This was a puzzle of two parts. Some answers went in straight after reading the clues and for others I had to spend time parsing the wordplay after getting the answers. Thanks to NEO for the welcome workout.
Really liked the clues for DILEMMA, MEANT, DADAISM, ALONGSIDE and the laugh out loud one for TOAST. On the flip side, I’m not fond of clueing proper names as ‘girl’ (1a) or ‘female’ (22d) or two step misdirections (17d) or (24d).
Definitions in clues are marked like this.
* anagram, + charade, – deletion, ~ sounds like, <= reversal, H hidden, DD double definition, CD cryptic definition
ACROSS
1 Retired cover girl in Catch-22 (7) DILEMMA [LID<= + EMMA]
5 Wasted time with daughter in valley close to Pencoed (7) DAWDLED [W + D inside DALE + D]
9 Remaining quietly hidden takes worry and effort (5) DOGGO [DOG + GO]
10 Student of dark arts, old Conservative officer is in dock (9) OCCULTIST [O + C + LT IS inside CUT]
11 Smart syndicate agent admits is broken (9) INFRINGED [IN + RING inside FED]
12 Note from black Republican to First Lady (5) BREVE [B + R + EVE]
13 Intended inscribes name in heart (5) MEANT [N inside MEAT]
15 On Broad Street?// Very much so! (2,1,3,3) IN A BIG WAY [C&DD]
18 Little nippers close to mark in Somerset location (4-5) BABY-TEETH [BY + TEE inside BATH]
19 What drink spiked with arsenic makes you? (5) TOAST [TOT outside As]
21 Post held in IT? (1-4) E-MAIL [CD]
23 Delayed start for hostilities – bad weather combination brings ceasefire (9) ARMISTICE [wAR + MIST + ICE]
25 Jazz bandleader in open-air restaurant (3,6) TEA GARDEN [DD]
26 A fight on all sides (5) ABOUT [A + BOUT]
27 Directorate at last behind oriental (7) EASTERN [E + ASTERN]
28 He wrote again about deceit (7) MOLIÈRE [CD] probably with reference to Les Fourberies de Scapin (literally, “Scapin’s Deceits”)? [MORE outside LIE] See comments below
DOWN
1 Movement in barrier surrounding platform (7) DADAISM [DAM outside DAIS]
2 Part about Christ producing comestibles (3,2,4) LEG OF LAMB [LEG + OF LAMB]
3 Polynesian husband in Bayonne stays over (5) MAORI [MARI outside O]
4 Close to reproducing age-old sin (9) ALONGSIDE [AGE-OLD SIN]*
5 Cut diamonds, diamonds, diamonds (5) DICED [D + ICE + D]
6 Shaft construction, complete, likely to last (4-5) WELL-BUILT [WELL + BUILT]
7 Get wisdom about current in French river (5) LOIRE [LORE outside I]
8 Doubtful article replaces another in journal (7) DITHERY [DIARY with THE for A]
14 Monkey left behind to create superficial interest (9) TITILLATE [TITI + L + LATE]
16 Had strange memo in, rewritten to be directed against person (2,7) AD HOMINEM [HAD* + MEMO IN]
17 Tedious don is with timeless Greek poet? (9) WEARISOME [WEAR + IS + hOMEr] Time -> Hour -> Hr
18 Live, having received new heart, and use lungs (7) BREATHE [BE outside HEART]
20 Warning to put out Romeo with regard to playhouse (7) THEATRE [THrEAT + RE]
22 Irish politician, female, unmarried one? (5) ADAMS [ADA + Ms]
23 Poet requires metal joint (5) AUDEN [Au + DEN] Metal -> Gold -> Au
24 Place for single animal // – hedge? (5) STALL [DD]
I read 24a as MORE (again) about LIE (deceit).
I read 24 across as MORE (again) about LIE (deceit).
I meant 28.
Thanks Coby@1 that makes more sense
Nice stuff from Neo nice and suitable after a grotty day at work to reassure me that the brain still works.
I wish a could agree with you, flashling. I couldn’t get into this at all after my grotty day at work. I’ll just have another gin having not been reassured that my brain still works…
Since nobody mentioned it: in the middle row we’ll have MIDDLE and in the central column it reads CENTRE.
And, surely, for some of us a déjà vu as Monk did a similar thing just recently.
Good puzzle.
I had the same experience as you Bhavan. Quite a few more or less write-ins before the train started decelerating.
I especially liked the very elegant 18d (BREATHE).
Thanks Neo.
Thanks, everyone, I agree. The straightforward ones left lots of clues for the more mysterious ones. A great puzzle, Neo.
Thanks Neo and Bhavan
My first Neo and thought that it was excellent – nice tight clues and a level of difficulty that challenged right to the finish. Last one in was BABY TEETH and was misdirected into looking for a Somerset place rather than BATH being just a bit of the answer.
A few new learnings that included JACK TEAGARDEN, TITI and MARI.
A neat nina that completely passed me by … so thanks Sil for pointing it out.