The puzzle may be found at http://www.guardian.co.uk/crosswords/quiptic/697.
This one went in quite smoothly, as it is supposed to.
| Across | |||
| 1. | Pay another visit, eh? (4,5) | ||
| COME AGAIN | Double definition. | ||
| 6. | Convincing evidence of the strength of alcohol (5) | ||
| PROOF | Double definition. | ||
| 9. | Kingdom not fancied by leader of monarchists (5) | ||
| REALM | A charade of REAL (‘not fancied’) plus M (‘leader of Monarchists’). | ||
| 10. | Teacher runs with class in Yorkshire town (9) | ||
| DONCASTER | A charade of DON (‘teacher’) plus CASTE (‘class’) plus R (‘runs’). | ||
| 11. | Cleaners put off by loo? (10) | ||
| DETERGENTS | A charade of DETER (‘put off’) plus GENTS (‘loo?’). | ||
| 12. | Flower in Reims in odd locations (4) | ||
| IRIS | Odd letters of ‘In ReImS‘. | ||
| 14. | Trendy partners for residents (7) | ||
| INMATES | A charade of IN (‘trendy’) plus MATES (‘partners’). | ||
| 15. | Playing leapfrog, female ignored climbing frame in garden (7) | ||
| PERGOLA | An anagram (‘playing’) of ‘leap[f]rog’ without the F (‘female ignored’). | ||
| 17. | A drink needed by first of children to be expelled (4,3) | ||
| CAST OUT | A charade of C (‘first of Children’) plus ‘a’ plus STOUT (‘drink’). | ||
| 19. | A bird has swallowed her cigar (7) | ||
| CHEROOT | An envelope (‘has swallowed’) of ‘her’ in COOT (‘bird’). | ||
| 20. | You are not finished in time (4) | ||
| YEAR | A charade of YE (‘you’) plus AR[e] (‘are not finished’). | ||
| 22. | More attend new art gallery (4,6) | ||
| TATE MODERN | An anagram (‘new’) of ‘more attend’. | ||
| 25. | Wilde sees wild flower (9) | ||
| EDELWEISS | An anagram (‘wild’) of ‘wilde seen’. | ||
| 26. | Bouquet is the start of a romantic affair (5) | ||
| AROMA | The first letters (‘the start of’) ‘A ROMAntic affair’ | ||
| 27. | Roosevelt‘s combined panties and chemise (5) | ||
| TEDDY | Double definition. | ||
| 28. | Birds a sailor throws around (9) | ||
| STARLINGS | An envelope (‘around’) of TAR (‘a sailor’) in SLINGS (‘throws’). | ||
| Down | |||
| 1. | Copper-colour — like kippers? (5) | ||
| CURED | A charade of CU (‘copper’ chemical symbol) plus RED (‘colour’). | ||
| 2. | I’m in Maltese mess when I eat (9) | ||
| MEALTIMES | An envelope (‘in’) of ‘I’m’ in MEALTES, an anagram (‘mess’) of ‘Maltese’. | ||
| 3. | Admit no air that’s hazy — one may be lost in it! (10) | ||
| ADMIRATION | An anagram (‘that’s hazy’) of ‘admit no air’. | ||
| 4. | Speech that may be written on an envelope (7) | ||
| ADDRESS | Double definition. | ||
| 5. | Poles holding on — on something that spins continuously (3-4) | ||
| NON-STOP | An envelope (‘holding’) of ‘on’ in N S (‘poles’); plus TOP (‘something that spins’). | ||
| 6. | Quietly consume fuel (4) | ||
| PEAT | A charade of P (piano, ‘quietly’) plus EAT (‘consume’). | ||
| 7. | Beast that’s not terribly content (5) | ||
| OTTER | A hidden answer (‘content’) in ‘nOT TERribly’. | ||
| 8. | One with dreadlocks in military post, initially (3,1,5) | ||
| FOR A START | An envelope (‘in’) of RASTA (‘one with dreadlocks’) in FORT (‘military post’). | ||
| 13. | A fight no one will pay to see? (4-3-3) | ||
| FREE-FOR-ALL | Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 14. | Urge to travel as a result of chilblains? (5,4) | ||
| ITCHY FEET | Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 16. | Lennon’s partner has no news broadcast independently (2,4,3) | ||
| ON ONES OWN | A charade of ONO (Yoko, ‘Lennon’s partner’) plus NESOWN, an anagram (‘broadcast’) of ‘no news’. | ||
| 18. | Awfully isolated, having dismissed fifty yes-men (7) | ||
| TOADIES | An anagram (‘awfully’) of ‘iso[l]ated’ without the L (‘having dismissed fifty’). | ||
| 19. | Sort of boot seen where pensioners are in soccer team? (7) | ||
| CHELSEA | Triple definition. | ||
| 21. | A nut in front (5) | ||
| AHEAD | A charade of ‘a’ plus HEAD (‘nut’). | ||
| 23. | Heads of network excited as radio star approaches (5) | ||
| NEARS | First letters (‘heads’) of ‘Network Excited As Radio Stars’. | ||
| 24. | A cereal plant, so we hear, is wrong (4) | ||
| AWRY | A homophone (‘so we hear’) of ‘a plus RYE (‘cereal plant’). | ||
Orlando has created the perfect Quiptic. This is the puzzle that I will recommend to anyone expressing interest in learning how to do cryptic crosswords.
My favourites were AWRY, FOR A START, STARLINGS & ON ONE’S OWN.
Thanks for the blog, PeterO.
What Michelle said.
Thanks to Peter and to Orlando. The boy done good again.
Hear, hear!
Lovely surfaces, as usual, especially REALM, PERGOLA, TATE MODERN and TOADIES.
Thanks PeterO and Orlando, as ever.
Does anyone know why there isn’t a blog for today’s Rufus yet?
A great crossword. Thanks, as always, for this helpful run-down. I got the answer “starlings”, but I couldn’t parse it.