Nothing too challenging, one or two minor grumbles, the odd zinger, and all-in-all a pleasant Thursday solve.
Those of you who get annoyed by unhelpful grid layouts, though, might well have something to say about this one. I don’t, so I haven’t. Thank-you, Peto.
| Across | ||
| 1 | INDUSTRY | Hard work put to the test by runner (8) |
| Indus [river, runner] try [put to test] | ||
| 5 | SO WHAT | Brooded over Doctor Who’s words of contempt (2,4) |
| Anagram of who within sat [brooded] | ||
| 9 | TENSED UP | Maybe the present head of department at college is unable to relax (6,2) |
| Tense [maybe the present] d(epartment) up [at college] | ||
| 10 | CHOICE | Select an alternative (6) |
| Double definition | ||
| 12 | CHARLATAN | Girl receiving help at the outset to beat fraud (9) |
| H(elp) within Carla [girl] tan [beat] | ||
| 13 | RULER | King and queen accepting extremely unusual measure (5) |
| U(nusua)l within R [Rex, king] ER [Elizabeth Regina, queen] | ||
| 14 | BAND | National leader introduced to Rotten’s group (4) |
| N(ational) within bad [rotten] | ||
| 16 | OMINOUS | Love without admitting old foreboding (7) |
| O [zero, love] o [old] within minus [without] | ||
| 19 | ENSURED | Goal nets absolutely guaranteed (7) |
| Sure [absolutely] within end [goal] – “sure” as a component of “ensured” seems unsatisfactory | ||
| 21 | THEN | Essential to visit Henley next (4) |
| Hidden in visiT HENley | ||
| 24 | INANE | How Tartuffe ends is silly (5) |
| In an E [how “Tartuffe” ends…] | ||
| 25 | STRICTURE | Rigorous about pursuing unionist’s criticism (9) |
| Strict [rigorous] U [unionist] re [about] | ||
| 27 | IMBIBE | That’s to go around protective covering on Mark’s neck (6) |
| M [mark] bib [protective coveriing] within ie [id est, that’s] | ||
| 28 | NOVELIST | James was one to snivel terribly (8) |
| Anagram of to snivel [the allusion is to Henry James – or possibly PD James] | ||
| 29 | GULLET | Starts to examine tumour at the back of bird’s throat (6) |
| Gull [bird] e(xamine) t(umour) | ||
| 30 | STURGEON | Swimmer not sure about collecting gold at first (8) |
| G(old) within anagram of not sure | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | INTACT | Untouched it can’t explode (6) |
| Anagram of it cant | ||
| 2 | DENIAL | Refusal in Northern Ireland to enter agreement (6) |
| NI [Northern Ireland] in deal [agreement] | ||
| 3 | STEAL | Appropriate for a writer of romantic fiction say (5) |
| Sounds like Steele [Danielle, writer of romantic fiction] | ||
| 4 | ROUSTED | Stirred up by nonsense about American newspaper boss (7) |
| US [American] within rot [nonsense] Ed [editor, newspaper boss] | ||
| 6 | OTHERWISE | Return before the woman’s informed or else (9) |
| Reversal of to [before] her [the woman’s] wise [informed] | ||
| 7 | HEIRLOOM | It’s inherited by John after he goes to Ireland to get married (8) |
| He Ir [Ireland] loo [toilet, john] m [married] | ||
| 8 | THEORISE | Speculate in article about knight breaking poet’s heart (8) |
| The [(definite) article] reversal of sir [knight] within (p)oe(t) | ||
| 11 | INTO | Against popular books being withdrawn (4) |
| In [popular] reversal of OT [Old Testament, books] | ||
| 15 | AGREEABLE | Delightful Australian actress fed with drugs (9) |
| A [Australian] EE [Es, Ecstasy, drugs] within Grable [actress Betty] | ||
| 17 | RETIRING | With reference to one call following close of coconut shy (8) |
| Re [with reference to] (coconu)t I [one] ring [call] | ||
| 18 | ISTANBUL | Injured in blast outside Uruguay’s capital city (8) |
| U(ruguay) within anagram of in blast | ||
| 20 | DASH | Drop of scotch (4) |
| Double definition | ||
| 21 | TURNOUT | Convert dismissed by crowd (7) |
| Turn [convert] out [dismissed] | ||
| 22 | LUPINE | Work to keep winning like Wolves (6) |
| Up [winning] within line [work] | ||
| 23 | BEATEN | Well used book gets put away (6) |
| B [book] eaten [put away] | ||
| 26 | CLEAR | Catholic king having no doubt (5) |
| C [Catholic] Lear [king] | ||
Thanks Peto and Ringo. Largely agree with your comments – the only one that bothered me slightly was DASH, which seemed a bit loose (though now looks OK, really).
As has been said this was a pleasant enough solve.
Ringo for 18D I am sure you meant to say U inside an anagram of ‘in blast’.
Indeed I did Ernie – thanks! Corrected now.
This was a very pleasant way to spend an hour: like watching a sun-soaked game of cricket with a gin and tonic; thank you Peto. If I might nitpick, I thought 13ac was slightly inelegant (clue and solution synonymous). Thanks too, Ringo.
Personally I’m not convinced by 11d that into means against, rather the opposite in fact.
Hi Flashling – yes, I frowned and grumbled over that a bit – but then, “bumped into” and “bumped against”?
Hmm maybe Ringo, thanks.
Yes both, that was one of my gripes too.
All in all though, I found this a very well written crossword.
Indeed, not hard but really elegantly clued.
Things like “not sure about” (30ac), “the present head of department at college” (9ac) or what’s happening in 22d are just very fine.
This was only the second time I tried a Peto but I’m sure I will do his next one too.
Thanks, Ringo.