My apologies for this post being a week late. The scheduled blogger didn’t turn up and I failed to notice this because the recent festivities have meant that some closing dates for entries were extended. I cannot remember too much about the solving process for this puzzle as it was done two weeks ago and there have been at least four other puzzles each day since then (not to mention more than a few whiskies!). Looking back whilst writing this analysis, I don’t think I had any particular problems during the solve even though some of the clues were rather intricate.
Across
9 Open University accepts old here and it’s your turn (4,2,3)
OVER TO YOU – OVERT (open) U (university) around (accepts) O (old) YO (here)
10 Fatuous and mad, lacking a scintilla of sense (5)
INANE – IN[s]ANE (mad, lacking a scintilla of sense)
11 Mostly a North Sea dish (5)
BALTI – BALTI[c] (mostly a North Sea)
12 Nearer the sink as seen in feather-bedded hospitals? (9)
DOWNWARDS – def. & cryptic indicator – DOWN WARDS (as seen in feather-bedded hospitals)
13 Beat McEnroe these days say? (6)
EXCEED – homophone (say) of ‘ex seed’ (McEnroe these days)
14 Cut this painting’s top for assembly in frame (6,2)
STITCH UP – anagram (for assembly) of CUT THIS P[ainting]
17 Are its new fans welcomed to the fold? (7)
ORIGAMI – cryptic def.
19 Current advanced form of Latin’s accepted as such (7)
ITALIAN – anagram (advanced form of) of LATIN in (accepted) IN (current) – semi-&lit indicated by the ‘as such’
21 Lids to go on container for jumpers (4,4)
TANK TOPS – TANK (container) TOPS (lids)
22 Small chance this is right in one coughing up (6)
PRAYER – R (right) in PAYER (one coughing up)
25 Plenty disheartened by country seen as setting of conflagration (9)
PYROMANIA – P[lent]Y (plenty disheartened) ROMANIA (country)
27 What one might do if gassy drink’s drunk hot? (5)
CHOKE – COKE (gassy drink) around (drunk) H (hot) – semi-&lit or extended definition, depending on your preference
28 Look forward to alto singer at Christmas (5)
AWAIT – A (alto) WAIT (singer at Christmas)
29 What’s done in Toulouse and quite unusual outside of Toulouse (9)
ETIQUETTE – ET (in Toulouse and) anagram (unusual) of QUITE T[oulous]E (outside of Toulouse)
Down
1 Hat with depression right over middle of crown? (8)
SOMBRERO – SOMBRE (depression) R (right) O (over) – another extended definition, or semi-&lit, with the ‘middle of crown’
2 Getting to sit again after securing not E but F, mental study‘s required (10)
REFLECTION – REeLECTION (getting to sit again) with the second ‘e’ changed to F
3 Conflict with stones prevalent (6)
STRIFE – ST (stones) RIFE (prevalent)
4 This girl left Andy upset (5)
LYNDA – L (left) anagram (upset) of ANDY
5 Squeal from kid that’s slapped (3,4,2)
OUT WITH IT – OUTWIT (kid) HIT (slapped)
6 Famous Indian hotel I first encountered in 28 with Henry Angstrom (8)
HIAWATHA – H (hotel) AWAIT (28) with the ‘I’ moved to the front (I first encountered) H (Henry) A (Angstrom)
7 Just light entertainment? (4)
FAIR – triple def.
8 Crosophile’s cat brought up fluff (4,2)
MESS UP – ME (Crosophile) PUSS (cat) reversed (brought up)
15 Arrogant hostility’s not quite yet dispersed, yet again getting tense for hours (5-5)
HOITY-TOITY – HO[stil]ITY (hostility not quite yet {still} dispersed) then again with the H (hours) changed to T (tense)
16 Execs spin out of control, small change from earlier on (9)
SIXPENCES – anagram (out of control) of EXECS SPIN
18 Car’s flooring put in place by advanced robots (8)
AUTOMATA – AUTO (car) MAT (flooring) A (advanced)
20 Old invaders with choice of poles to fix, lacking end part (8)
NORSEMEN – N OR S (choice of poles) EMEN[d] (fix, lacking end part)
21 It’s seen with tails which can grip prehensively at tip as well as ordinary (3,3)
TOP HAT – THAT (which) around (can grip) P[rehensively] (prehensively at tip) O (ordinary)
23 Sudden action’s concerning at first – get back! (6)
RECOUP – RE (concerning) COUP (sudden action)
24 Saying the most with no hesitation (5)
MAXIM – MAXIM[um] (the most with no hesitation)
26 Top and tail fruit and reassemble for harvest (4)
REAP – PEAR (fruit) with the first and last (top and tail) letters swapped (reassembled)
Thanks, Gaufrid, for the blog. I was puzzled by its non-appearance but put it down to extended closing dates.
Hi allan_c
The closing date for entries may well have been extended (I don’t know because I don’t get the paper) but the puzzle was available on-line last Sunday, with the solutions enabled, so a blog could have been posted then.
Thanks, Gaufrid. You’re a star.
Just for the record there was an obscure nina riffing on 2d REFLECTION that the letters of various words had either horizontal (eg EXCEED) or vertical (eg HIAWATHA) lines of symmetry.
Ooh, nice one Crosophile, thanks Gaufrid, did wonder if I’d just missed the blog or if it was caught in the usual holiday delays.
Something odd about this one – in my paper 5D was given as (9), not (3,4,2). Not surprising that the only 9-letter word I could find that fitted, “outwitted”, didn’t seem to have any relationship to the clue!
Hi Gaufrid, I am getting your e-mail but not sure if you’re getting my replies, happy to blog the Grauniad this Tuesday …