After a fairly brisk start, this became quite a tough puzzle for me. Still, the usual top qualty crossword with lots of interesting words.
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | MOBSTER – M + [l]OBSTER. |
| 6 | SAUGH – (HUGS A)*. |
| 10 | DIRECTORY – DIRE + C + TORY. |
| 11 | REALLY – [debat]E in RALLY. |
| 13 | RALLENTANDO – (ALL in RENT) + (A DON)*. |
| 14 | OTIC – O + TIC. |
| 16 | VISIT – VIS + IT. |
| 17 | WAVERING – AVER in WING. |
| 20 | UP-TO-DATE – DOT< in (U + PATE). |
| 23 | QUERY – QU[e]ER + Y. |
| 24 | MNAS – [sole]MN AS[sitant]. |
| 25 | UNIMPORTANT – (PORT in MAN) in UNIT. |
| 27 | AMBITS – MB in [w]AITS. |
| 28 | SLUGGABED – (G + GAB)< in SLUED. |
| 29 | HITHE – HIT + HE. Familiar from place names such as Rotherhithe. |
| 30 | LANUGOS – LA + (GO in NUS. |
| Down | |
| 1 | MARROW-SQUASH – (ROWS + QUA) in MARSH. |
| 2 | OMERTA – [the]ATRE M[ostly]<. |
| 3 | BRAAIVLEIS – VARIABLE* + IS. Having had countless South African colleagues over the years, being familiar with the shortened term “braai” gave me a start here. |
| 4 | TILLER – LL in TIER. |
| 5 | REMNANTS – MAN* in RENTS. The “in tears” makes for a nice misdirection. |
| 6 | SCAT – dd. Seemingly a fairly plain freshwater tropical fish. |
| 7 | ATTAIN – A + TT + [v]AIN. |
| 8 | GRADIN – RAD in GIN. |
| 9 | HYPOTHESISES – (SHE IS SHY POET)*. |
| 12 | INSPANNING – IN + ((PAN + N) in SIGN*). |
| 15 | SIPHONAL – HO in {PLAN IS)*. |
| 18 | JUNGLI – Carl JUNG + L + I. |
| 19 | ARMAGH – ARM + AGH[a]. |
| 21 | OSTMEN – OS + (M in TEN). |
| 22 | TATTOO – TAT + TOO. |
| 26 | PAGE – dd. |