A comparatively new setter in Fifteensquared’s coverage, and, as far as I can tell, his/her first in the IoS. Straightforward solve. Thanks to Alchemi. Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links with the puzzle.]]
Across
1 Renouncing what oaths can be? (11)
FORSWEARING : Oaths, whether solemn promises to a deity or irreverent or blasphemous uses of the name of anything sacred, are for swearing.
7,28 Went off embarrassed about worker (6)
RANTED : RED(the colour you become when you’re embarrassed) containing(about) ANT(a caste of which social insects is the worker).
Answer: If one was raving and ranting, one went off;became bad-tempered.
9 Fearful, though not about flier (5)
RAVEN : “craven”(cowardly;fearful) minus(though not) “c”(abbrev. for “circa”;about, especially when referring to dates).
10 Following your text, setter enters sports body ballot as the leading contender (9)
FAVOURITE : {UR(abbrev. for “your” when texting on mobile phones) plus(following …) I(pronoun referring to the setter of this crossword)} contained in(enters) {FA(the Football Association;sports body for football) + VOTE(ballot)}.
11 Potential galactic gateways in rocky Welsh moor (9)
WORMHOLES : Anagram of(rocky) WELSH MOOR.
Answer: Theoretical, and therefore only potential, gateways/short cuts through which matter could travel in spacetime between stars, galaxies, other universes, and time. That’s about as far as I can explain them.
12 Woman will shortly get ammunition (5)
SHELL : With an apostrophe, the contraction of(shortly) “she(woman) will”.
13 Taking up a lot of time, sadly, they long to drop round (7)
LENGTHY : Anagram of(sadly) THEY LNG{“they long” minus(to drop) “o”(the round letter)}
15 Determined one in Spanish car (4)
SEAT : SET(determined) containing(… in) A(one).
18 Network sending unfinished lament back (4)
GRID : Reversal of(back) DIRG{“dirge”(a lament;song of mourning) minus its last letter(unfinished)}
20 Traditionalist movie? (3-4)
DIE-HARD : As two words, title of the Bruce Willis movie.
23 Instrument showing temperature in tube (5)
FLUTE : T(abbrev. for “temperature”) contained in(in) FLUE(a tube or pipe for carrying off smoke, gas, etc.)
24 Losing pressman once I hauled away old Communist leader (4,2-3)
CHOU EN-LAI : Anagram of(away) ONCE I HAUL{“once I hauled” minus(losing) “ed”(short for newspaper “editor”;pressman)}.
Answer: Alternatively Zhou Enlai, the first Premier of China, under Mao Zedong.
26 It’s not nothing to be very satisfied greeting new government leader (9)
SOMETHING : SO(very, as in “she was so good”) + MET(having satisfied, eg. standards) + HI(an informal greeting) + N(abbrev. for “new”) + G{first letter of(leader) “government”}.
27 African shows disapproval of ironic opening (5)
TUTSI : TUTS(utters verbal expressions of disapproval) + I{initial letter of(… opening) “ironic”}.
Answer: An ethic group in Central Africa. Historically referred to as the Watutsi or Watusi.
28 See 7across (3)
29 Singer from Florence? (11)
NIGHTINGALE : Double defn: 1st: The songbird whose name is derived from Anglo-Saxon for “night songstress”; and 2nd: The “Lady with the Lamp”, of the Crimean War, regarded as the founder of modern nursing.
Down
1 Goodbye to remote Surrey town (8)
FAREWELL : FAR(remote;a long way off) + EWELL(the town in Surrey).
2 Priest always going after the right conclusion (8)
REVEREND : {EVER(always, as in “ever faithful”) placed after(going after) R(abbrev. for “right”)} + END(the conclusion;finish).
3 Hoist the western edge (5)
WINCH : W(abbrev. for “western”) + INCH(to edge very slowly towards something).
4 Arnold Wesker initially having had enough, play ending very badly (7)
AWFULLY : AW{initials of “Arnold Wesker” – British playwright of kitchen-sink drama} + FULL(having had enough) + Y{last letter of(… ending) “play”}.
5 Gives significance to wearing lots of underwear (7)
INVESTS : IN(wearing) VESTS(undershirts).
Answer: To give authority, power and such, things of significance, to a person.
6 Rootles around to steal funding (9)
GRUBSTAKE : GRUBS(rootles;searches for eg. roots, by digging up the ground) + TAKE(when done without permission, to steal).
Answer: North Americanism for providing money for a speculative project or gamble.
7 Jockey capturing a marauder (6)
RAIDER : RIDER(a mounted jockey) containing(capturing) A.
8 Pin requirement on empty luggage (6)
NEEDLE : NEED(a requirement) plus(on) LE{“luggage” minus its internal letters(empty)}.
14 Region where bird and bear lose their feet (9)
TURKESTAN : “turkey”(a bird) plus(and) “stand”(to bear;tolerate) minus their respective last;bottom letters (lose their feet, in a down clue).
Answer: Literally Land of the Turks. In modern times, it refers to a region which is inhabited mainly by Turkic peoples in Central Asia. It includes present-day Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang.
16 Capital manservant accepting pound with thanks (8)
VALLETTA : {VALET(a manservant) containing(accepting) L(abbrev. for pound sterling; £)} plus(with) TA(short for “thank you”).
Answer: Capital city of Malta.
17 Vita died, perhaps as a result of this ingredient (8)
ADDITIVE : Anagram of(perhaps) VITA DIED.
Answer: Some substance added to a mix.
19 Ruler has something to chew over before getting out of the way (7)
DUCKING : KING(a ruler) placed after(has … before) reversal of(over) CUD(what cows spend their time chewing).
20 Partial contribution to arid, rough terrain (7)
DROUGHT : Hidden in(partial contribution to ariD, ROUGH Terrain) . A WIWD(wordplay intertwined with definition clue).
21 Kills alien to compensate (6)
OFFSET : OFFS(slang for “kills”) + ET(abbrev. for “extra-terrestrial”;alien from outer space).
22 Coloured covering for vacant mausoleum stank (6)
HUMMED : HUED(being coloured) containing(covering for) MM{“mausoleum” minus its internal letters(vacant…)}.
Answer: Smelt of a bad odour, eg. BO.
25 Energy a number consumed (5)
EATEN : E(abbrev. for “energy”, in physics) + A + TEN(a number).
==============================================================================
I think it’s a ‘he’, scchua. Hint: make an anagram of the pseudonym.
Thanks raich, got it, as in “…row the boat ashore”.
That’s it, scchua.
Alchemi is one of the most prolific setters I know and it is great that his crosswords can now reach a wider audience. Thanks to him and scchua too.
I think this is only the second Alchemi puzzle I’ve encountered. All pretty straightforward, although GRUBSTAKE was new to me (but gettable from crossing letters) and I never realised VALLETTA is spelt with two Ls.
Signing off now till the hosting company move is complete, but not before saying thanks to setter and blogger.