Another enjoyable puzzle from Tuesday regular, Peto. Thanks Peto. Definitions are underlined in the clues. [[The pictures at the bottom have unidentified links to the puzzle. Please enclose any comments on them in double brackets. Thank you.]]
Across
1 Want Robespierre’s head in the end (6)
DEARTH : The first letter of(…’s head) “Robespierre” contained in(in) DEATH(the permanent end). And of course, Maximilien Robespierre, a leading figure in the French Revolution, was beheaded in the end.
Answer: A scarcity;a want.
4 Move quickly away from a gunfight (8)
SHOOTOUT : SHOOT OUT(to move quickly away from or through;to spurt).
9 Express oneself angrily about the Spanish excursion (3,3)
LET RIP : Reversal of(about) EL(Spanish for “the”) + TRIP(an excursion;an outing).
10 Police coming around to arrest model after some bust up with a servant (8)
DOMESTIC : Reversal of(coming around) CID(abbrev. for the Criminal Investigation Department of the police force) containing(to arrest) { T(the old Ford car model) placed after(after) anagram of(bust up) “SOME ” } . Twist to “the police were called to the house to break up a domestic quarrel”.
12 Gradgrind was one man covetous at heart (8)
MARTINET : MARTIN(a man’s name) + the 2 innermost letters of(at heart) “covetous”.
Answer: A stickler for rules;a strict disciplinarian, derived from the headmaster, Thomas Gradgrind, in Charles Dickens’s novel “Hard Times”, who was one such.
13 Battle back to capture an award for coach (6)
SCHOOL : Reversal of(back) LOOS(a major battle during World War I) containing(to capture) CH(post-nominals for a recipient of the British award, the Order of the Companions of Honour).
Defn. and Answer: As verbs.
15 Help to eat cold tart (4)
ACID : AID(help) containing(to eat) C(abbrev. for “cold”).
Defn: and Answer: Sour;a sharp taste.
16 Discourage an inclination to swallow up English firm (10)
DETERMINED : DETER(to discourage from) + MIND(an inclination;a desire, as in “I have a mind to give you a piece of my mind” containing(to swallow up) E(abbrev. for “English”).
19 Mental lapse causing hesitation after sailor takes an adequate amount (10)
ABERRATION : ER(verbal expression of hesitation) placed after(after) AB(abbrev. for an able-bodied seaman;a sailor) plus(takes) RATION(an adequate amount that’s allotted).
20 Shoot the first Welsh soldier from behind (4)
TWIG : Initial letter of(first) “the” + W(abbrev. for “Welsh”) + reversal of(from behind) GI(an American soldier).
Answer: A shoot;a young growth from part of a plant, say, a branch.
23 It’s supposed to be funny but Peto involved in a hoax gets angry at the end (6)
COMEDY : ME(self-referential pronoun for setters, in this case, Peto) contained in(involved in a) COD(British slang for a hoax) plus(gets) the last letter of(at the end) “angry”. Nice surface.
25 Abandoned when leased to doctor (8)
DESOLATE : Anagram of(doctor) LEASED TO.
Answer: Abandoned by friends, hope or encouragement.
27 Suitable to include exercises on it to finally stimulate enthusiasm (8)
APPETITE : APT(suitable) containing(to include) { PE(abbrev. for “physical education”;exercises) plus(on) IT } plus(to) the last letter of(finally) “stimulate”.
28 I’m taken aback by doctors having a drink (6)
MIMOSA : Reversal of(aback) I’M contained in(taken … by) MOS(abbrev. for medical officers;doctors) plus(having) A.
Answer: A cocktail drink of champagne (or a substitute sparkling wine) and orange juice.
29 Roamed freely near the edges but kept within bounds (8)
MODERATE : Anagram of(freely) ROAMED plus(near) the 2 outermost letters of(… edges) “the”.
30 Order an attack (6)
CHARGE : Double defn: 1st: As in “the judge charged the jury to return a verdict”.
Down
1 Cover up girl’s predicament (7)
DILEMMA : Reversal of(up, in a down clue) LID(a cover for a container, say) + EMMA(a girl’s name).
2 In imitation of a story containing the source of friction in paradise (9)
AFTERLIFE : AFTER(in imitation of;in the manner of, as in “a statue after classical models”) + LIE(a story;a fabrication) containing(containing) the first letter of(source of) “friction”.
Answer: The unearthly paradise to some.
3 Experiment cut short over a number of petty considerations (6)
TRIVIA : “trial”(an experiment) minus its last letter(cut short) containing(over) IV or VI(Roman numerals for 4 or 6, take your pick).
5 An expression of surprise over fine for Punch (4)
HOOK : HO(an expression;exclamation of surprise) placed above(over, in a down clue) OK(as in “that’s fine;OK with me”).
6 About to occur in defeat (8)
OVERCOME : OVER(about, as in “they were arguing over;about trivia”) + COME(to occur;to happen, as in “good things come to those who wait”).
7 Best when not possible to cheat (5)
OUTDO : OUT(not possible;out of the question) plus(to) DO(to cheat;to swindle).
Defn: As a verb.
8 Credit the French duke when amused (7)
TICKLED : TICK(account or credit, as in “we bought our TV on tick”, shortened from “ticket”) + LE(French for “the”) + D(abbrev. for “duke”).
11 A souvenir not put out after I object repeatedly (7)
MEMENTO : Anagram of(put out) placed below(after, in a down clue) ME,ME(objective case of “I”, repeated).
14 Obtain the return of Republican fellow held by the Queen (7)
RECOVER : R(abbrev. for “Republican”) + COVE(old-fashioned British slang for a fellow;a chap) contained in(held by) ER(abbrev. for Elizabeth Regina, the Queen).
17 A political project very recently made to work (3,6)
NEW LABOUR : NEW(very recently) + LABOUR(to work).
Answer: The label for the period of the British Labour Party under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, that was used as a political campaign slogan.
18 He’s owed money by extremely cavalier newspaper boss (8)
CREDITOR : The 2 outermost letters of(extremely) “cavalier” + EDITOR(the newspaper boss).
19 Assert as a right following Bill’s enthusiastic praise (7)
ACCLAIM : CLAIM(to assert as a right;to demand as being due to one) placed below(following, in a down clue) AC(abbrev. for “account”;a bill;a statement of moneys owed).
21 Essentially deny entering class with an explosive device (7)
GRENADE : The 2 innermost letters of(Essentially;being at the heart of) “deny” contained in(entering) GRADE(a class eg. in a school or of quality).
22 Finnish spoken with elegance (6)
POLISH : Answer: Refinement especially in manners, style, etc;finish{ homophone of(spoken) “Finnish” } .
24 Democrat, upset about work, felt dejected (5)
MOPED : Reversal of(upset) DEM(short for a member of the Democratic Party) containing(about) OP(abbrev. for a musical work).
26 Let it stand with some modernist etchings (4)
STET : Hidden in(some) “modernist etchings“.
Answer: A direction on a manuscript or the like, to retain material previously cancelled.
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For answers to pic#2, please click here, pic#5 here in conjunction with my quote for 6d, pic#7 here.
Thanks scchua and Peto. Good puzzle and very thorough blog!
Thanks scchua for the blog and Peto for the crossword.
I think 14 dn RECOVER is R + E(COVE)R
[[Picture 3 looks like a MARTIN (house or sand?), picture 4 looks like Dustin Hoffman, who appeared in HOOK]]
Thanks Muffyword, you’re right about 14d. I’ve corrected the blog.
[[You’re also right about Dustin Hoffman portraying Hook in Hook.]]
Thanks, scchua.
[[The nasty looking cat o’nine tails is a martinet, at least in French, and I was surprised it’s not in Chambers as such. The trapeze artist looks a bit like Burt Lancaster in the film of the same name, but if it is I can’t see a link. If picture no.1 isn’t a famous martinet I’ll eat my virtual hat.]]
Nice crossword and blog!
[[Picture 1 is Wyatt Earp of SHOOTOUT at the OK Corral fame; picture 3 is a swift or MARTINET in French]]
[[Muffyword, NormanLinFrance, peterj – well done. I’ve added links below the pictures to the remaining answers. And NormanLinFrance, consider your hat virtually digested but perhaps only half a hat, as Wyatt Earp was probably something of a disciplinarian in real life.]]