Pretty much a mid-paced week in terms of difficulty, I think. Lots of unfamiliar terms to work out, so very satisfying to polish off. I think everything made sense, though I’m not 100% confident in my explanation of 16dn.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | CASCABEL – CASCA + BEL[t]. Servilius Casca was a conspirator in the assassination of Julius Caesar. |
| 7 | FARD – R[ouge] in FAD. |
| 10 | EXPATIATOR – EX-PAT + I + A + (0 in TR). |
| 11 | SICK – K.C. + IS<. I wonder if I’m the only one who spent slightly too long wondering if SICQ was a word! |
| 12 | ANNECY – N.E. in [f]ANCY. |
| 14 | YATAGAN – A TAG in NAY<. |
| 15 | SPOKESPEOPLE – POPES* in (SPOKE + LE). |
| 17 | SAND EEL – AND in SEEL. |
| 19 | BOXHAUL – BOX + HAUL. “Cox and Box” is a short comic opera scored by Arthur Sullivan. |
| 21 | ORBITAL ROADS – (TABLOIDS ROAR)*. |
| 23 | TEA TRAY – T + EAT + RAY. |
| 25 | ANIONS – AN + I + O.N.S. |
| 26 | ORRA – ARRO[w]<. |
| 27 | GALIARDERY – (LIAR + DE) in GARY. |
| 28 | EYED – YE in [sh]ED. |
| 29 | SPERMARY – SPE[a]R + MARY. |
| Down | |
| 1 | COSY – CO + S[hand]Y. |
| 2 | ADIAPHORON – AIDA< + P + (0 in HORN*). |
| 3 | SECTOR – SEC + TO + R[ector]. |
| 4 | APAGE SATANAS – A PAGE’S AT A + SAN<. |
| 5 | BABASSU – BASS in (B[razil] A[nd] U[ruguay]). |
| 6 | LINE-ENGRAVER – (IN GENERAL)* + VER[y]. |
| 7 | FANTODS – NOT* in FADS. |
| 8 | ATEN – ATE + N[ight]. |
| 9 | DRY-CELLS – dd. |
| 13 | CALENDARER – A LEND in CARER. |
| 15 | SABOTAGE – A BOT in SAGE. |
| 16 | RHIZOID – I think this is 1OZ< in (R + HID), since weighing 1 ounce would be fairly lightweight. In case anyone has a better reading, the clue is: Sort of root, lightweight one, turning up in river, concealed. |
| 18 | ALLENDE – Isabel Allende, from ALL ENDE[d]. |
| 20 | GARRYA – (AYR + RAG<). |
| 22 | VILE – V[o]ILE. |
| 24 | YAWY – (Y + WAY)<. |