Straightforward puzzle today
Across
1 AFTERWARDS following [cr]E[ek] in (RAFT)* WARDS (found in hospital)
7 SOHO London area SO (very) HOT (violent) minus last letter
9 FREE without payment F (female) REE[k] (offensive smell) minus K (king)
10 SUGGESTIVE spicy (GIVE GUESTS)*
11 HASSLE struggle (LASS)* in HE (man)
12 TUCK SHOP dd used to mean confectioner’s shop
13 POLITICO statesman I (International) in (CO-PILOT)*
15 IFFY dubious hidden in [wh]IFF Y[esterday]
17 ACHE lust H (husband) in ACE (good)
19 ON AND OFF dd
22 SABOTEUR damager (BOATS)* RUE< (regret on reflection)
23 UNSHOD barefooted H (hospital) in (SOUND)*
25 TICKETY-BOO fine TICKET (purchase for journey) Y (yes) BOO[b] (blunder)
26 GNAT insect TANG< (taste back)
27 ENVY jealousy ENVOY (diplomat) minus O (love)
28 DEEP-SEATED fixed SPEED< (rate returning) [Jun]E (DATE)*
Down
2 FARRAGO hash RAG (guy) in FARO (European port)
3 EVENS quits EVENTS (riding competitions) minus T[umble]
4 WISTERIA climber [kno]T in WISE (learned) AIR< (look up)
5 RIGHT HONOURABLE Michael Gove I (current) in (ABHORRENT GHOUL)*
6 STENCH foul odour S (small) TENCH (fish)
7 SATISFIED happy (TIES IF)* in SAD (unhappy)
8 HIVE OFF separate HIVE (for worker bees) OFF (not up to standard)
14 ICE HOCKEY sport (CHOICE)* KEY (pitch)
16 FABULOUS smashing (A FOUL BUS)*
18 CLARION trumpet (CARL)* I[mpromptu] ON
20 FOOTAGE film FOOT (measure) AGE (weather – mature)
21 HEATED angry T[abl]E in HEAD (boss)
24 SIGMA foreign letter GIS< (soldiers up) MA (mother)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit dd = double definition < = reverse
Easy but great fun – thanks both.
Mostly straightforward but I did have to think about a couple, particularly as I didn’t help myself very much writing ETON MESS in 12a until I found it didn’t help the Down clues. Particularly liked 5d.
Thanks to Flimsy and Jed.
Enjoyable crossword and blog; thanks to both. But, could anyone tell this states-side dweller what “guy” and “rag” (2d) have to do with each other?
Hi declanor
“But, could anyone tell this states-side dweller what “guy” and “rag” (2d) have to do with each other?”
Yes, both words can mean to ridicule or make fun of.
Thank you Gaufrid. In all my 75 years, many of which were spent in Ireland and the U.K., I have never heard or seen ‘guy’ used in that sense, but it’s in the dictionaries, even my American Heritage; I could have looked it up.