A fairly tough week here, I think. I made a reasonably sprightly start, but soon had to reach for the dictionary. There are some cracking words in there, all the same. 14dn has me a little puzzled still.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | BRADYPEPTIC – B + RAD + (PEP in CITY<). |
| 10 | DENEHOLE – (HELD ONE)* + E[ffigy]. |
| 11 | SCRAWNY – S + (AWN in CRY). |
| 12 | NINJA – [isolatio]N IN JA[il]. |
| 13 | BEADY – DA< in BEY. |
| 14 | PACING – (C in PAIN) + G. |
| 15 | ARGALI – (LAG + R)< in AI. |
| 18 | VOIDANCE – DAN in VOICE. |
| 19 | MAIDENLY – END* in (MAIL + Y). |
| 22 | ORDURE – DOUR* + RE. |
| 23 | TAILOR – TAIL + O.R. |
| 24 | ETTIN – E.T. + NIT<. |
| 26 | ACTIN – A.C. + TIN[y]. |
| 27 | RAPHIDE – RAP + HIDE. |
| 28 | TRAVESTY – RAV in TESTY. |
| 29 | FREE-THINKER – (R in FEET) + (HER KIN)*. |
| Down | |
| 1 | BUSBAR – BUSB[y] + A[ttract] + R. |
| 2 | RICERCAR – R in (RICE + CAR). |
| 3 | AURA – Au + RA. |
| 4 | DEAD-AND-ALIVE – (AD + AN + DALI + V) in DEE. |
| 5 | PENSIONER – PENS + I + ONER. |
| 6 | PENAL – P + LANE<. |
| 7 | THICK-AND-THIN – (HICK + HADNT*) in TIN. |
| 8 | IONIANS – (I in IONA) + N.S. |
| 9 | LEAGUE – dd. |
| 14 | PHILOMATH – unless a HILOM is something, which it doesn’t seem to be, I’m stumped: Lover of learning once wanting weight in course. |
| 16 | SCARIDAE – ARID in CASE*. |
| 17 | SIMITAR – (RAT + I + M + IS)<. |
| 19 | MUTATE – TA in MUTE. |
| 20 | VENEER – EN in VEER. |
| 21 | DONEE – DONE + E. |
| 25 | TICK – dd. |
HI Simon
For 14dn (w)HILOM could be “once wanting weight”.
Thanks, PB. Hadn’t come across WHILOM, but that does make sense.
Incidentally, BBC Radio 3 have been running something called a Free-thinking Festival which had started by the time this crossword appeared. Made getting 29ac easier.