Got into this quickly, then got a little stuck on the last few. Lots of nice (and typically Paul) clues – my favourite might be 24dn.
Across
1 Undoing screws I seem to break edges of nuts (7)
NEMESIS
=”Undoing”. (I seem)*, inside N[ut]S
5 Jump into well — or dive? (7)
FLEAPIT
=”dive”. LEAP=”Jump”, in FIT=”well”
9 Cook was sick after falling over (5)
DELIA
=”Cook”. Reversal (“falling over”) of AILED=”sick”
10 Underwear for the tits? Popular for ass! (9)
BIRDBRAIN
=”ass”. BIRD BRA=”Underwear for the tits”, plus IN=”popular”
11 Group feeling royalist out to conceal documents (10)
SOLIDARITY
=”Group feeling”. (royalist)* around ID=”documents”
12 Glance through introduction to sad Kipling novel (4)
SKIM
=”Glance through”. S[ad] plus KIM=”Kipling novel”
14 Socialite someone on the brink of victory? Not I! (3,5,4)
MAN ABOUT TOWN
=”Socialite”. MAN ABOUT TO W[I]N=”someone on the brink of victory” without the I
18 Rotter is binding pieces together (6,6)
COMPOS MENTIS
=”together”. COMPOST=”Rotter”, plus IS, around MEN=”pieces” in e.g. chess
21 Currency source of opportunity way across the Channel? On the contrary (4)
EURO
=”Currency”. Reversal (“On the contrary”) of: O[pportunity], plus RUE=”way across the Channel”=street in French
22 Gymnastic equipment sees work flipping between rails (10)
TRAMPOLINE
=”Gymnastic equipment”. Reversal (“flipping”) of OP=”work”, in between TRAMLINE=”rails”
25 Tory prime minister in decline, contributing to damn all, I’m Cameron! (9)
MACMILLAN
=”Tory prime minister”. Hidden reversed in “damN ALL, I’M CAMeron”
26 Educated girl eating a dish from India (5)
RAITA
=”a dish from India”. RITA is from Educating Rita, a film with Julie Walters, and goes around A
27 Ladder out for fugitive (7)
RUNAWAY
=”fugitive”. RUN=”Ladder” in knitting, plus AWAY=”out”
28 Pig far from genuine in bed (7)
HAMMOCK
=”bed”. HAM=”Pig” plus MOCK=”far from genuine”
Down
1 Brown up first, one tanning all over? (6)
NUDIST
=”one tanning all over?”. Reversal (“up”) of DUN=”Brown”, plus IST=1st=”first”
2 Young activist in education a degree superior to such a land of impossibility? (6)
MALALA
=”Young activist in education” – see malalafund.org. MA=”degree”, above LA-LA=”a land of impossibility” – ‘la-la land’ is a state of being divorced from reality
3 Plant shrew beneath crack (10)
SNAPDRAGON
=”Plant”. DRAGON=”shrew”, beneath SNAP=”crack”
4 Serious, thus drink taken half-heartedly (5)
SOBER
=”Serious”. SO=”thus”, plus BE[e]R=”drink taken half-heartedly”
5 Tree then, or kind of plant (9)
FIRETHORN
=”plant”. FIR=”Tree”, plus (then or)*
6 Island qualified for uprising (4)
ELBA
=”Island”. Reversal (“uprising”) of ABLE=”qualified”
7 Idiot put on weight — it’s the whale diet! (8)
PLANKTON
=”the whale diet”. PLANK=”Idiot”, plus TON=”weight”
8 Rented accommodation where a number stick without roof (8)
TENEMENT
=”Rented accommodation”. TEN=”a number”, plus [c]EMENT=”stick with without roof”
13 Salacious entertainment, wild experience in orgasm, perhaps? (10)
STRIPOGRAM
=”Salacious entertainment”. TRIP=”wild experience” in (orgasm)*
15 Commercial trial at sea in this setter’s naval law (9)
ADMIRALTY
=”naval law”. AD=”Commercial”, plus (trial)* in MY=”this setter’s”
16 Headlining toddler? (8)
SCREAMER
=slang for a sensationalist headline; =”toddler?”
17 US pastor’s conclusion about religious instruction starts to come apart (8)
AMERICAN
=”US”. AMEN=”pastor’s conclusion”, about R[eligious] I[nstruction] and the starts to C[ome] A[part]
19 Perfect child overcomes first of obstacles in martial art (6)
AIKIDO
=”martial art”. AI=A1=”Perfect”, plus KID=”child”, plus O[bstacles]
20 Gospeller supporting religious teachings, it’s said (6)
REMARK
=”it’s said”. MARK=”Gospeller”, supporting R[eligious] E[ducation]=”religious teachings”
23 Champ artist (5)
MUNCH
=”Champ”=bite; =Edvard Munch the artist
24 Opinion the four of us brought up (4)
VIEW
=”Opinion”. Reversal (“brought up”) of WE IV which using roman numerals = ‘we four’ = “the four of us”
The usual wonderful fare from Paul and excellent blog from Manehi (many thanks to both!). In 27 across I thought of ladder in a stocking, but knitting certainly works. Minor typo in 8 down: “stick without roof”.
Thanks, manehi, for the blog, and Paul for an enjoyable puzzle.
I think 24dn might be my favourite, too: it raised a sad smile with its reminder of the WE [four] JOHNS, the much-missed Biggles.
I also liked MACMILLAN and COMPOS MENTIS.
Thanks Paul and manehi
Good fun. LOI was MALALA – I remembered her, but not her name, I confess.
I loved the hidden backwards MACMILLAN, but wouldn’t the “decline” work better as a reverse indicator in a down clue?
Favourite was MUNCH.
…….oh, and Chambers (both my book and online) gives “stripAgram” or “strippergram”, but not “stripOgram” (though there are plenty of references to the latter through Google).
Completed
Exactly the same thought went through my head Eileen re Biggles.
Great puzzle from Paul as ever.
Like muffin I wondered about the reversal indicator in what was otherwise a very fine clue, especially with the line break occuring after the penultimate letter. I thought this was tougher than the average Paul, and great fun as nearly always. VIEW was very good.
I’ve never had that kind of gift, but if I were to, I think the pedant in me would prefer a strippergram.
I wonder if anyone else was trying to fit (cameron) Macintosh (sic) into 25a (tosh for damn is alluring)?
Done online rather than waiting for the weekly (Australia) edition to arrive in my letterbox. Nice to be able to comment rather than just read. 14ac was a winner for me once I considered that men could be socialites too!
Enjoyed. Two halves for me: top done first quite quickly and then had to think a bit for the bottom half.
Thanks all.
Typically Paulian fun.
Thanks manehi; I’m not too prudish to say that I enjoyed STRIPOGRAM (although not before breakfast 😉 )
I’d forgotten MALALA’s name but the cluing was precise. I tried one ABOUT TOWN at the beginning.
Nice ha rev for MACMILLAN. I liked COMPOS MENTIS among others.
Usual excellent fare from Paul. Someone gave me his book of puzzles for Xmas, and I have now become a fan! Did not like Malala as had to cheat to get it! Favourite was birdbrain (cos I spent some time trying to parse brassiere – duh!)
Thanks to all.
Another enjoyable and mostly straightforward offering from the reliable and prolific Paul. MACMILLAN was first in which set the bar pretty high. The SE corner held out longest, with MUNCH last in (needed the H before I thought of him, before that there were distracting but unparsable alternatives). Also liked DELIA, BIRDBRAIN, COMPOS MENTIS, MALALA and VIEW.
Thanks to manehi and Paul
Chambers had stripAgram in the 1998 edition, but changed it to stripOgram in 2003 and subsequent editions.
Thanks all
I Failed to remember Malala so reduced to trying to jusyify mildly.
I liked misdirection in 10 ac.
Last in was screamer although t had been found mentally much earlier.
One of my favourite puzzles for some time; not the hardest, but there’s something about the economy of Paul’s clueing that makes his crosswords just that little bit more satisfying.
Take 17d as an example – the surface has you thinking about American evangelicals, but beneath it all is just a simple definition of US. Oh, plus the BIRD BRA elsewhere …
I concur with all the usual Paul accolades, but would still like to know how “rotter” gives COMPOST. Surely compost is the result of a “composter/rotter”, not a synonym. Also toddler and SCREAMER aren’t the same thing.
I expect I’ll be considered picky.
Perhaps Paul is alluding to his own toddler.
Jeceris…
I suppose one might argue that anything you add to compost (especially in a composting bin) will rot more readily so compost is not only rotted but also does the rotting. Stretching a point.
But Toddler is OK because of the question mark.
I’ll get me coat…
Another Paul puzzle that I enjoyed immensely. I agree with Tim@18 that the “?” at the end of 16dn makes the definition acceptable. I smiled at the thought of the “bird bra” in 10ac. Count me as another who would expect to see 13dn spelt “strippergram”, but the wordplay and the definition made the alternative spelling the obvious answer. I’d forgotten MALALA even though I’ve seen her interviewed, but the wordplay was clear enough, IMHO. My LOI was COMPOS MENTIS and for some reason it took me ages to see.
I enjoyed this. Paul on form again.
I failed to complete 2d however. Couldn’t justify mildly and have never heard of the young activist. Non of my references have lala land although the t’internet seems to suggest it is in Collins (Aaaargh!) Poor clue in my opinion but this is probably sour grapes 😉
Thanks to manehi and Paul
Decided compos mentis was “common muntin” then spent ages trying to parse it. Doh!
Not being doing cryptic crosswords very long, so really pleased to complete all but three of this one of Paul’s. Really enjoyed it. Hope for me yet!
Steve @22: I’ve been doing cryptics for ages, but had to admit defeat on 3d and 18a (no excuses – perfectly fair clues), so you are right to feel pleased!
George @5: I’m wondering why you sometimes report that you’ve ‘completed’ a puzzle without further comment, as it contributes nothing to a discussion of the puzzle, the setter or the price of fish.
Perhaps you imagine the crowds anxiously wondering how George has got on with this one, and you are kindly putting our minds at rest ?
Or is it just a boast that you finished at 8:52 ? If so, I’m impressed, but not charmed.