I can’t remember the last time a Thursday FT gave me so much trouble. I had a tremendous tussle with this excellent offering from Alberich, with the NW corner in particular putting up quite a fight – even though, as is often the case, it all seems pretty straightforward in restrospect. Some terrific &lits. Thanks, Alberich.
ACROSS
1. CURLEW U [unionist] + L [liberal] within crew [flight staff]
4. ESPRESSO Regular letters from gEtS + press [journalists] + o [round]
10. AGAMEMNON Game [chess, perhaps] within anagram of man + on [forward]
11. BOGUS U [university] within Bog’s [john’s, toilet’s]
12. TARE Reversal of rat [grass] + e [ecstasy]
13. PONTEFRACT Sounds like Pontiff [Pope] + racked [caused suffering]
15. AINTREE Trainee [student] with tr [translator] transposed
16. READER D E [poor grades] within rear [stern]
19. BEHEST Hidden in mayBE HE’S Taking
21. OPINION O’Neil minus reversal of lien [right] + pinion [wing]
23. APPRECIATE A + p [pence] + anagram of price + at + (sal)e
25. BOWL W [wickets] within reversal of lob [pitch ball up]
27. HASTE A + St [street] within he [man]
28. ITERATION Alliteration [such as Love’s Labours Lost] minus all [everyone]
29. NOT AT ALL No [refusal] + ta [thanks] within tall [lofty]
30. WHALER L [left] + E [Espana, Spain] within whar(f) [dock]
DOWN
1. CLAPTRAP C [circa, about] + lap [drink] + trap [gin]
2. REARRANGE E [European] + Arran [island] within anagram of reg
3. EDEN Sweden [country] minus s [society] + w [women]
5. SENATOR Anagram of no tears
6. RIBOFLAVIN B within Rio [port] + fla(g) [standard] + vin [French for wine]
7. SIGMA G within reversal of Amis [writer, Kingsley or Martin]
8. ON SITE On [working] + site [sounds like ‘sight’, great deal]
9. ANYONE A [area] + yon [that] within N(ottinghmshir)e
14. IRREVERENT Ir [Irish] + reveren(d) [clergyman] + (eucharis)t
17. EDITORIAL I [one] within anagram of deal riot
18. ONE-LINER Reversal of re [on, about] + Nile [river] + no
20. TRIVIAL Either IV [4] or VI [6, both boundary scores in cricket] within trial [test]
21. OUTLET Double defiinition
22. AACHEN A + ache [long] + n [name]
24. POSIT I(nterviews) within post [job]
26. RASH Double definition
I fought with the NW corner too, although as you say, no idea why really.
Thanks to Ringo and Alberich.
Thanks, ringo, for the blog.
For lack of time today, I wasn’t able to finish this but I’d just like to say that, of those I entered, I particularly liked 28ac and 14dn. Many thanks to Alberich.
Wasn’t planning to do a crossword today but when I saw it was Alberich I gave in to temptation and was richly rewarded. Thought AGAMEMNON was particularly entertaining. Elsewhere there is often talk of the talents of some of the newer setters but I think Alberich takes some beating.
Sorry, Alberich, I couldn’t finish the NW corner. I feel I’ve let you down.
Thanks to blogger and setter. I thought this was VG – great variety of devices.