It’s a small world! (7)
MERCURY – This poisonous element is also the name of the smallest planet in the solar system (now that Pluto has been downgraded to dwarf planet)

29a God’s pain revealed in style (7)
PANACHE – a charade of the Greek god of pastures, flocks, and woods and a pain gives this style or flamboyance

Down

2d Sailor’s new love let off the hook (7)
ABSOLVE – start with a sailor and the ‘S and then add an anagram (new) of LOVE to get a verb meaning let off the hook

3d Immature guy on rocky road (5)
YOUNG – this adjective meaning Immature is an anagram (rocky) of GUY ON with road added for the benefit of the surface reading

4d Hornets fly around prune (7)
SHORTEN – an anagram (fly around) of HORNETS gives a verb meaning to prune

6d Trojan hero at ease, an unusual version (6)
AENEAS – this Trojan hero comes from (yet another) anagram (unusual version) of EASE AN

7d Article about bad apple the French pursued unaccompanied (1,8)
A CAPPELLA – a charade of the indefinite article, a single-letter abbreviation of about, an anagram, yes, another one, (bad) of APPLE and finally the French feminine definite article

8d Make a pig of oneself when recovering from East Asian trip, initially (7)
OVEREAT – a verb meaning to make a pig of oneself is built up from a word meaning recovering from an illness followed by the initial letters of East Asian Trip

9d Earn a lot from success with article on sailor’s vessel (3,3,7)
HIT THE JACKPOT – this phrase meaning to earn a lot of money is a charade of a success, the definite article, a sailor and a cooking vessel

15d Imported from outside (9)
EXTRINSIC – an adjective meaning coming from outside

18d Reading code badly in bare, rough environment (7)
BRAILLE – this code used by the blind for reading is derived from an adverb meaning badly inside an anagram (rough) of BARE

20d Chained wrong anteater (7)
ECHIDNA – an anagram (wrong) of CHAINED gives another name for the anteater

21d Heading off, welshing maybe on old Albion supporters? (7)
ENGLISH – after drop the initial W (heading off), an anagram (maybe) of (W)ELSHING gives the supporters of old Albion (not West Bromwich!)

22d Take issue with new ride holding very noisy element (6)
DIFFER – a verb meaning to take issue with is created by putting an anagram (new) of RIDE around (holding) the musical notation for very noisy

25d Deem a to be necessary for Jason’s legendary assistant (5)
MEDEA – our final anagram (change) of DEEM A gives Jason’s legendary assistant