I found the constructions trickier than usual for the IoS but most of the clues had straightforward one-word definitions which meant I filled the grid quickly even if explaining it all took quite a while.
Thanks Poins.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CHARGE | Ask forimpeachment (6) |
| double definition | ||
| 4 | IGNORANT | Rude but not initially wrong over interrupting fellow tenor (8) |
| wRONG (not initially) |
||
| 10 | MARCO POLO | Sweet stuff brought back earlier by old traveller (5,4) |
| POLO (sweet) with CRAM (stuff) reversed (brought back) in front (ealier) by O (old) | ||
| 11 | HOP IT | Leave work box outside (3,2) |
| OP (work) with HIT (box) outside | ||
| 12 | SHALLOT | Try to protect every plant (7) |
| SHOT (try) contains (to protect) ALL (every) | ||
| 13 | FORGIVE | Fine at present after soldiers get pardon (7) |
| F (fine) with (at) GIVE (present) following (after) OR (other ranks, soldiers) | ||
| 14 | LET GO | Allow to travel free (3,2) |
| LET (allow) GO (to travel) | ||
| 15 | ARROGATE | Assume this northern location needs no introduction (8) |
| hARROGATE (location in Northern England) missing first letter (needs no introduction) | ||
| 18 | FALSETTO | Voice objections at first after ludicrous tales appear in paper (8) |
| O (first letter of objections) following (after) TALES* anagram=ludicrous in FT (paper) | ||
| 20 | BRAGA | Soldiers burying silver to the east of Brazil’s capital city (5) |
| RA (soldiers) contains (burying) AG (silver) following (to the east of) B (capital, first letter of, Brazil) – city in Portugal | ||
| 23 | POINTER | A tip for a horse (7) |
| double definition – a horse ridden in point-to-point races | ||
| 25 | HOT DOGS | Stolen seconds after a rascal performs tricks in New York (3-4) |
| HOT (stolen) with S (seconds) following (after) DOG (a rascal) – Americanism for ‘performs tricks’ | ||
| 26 | HEART | Courage to try it at last (5) |
| HEAR (to try) then iT (last letter of) | ||
| 27 | DANGEROUS | Groans due to mangle becoming unsafe (9) |
| (GROANS DUE)* anagram=to mangle | ||
| 28 | TEETERED | The German retired after support by them oddly wavered (8) |
| DER (the, German) reversed (retired) following (after) TEE (support) by ThEm (odd letters of) | ||
| 29 | UNISON | Trainer’s first to depart from City subject to agreement (6) |
| tUNIS (city) missing T (first letter of Trainer) with ON (subject to) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | CAMISOLE | Underwear from one person reportedly found by river (8) |
| I (one) SOLE sounds like (reportedly) SOUL (person) following (found by) CAM (river) | ||
| 2 | ABREAST | Familiar with area to the north of Bristol (7) |
| A (area) before (to the North of) BREAST (bristol) | ||
| 3 | GOOD LOOKS | Merchandise to maintain gander’s attractive appearance (4,5) |
| GOODS (merchandise) contains (to maintain) LOOK (gander) | ||
| 5 | GOOD-FOR-NOTHING | Virtuous in spite of making a remark about Henry’s bum (4-3-7) |
| GOOD (virtuous) FOR (in spite of) NOTING (making a remark) contains (about) H (Henry) | ||
| 6 | OTHER | Further commotion after Penny leaves (5) |
| pOTHER (commotion) missing P (penny) | ||
| 7 | APPOINT | Father’s returning by train from Settle (7) |
| PA (father) reversed (returning) with (by) POINT (train, as of a telescope) | ||
| 8 | TITTER | Laugh about getting upset by it during races (6) |
| RE (regarding, about) reversed (getting upset) following (by) IT in (during) TT (races) | ||
| 9 | CONTRACT BRIDGE | Batting record broken by Cheshire’s opener in this game (8,6) |
| (BATTING RECORD)* broken=anagram following (by) C (opening letter of Chelsea) | ||
| 16 | GO BETWEEN | Factor in small number supporting an attempt to speculate (2-7) |
| WEE (small) N (number) under (supporting) GO (an attempt) BET (to speculate) | ||
| 17 | PASSES ON | Proceeds from working with graduates (6,2) |
| PASSES (proceeds from) ON (working) – see Eileen @1 for another interpretation | ||
| 19 | ANIMATE | Spirited Northern Ireland team hammered by Austria (7) |
| NI (Northern Ireland) TEAM* anagram=hammered following (by) A (Austria) | ||
| 21 | AMOROUS | A Moor’s distraught over hint of unfaithfulness in love (7) |
| A MOOR’S* anagram=distraught contains (over) U (a hint, first letter, of unfaithfulness) | ||
| 22 | UPSHOT | A consequence of Amiss standing on ball (6) |
| UP (amiss) on (standing on) SHOT (ball, in a musket perhaps) | ||
| 24 | TITHE | Article covering extremely inefficient tax (5) |
| THE (definite article) contains (covering) InefficienT (extremes of) | ||
*anagram<br />definitions underlined
Thanks, PeeDee, for the blog.
I enjoyed this puzzle from Poins – thanks to him, too.
15ac was beautifully topical when this puzzle came out last weekend, when the eyes of so many were on Harrogate. 😉
I thought it was rather unfortunate that two consecutive down answers [3 and 5] began with GOOD but that’s not really a quibble.
I parsed 17dn the other way round, with the definition as ‘proceeds from’: PASSES [graduates] + ON [working].
Thanks Peedee
4ac – you have too many Os in the parsing.
G.
Thanks Geebs, fixed now.
Eileen – I think your explanation is the better one.