(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.) An enjoyable straightforward puzzle normal for a Tuesday. Thanks to Sayang. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1,7 Union pledge to fight cartel (10,4)
ENGAGEMENT RING : ENGAGEMENT(a fight) + RING(a cartel;a group with a common purpose, usually an illegal one).
Defn: Cryptically, a symbol of one’s pledge to unite in marriage in the future, the cost of which, one might say, is the first of your union dues.
9 Wreck a French soirée (4)
UNDO : UN(French for “a”) + DO(a party;a soirée in French).
10 To obey the Queen of Hearts (10)
DECAPITATE : Cryptic defn: Reference to the Queen of Hearts in “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, who decreed “Off with their heads!” whenever offended.
11 A soft fruit to become available (6)
APPEAR : A + P(abbrev. for “piano”, the musical direct to play softly) + PEAR(the fruit shaped, well, like a pear).
12 Right one if drunk with pate (8)
APERITIF : [ R(abbrev. for “right”) + I(Roman numeral for “one”) + IF] contained in anagram of(drunk with) PATE.
Defn: A pre-meal drink served with hors d’oeuvre, which often include pâté. A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition clue), and with the accents omitted to misdirect.
13 Article after article, the scholar’s bane (8)
ANATHEMA : A(an article in grammar) placed after(after, in an across clue) AN(another article in gramma) + THE + MA(abbrev. for “Master of Arts”, the degree a scholar might have).
15 Contend with judgment (4)
VIEW : VIE(to contend;to compete) + W(abbrev. for “with”).
Defn: An opinion based on one’s judgment.
17 Attend strike (4)
BEAT : [BE AT](to be present;to attend, say, an event).
19 Inmate, one after another caught with drugs (8)
INTERNEE : Homophone of(… caught, as in “did you catch what he said”) “in turn”(one after another) plus(with) 2 x E(abbrev. for the drug, Ecstasy).
22 Provoke incident (8)
OCCASION : Double defn: 1st: To cause;to bring about, as in “his actions occasioned anger amongst his constituents”.
23 Bacon more hastily done (6)
RASHER : Double defn: 2nd: Descriptive of action that is done without even more due consideration.
25 Agreed, teen perverted and immoral (10)
DEGENERATE : Anagram of(… perverted) AGREED, TEEN.
26 Be in charge of chain (4)
LEAD : Double defn: 2nd: A leash, possibly in the form of a chain, to, well, lead an animal.
27 Term of endearment for film (4)
BABE : Double defn: 1st: Like “baby” from which is is derived, a term of endearment, though some sensitive people might disagree; and 2nd: The movie titled after its main character, Babe the baby pig.
28 Low-carbo food. Eat, it’s kind cooking (6,4)
ATKINS DIET : Anagram of(… cooking) EAT, IT’S KIND.
Defn: A low-carbohydrate diet for weight loss, promoted by Dr. Robert Atkins,
Down
2 Square leg used in their game (7)
NINEPIN : NINE(the square of the number 3) + PIN(slang for your leg).
Defn: One of the set of nine wooden objects used in the game named after them.
3 Sailor with poem stayed at home (5)
ABODE : AB(abbrev. for an able-bodied seaman;a sailor) plus(with) ODE(a poem).
Double defn: 1st: Past tense of abide(to stay;to remain in one place); and 2nd: A dwelling;a home that you, well, abide in.
4 Gave the go-ahead to befriend or seduce therein (8)
ENDORSED : Hidden in(… therein) “befriend or seduce “.
5 Apostle to shout first! (11,4)
EXCLAMATION MARK : MARK(one of the Biblical apostles) placed below(… first, in a down clue) EXCLAMATION(an abrupt and forceful shout).
Defn: The last character in the clue.
6 Monitor for each latex-collector (6)
TAPPER : TAP(to monitor activity by secretly connecting into a transmitting and receiving device like a phone) + PER(for each, as in “miles per hour”).
Defn: A worker in a rubber plantation who goes round tapping latex from the trees.
7 He brings back the dog (9)
RETRIEVER : Double defn.
8 Salt back in stock (7)
NITRITE : Reversal of(back) IN + TRITE(stock;commonplace;clichéd).
Defn: Any of the salt compounds formed from nitrous acid.
14 Sofa for private conversation (4-1-4)
TETE-A-TETE : Double defn: 1st: A small sofa for two, suited for, well, a tete-a-tete; and 2nd: Literally, “head to head”, in French.
16 A good man to encourage producer of caviar (8)
STURGEON : ST(abbrev. for “saint”;a good man) + [URGE ON](to encourage;to egg on).
Defn: … of the piscine kind.
18 Discharge from old broken crate (7)
EXCRETA : EX-(prefix to indicate “former”;old) + anagram of(broken) CRATE.
Defn: As a noun, matter discharged from the body.
20 Raise sweetheart tax in shelter (7)
ELEVATE : [ The middle letter of(…heart) “sweet” + VAT(abbrev. for “Value Added Tax”) ] contained in(in) LEE(shelter, eg. from the wind).
21 Medicine man embraces silver screen (6)
CINEMA : Hidden in(… embraces) “Medicine man “.
Defn: Like “silver screen”, a collective term for the movie industry.
24 Greens enjoyed in a carefree manner in its days (5)
SALAD : Cryptic defn: Reference to the term “salad days”, the carefree period in one’s youth.
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
Thanks sccchua, I had nitrate with messed up 12a , I’m afraid.I also had a mistake in 18d, not realising it was plural. Otherwise a great puzzle at exactly my level.
Surely DECAPITATE is not even cryptic ? There was no doubt what it meant and doubt is essential to a cryptic definition. It looked like some of the clue was omitted.
Rasher, engagement ring, anathema, sturgeon, degenerate and others seemed more like a Golden Oldies compilation record from a garage sale.
Overall, meh.