Really loved this grid by Falcon – had to make liberal use of Dr.Google for parsing some of the clues, especially those that related to UK-specific origins.
| Across | ||
| 1 | TINPOT | Paltry cash prize (6) |
| TIN (cash) POT (prize) | ||
| 4 | STICKLER | Label’s left inside for perfectionist (8) |
| L (left) inside STICKER (Label) | ||
| 10 | KERRY BLUE | Terrier from Scottish island failing to keep head down (5,4) |
| sKERRY (scottish island less ‘s’ – failing to keep head) BLUE (down) | ||
| 11 | ARIES | Sign changes, five having been driven out (5) |
| vARIES – changes less ‘v’, roman numeral for five | ||
| 12 | BRAE | Couple caught out leaving Scottish bank (4) |
| BRAcE ( Brace means a couple, usually used in hunting; less ‘c’ – caught out) | ||
| 13 | TINKER BELL | Fairy ring located by gypsy (6,4) |
| BELL (ring) by the side of TINKER(Irish name for gypsy) | ||
| 15 | CHINWAG | Natter in church with popular footballer’s wife? (7) |
| CH (Church) IN (popular) WAG (footballer’s wife) | ||
| 16 | DVORAK | Rex brought in vodka cocktail for Czech composer (6) |
| R (Rex) in anagram of VODKA – Antonin Dvorak, Czech composer | ||
| 19 | BEDLAM | Criminal blamed for state of uproar (6) |
| Anagram of BLAMED .. nice misdirection here with criminal | ||
| 21 | CLASSIC | Remarkably typical Conservative girl in charge (7) |
| C (Conservative) LASS (girl) IC (in charge) | ||
| 23 | UP IN THE AIR | 9? Undecided (2,2,3,3) |
| Direct clue for “undecided”, neat reference to 9D which is FLYING | ||
| 25 | OSLO | Czechoslovakia’s capital (4) |
| CzechOSLOvakia | ||
| 27 | PRIAM | King of Troy married after pair split up (5) |
| Anagram of PAIR + M (married) – Priam was the King of Troy | ||
| 28 | TOUCHDOWN | Try to land (9) |
| Doubledef, reference to |
||
| 29 | SIT IN FOR | Take the place of model in favour of keeping home (3,2,3) |
| SIT (Model) IN (Home) FOR (in favour of) | ||
| 30 | CHASER | Frantic search for an engraver (6) |
| Anagram of SEARCH | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | TAKE BACK | Recapture bear on other side (4,4) |
| TAKE (bear as used in “bear responsibility”) BACK (other side) | ||
| 2 | NARRATIVE | A bishop in original story (9) |
| A RR ( A bishop – Right Reverend) in NATIVE (original) | ||
| 3 | ORYX | Antelope and steer crossing railway (4) |
| OX (steer) crossing RY (Railway) – ORYX is an antelope found in Africa / Arabia | ||
| 5 | TWEAKED | Kew date rearranged, altered (7) |
| Anagram of KEW DATE | ||
| 6 | CHAIRWOMAN | Female executive, one employed by daily (10) |
| I (one) in CHARWOMAN (daily) – Quite liked this clue. One of the meanings of “daily” is a woman who cleans a house every day |
||
| 7 | LOIRE | Learning about island in French river (5) |
| LORE (Learning) about I (Island) – Long french river | ||
| 8 | RESULT | Outcome of Ulster broadcast (6) |
| Anagram of ULSTER | ||
| 9 | FLYING | Fast female telling untruths (6) |
| F (female) LYING (telling untruths) | ||
| 14 | TWELFTH MAN | What may be termed “Glorious” on island reserve? (7,3) |
| TWELFTH (as in the Glorious Twelfth – reference to Aug 12th, start of the shooting season) on MAN (isle of) – The twelfth man is the reserve / substitute in a cricket side who comes in should any player in the starting eleven retires hurt. | ||
| 17 | ASSESSORS | Judges 24 different roses across the south (9) |
| ASS (24d is Idiot) + anagram of ROSES across S (south) | ||
| 18 | SCHOONER | Check on board earlier vessel (8) |
| CH (check) in SOONER (earlier) | ||
| 20 | MAESTRO | Most are blown for an eminent conductor (7) |
| Anagram of MOST ARE | ||
| 21 | CLIQUE | Exclusive group in old golf club, reportedly (6) |
| Sounds like |
||
| 22 | RUMPUS | Disturbance behind American (6) |
| RUMP (behind) US (American) | ||
| 24 | IDIOT | Fool’s short turn of phrase, irritant ultimately (5) |
| IDIOm (short turn of phrase) T (irritant ultimately) | ||
| 26 | SHAH | Ruler has worked hard (4) |
| Anagram of HAS + H (hard) | ||
*anagram
I think the old golf club is spelled cleek, at least according to my consultant, Prof Google.
Sad to see you demoted him!
Thanks AID for the spellcheck!! Fixed it now.
Thanks Falcon and Turbolegs – 28 across refers to rugby (either code) in which a try is scored with a touchdown (an actual touchdown, not merely breaking the plane of the goal line as in american football)
Many thanks Steve – nice to learn something new everyday. Fixed it now.
Thanks Turbolegs and Falcon.
I think “Czechoslovakia’s capital” should be given a decent and long overdue burial.
Yes, I never liked Prague, even before it migrated to the Czech Republic. Well said, Bracoman!
Up here where golf was invented we call it a ‘cleik’. It’s also an implement for pulling salmon out of the Tweed after dark
Thanks Falcon and Turboolegs. Beaten fair and square today.I liked 13a.