People who like this sort of thing will find that this is the sort of thing they like.
But for me, a lot of anagrams and an apparent focus on clever vocab rather than ingenious wordplay added up to a not-hugely-satisfying puzzle. No technical grumbles, though, and I’m sure a lot of you will find much to enjoy here. Thank-you, Neo.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CARTOUCHE | Worry about pet in case of bullets (9) |
| Touch [pet] within care [worry] | ||
| 6 | ACERB | Excellent R&B makes you harsh and bitter (5) |
| Ace [excellent] R B | ||
| 9 | DECLAIM | Failed medical brings attack (7) |
| Anagram of medical | ||
| 10 | FISCHER | Trawlerman rounds cape, one successful on board (7) |
| C [cape] within fisher [trawlerman] – the allusion is to chess-player Bobby Fischer | ||
| 11 | TRING | Square circle in the town (5) |
| T [-square] ring [circle] | ||
| 12 | EURIPIDES | Beaten Peru side includes current play-maker (9) |
| I [current] within anagram of peru side | ||
| 14 | OUT | Known to be impossible (3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | MATRICULATE | Get into college having pranged ultimate car (11) |
| Anagram of ultimate car | ||
| 17 | CABINET POST | Dresser after government job (7,4) |
| Cabinet [dresser] post [after] | ||
| 19 | GEN | Knowledge good to get with vacant expression (3) |
| G [good] e(xpression)n | ||
| 20 | DRUM CORPS | Doctor keeping strange company added message for musicians (4,5) |
| Rum [strange] co [company] within dr [doctor] PS [added message] | ||
| 22 | SIENA | Returning in plane I see Italian location (5) |
| Hidden in reversal of plANE I See | ||
| 24 | AMBROSE | One doctor stood up to provide name (7) |
| A MB [doctor] rose [stood up] | ||
| 26 | IRELAND | Anger to weigh down country (7) |
| Ire [anger] land [weigh down(?)] | ||
| 27 | STRAD | Rushes back for musical instrument (5) |
| Reversal of darts [rushes] | ||
| 28 | AMENDMENT | Moving about meant carrying correct change (9) |
| Mend [correct] within anagram of meant | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | CADET | Younger son acted strangely (5) |
| Anagram of acted | ||
| 2 | RECEIPT | Evidence of sale about chair heard (7) |
| Re [about] ceipt [sounds like “seat”, chair] | ||
| 3 | ORANGEMAN | Protestant to roam in Arabian state (9) |
| Range [roam] within Oman [Arabian state] | ||
| 4 | COMMENTATOR | One describes how Parisian upset ecclesiastical tribunal (11) |
| Comment [French for “how”] reversal of rota [ecclesiastical tribunal (?)] | ||
| 5 | ELF | Mischievous being lines up female (3) |
| El [elevated railway, lines up] f [female] | ||
| 6 | AESOP | First to alter attitude taken over fabulous writer (5) |
| A(lter) reversal of pose [attitude] | ||
| 7 | ECHIDNA | Greek character embraced by female creature (7) |
| Chi [Greek character] within Edna [female] | ||
| 8 | BERNSTEIN | Noteworthy personality of British artist and German one (9) |
| B [British] Ernst [artist Max] ein [German for “one] | ||
| 13 | RAIN OR SHINE | You’ll find Harris in one shivering whatever the weather (4,2,5) |
| Anagram of harris in one | ||
| 14 | ORCADIANS | Islanders have nothing for leader of countrymen (9) |
| Arcadians [country-men] with the initial replaced by O [zero, nothing] | ||
| 16 | UP TO SPEED | Galloping Steppe duo now at full pace (2,2,5) |
| Anagram of steppe duo | ||
| 18 | BLUBBER | Cry, finding tissue (7) |
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | GRENADE | Pineapple class admits unmarried men (7) |
| Men minus m [married] within grade [class] | ||
| 21 | CROWD | Bird died in flock (5) |
| Crow [bird] d [died] | ||
| 23 | AUDIT | Examination requiring much bookwork? (5) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 25 | ERA | Greek goddess without husband for long time (3) |
| Hera [Greek goddess] minus h [husband] | ||
Thanks Ringo
I see that you have a ? against rota in 4dn. Chambers tells me that Rota is the Roman Catholic supreme ecclesiastical tribunal.
Ah, thanks Gaufrid. I assumed something similar, but my internet connection was playing up and for once I didn’t have a dictionary to hand.
Thanks Neo and Ringo
2dn: There is no doubt that the clue works, but I prefer to parse it as the whole word sounding like “re seat”. I am not sure that CEIPT on its own really has a pronunciation.
Found this quite easy for Neo, audit had me for a while trying to find more too it. Receipt was nice but a shame ceipt isn’t a word. Thanks Ringo and Neo.
I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments expressed in your introduction, Ringo, and thank you for the blog.