So, Hamilton, we meet again…
My nemesis from a few weeks ago is on rather more enjoyable form today, not quite having me clicking my heels with joy (it takes more than a crossword to do that on a rainy Thursday morning) but offering up a straightforwardly pleasing puzzle. Only 15ac. remains stubbornly unparseable. Perhaps it’ll come to me as I type…
ACROSS
1. TRYST Try [go] + regular letters of SiTe
4. CLOSE-KNIT Anagram of clients OK
9. BARGAIN Double definition
10. IMPREST Sounds like impressed [moved]
11. MARILYN MONROE Anagram of norma role in my, the &lit alluding to the erstwhile Norma Jean
14. ULNA In odd letters of UpLaNd Area
15. LUBRICATE Aha – it’s just a double definition, isn’t it?
18. DETRACTOR Tract [leaflet] within anagram of rode
19. USED Anagram of loudest minus the letters of lot
21. AGREE TO DIFFER Reverse clue: eager is an anagram (indicated by to differ) of agree
24. GENUINE Ingenue [young woman] with in transposed
26. ADORNED A + reversal of den [study] + rod [pole]
27. EGLANTINE Anagram of get in lane
28. THEME Hem [edge: see 23dn] within TE [as in TE Lawrence (of Arabia)]
DOWN
1. TUBE Double definition
2. YORK MINSTER Min [minute, short time] + (bring)s (benefi)t within yorker [delivery in cricket]
3. TEA URN Ea [each] within turn [go]
4. CANDLELIT Anagram of T(ed) called in
5. ONION Coronation minus the letters of actor
6. EUPHONIA Sounds like you phoney [you impostor] + a
7. NEE Hidden in juNE Eighteen-ninety-nine
8. TITLE DEEDS Anagram of detest idle
12. REASSURANCE Re [about] + ANC [African National Congress] within assure [guarantee]
13. QUADRANGLE Quad [one in four] + R [Republican] + angle [viewpoint]
16. BARRICADE BA [Bachelor of Arts, graduate] + anagram of carried
17. VALERIAN Valeri(e) [girl] + an [indefinite article]
20. EFFORT E F [two musical keys] + fort [defence establishment]
22. OBELI First letters of Once Bill Explains Linotype Ian
23. EDGE Double definition
25. NIL Hidden in reversal of deLINquent
My last cryptic today and one of the more straightforward offerings. Thanks to Hamilton and Ringo
Thanks Hamilton for an enjoyable crossword and Ringo for the blog. Favourite clue 5dn for getting a very precise cryptic indication into a good surface.
16dn: I think you need to take “graduate being” as the indicator for BA.
25dn: I think this clue would be better without the word “who”.
15 across is probably a double definition lubricate meaning to oil a meachnism, car engine, etc and lubricate as to bribe (grease one’s palm)
seeing Ms. Monroe for 2 days in a row in FT!