(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) A nice straightforward puzzle from Armonie, to whom thanks. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Refuse to give birth (6)
LITTER : Double defn: 2: … to a litter of offspring.
4 Patronage put life into Australia (8)
AUSPICES : SPICE(life;excitement) contained in(into) AUS(abbrev. for Australia).
10 A laboratory in Korea treated animal (5,4)
KOALA BEAR : [A + LAB(short for laboratory) ] contained in(in) anagram of(… treated) KOREA.
11 Snake is crazier after decapitation (5)
ADDER : “madder”(crazier) minus its 1st letter(… after decapitation).
12 Little man gives time (4)
WEEK : WEE(little) + K(abbrev. for “king”, a man;a piece in chess).
13 Impudence following courage may cause delay (10)
BOTTLENECK : NECK(impudence) placed after(following, in an across clue) BOTTLE(courage).
15 CV copper got to work on again (7)
RESUMED : RESUMÉ(a curriculum vitae, abbreviated to “CV”, which you give, say, with a job application) + D(abbrev. for the pre-decimalisation British penny).
16 The underworld might unnerve (6)
DISMAY : DIS(the underworld;Hades) + MAY(might, as in “this might or might not fly”).
19 Reading in a bogus retreat (6)
ASHRAM : R(abbrev. for “reading”, one of the 3 Rs) contained in(in) [A + SHAM(bogus;pretend).
Defn: … for spiritual instruction and meditation, where a Hindu holy man lives.
21 Ponder mirror (7)
REFLECT : Double defn: 2nd: As a verb.
23 Simple edit transformed legal restriction (5,5)
SPEED LIMIT : Anagram of(… transformed) SIMPLE EDIT.
25 Old tales echo total reversal (4)
EDDA : E(letter represented by “echo” in the phonetic alphabet) + reversal of(… reversal) ADD(to total;to sum up).
Defn: Either of 2 collections of Icelandic traditional poems, myths and legends.
27 Right about one’s extended retirement (3-2)
LIE-IN : LIEN(a legal right to property) containing(about) I(Roman numeral for “one”).
Defn: … in bed, in the morning.
28 Care to polish off Frenchman in river? (9)
TREATMENT : [ EAT(to polish off food) + M(abbrev. for “monsieur”, the term of address for a Frenchman) ] contained in(in) TRENT(river in England).
29 Spies did initially capture barber! Wrongly caught? (8)
MISHEARD : [ MI(abbrev. for “military intelligence”;spies collectively, the likes of MI5 and MI6 in Britain) + 1st letter of(… initially) “did” ] containing(capture) SHEAR(to cut;to barber).
Defn: …. by your sense of hearing.
30 Quite fair (6)
PRETTY : Double defn: 1st: As in “that attempt was pretty good”; and 2nd: As in “she was a fair maiden”.
Down
1 Evangelist with detachment is half-hearted (8)
LUKEWARM : LUKE(Saint, an Apostle;an evangelist) + W(abbrev. for “with”) + ARM(a detachment, eg. of the military forces).
2 Put up paintings, poetry and crosses (9)
TRAVERSES : Reversal of(Put up, in a down clue) ART(paintings and more) + VERSES(poetry).
3 Michelangelo showed flair (4)
ELAN : Hidden in(… showed) “Michelangelo “.
5 Union leader rabbited on but improved things (7)
UPRATED : 1st letter of(… leader) “Union ” + PRATED(rabbited;talked incessantly).
6 Was cautious after speedy Alfa crashed (6,4)
PLAYED SAFE : Anagram of(… crashed) SPEEDY ALFA.
7 Bum died in lock-up (5)
CADGE : D(abbrev. for “died”) contained in(in) CAGE(a lock-up).
Defn: Ask or obtain something one is not entitled to, for free, commonly.
8 Hit one having a row (6)
STROKE : Double defn: 1st: … as executed by a batsman; and 2nd: The oarsman sitting nearest the stern opposite the cox.
9 Instant support (6)
SECOND : Double defn: 1st: The period of time regarded as an instant; and 2nd: To back, eg. a proposal.
14 Folly of Romeo interrupting disrespectful behaviour (10)
IMPRUDENCE : R(letter represented by “Romeo” in the phonetic alphabet) contained in(interrupting) IMPUDENCE(disrespectful behaviour).
17 Man met end making revision (9)
AMENDMENT : Anagram of(… making) MAN MET END.
18 Quiet holy man’s ‘ale and ‘earty (8)
STEALTHY : ST(abbrev. for “saint”, a holy man) + “healthy”(hale and hearty) minus its first “h”(as with ” ‘ale ” and ” ‘earty “).
20 Man inhales oxygen that’s less dry (7)
MOISTER : MISTER(the term of address for a man) containing(inhales) O(the chemical symbol for the element, oxygen).
21 Criticised king was sick (6)
RAILED : R(abbrev. for “Rex”, Latin for “king”) + AILED(was sick).
22 Sum lay scattered in sanctuary (6)
ASYLUM : Anagram of(… scattered) SUM LAY.
24 Quits competitions being short of time (5)
EVENS : “events”(eg. competitions) minus(being short of) “t”(abbrev. for “time”).
Defn: On equal terms.
26 Principal gives up deserters (4)
STAR : Reversal of(up, in a down clue) RATS(deserters).
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
really enjoyably straightforward – an ideal cryptic for a beginner and a nice rest for the overworked grey matter of us long time solvers.
Maybe its what you meant…. but took 26d to be associated with the Desert Rats of WW2.
Thanks to Armonie & scchua.
Thanks scchua, I didn’t find it quite as easy as CS but very enjoyable.