A puzzle easy enough to be completed in half an hour on a rainy Thursday morning by a man with a hangover – which is lucky, because that was exactly what I needed.
This was an enjoyable, largely snag-free solve, save for a zoological inexactitude at 9ac. and an element in 17dn. that I’m sure one of you good people can help me with. Thank-you, Peto.
| Across | ||
| 1 | MERCHANT |
Rock band coming back to sing in commercial (8)
Reversal of REM [rock band] chant [sing]
|
| 5 | REDTOP |
Tabloid editor absorbed in right to work (6)
Ed [editor] within rt [right] op [opus, work]
|
| 9 | APPOSITE |
Suitable in the circumstances to pose by river feeding a monkey (8)
Po [river] sit [pose] within ape [monkey – an inaccurate definition]
|
| 10 | LUCENT |
Brilliant books on fish (6)
Luce [fish] NT [New Testament, books]
|
| 12 | OLIVE |
Celebrity chef runs out of fruit (5)
Oliver [celebrity chef Jamie] minus r [runs]
|
| 13 | CLOSE CALL |
Shut up about everyone’s narrow escape (5,4)
Close [shut up] c [circa, about] all [everyone]
|
| 14 | PATHOS |
It evokes sadness in Oundle’s head in a number of ways (6)
O(undle) within paths [a number of ways]
|
| 16 | STAND-IN |
Substitute’s goals finally beat Germany at home (5-2)
(Goal)s tan [beat] D [Germany] in [at home]
|
| 19 | ODDBALL |
Spare dance card (7)
Odd [spare] ball [dance]
|
| 21 | POETRY |
Mystery writer to attempt verse (6)
Poe [mystery writer Edgar Allan] try [attempt]
|
| 23 | SHIFTLESS |
Unambitious changes blocked by the French (9)
Les [‘the’ in French] within shifts [changes]
|
| 25 | CACHE |
Air con installed in revolutionary’s hiding-place (5)
AC [air conditioning] within Che [revolutionary Guevara]
|
| 26 | NEARED |
Approached about stabbing troublesome dean (6)
Re [about] within anagram of dean
|
| 27 | MATERIAL |
Let Maria off with stuff (8)
Anaram of let maria
|
| 28 | PRETTY |
Fairly unimportant to break rule? Just the opposite (6)
R [rule] within petty [unimportant]
|
| 29 | SEAT BELT |
It’s worn for protection when hit on bottom (4,4)
Seat [bottom] belt [hit]
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | MEADOW |
Field officer’s first wife overcome by drink (6)
Mead [drink] o(fficer) w [wife]
|
| 2 | REPRIMAND |
Carpet salesman free to tour island (9)
Rep [salesman] Man [island] within rid [free]
|
| 3 | HASTE |
Contributing to each asteroid’s speed (5)
Hidden in eacH ASTEroid
|
| 4 | NOTICES |
Sees once it’s spelt out (7)
Anagram of once its
|
| 6 | ENUMERATE |
List what school leavers ought to be by the end of scheme (9)
(Schem)e numerate [what school-leavers ought to be]
|
| 7 | THETA |
A letter of thanks after Henry’s found in the middle of Cheltenham (5)
H [Henry] within (Chel)te(nham) ta [thanks]
|
| 8 | PETULANT |
Showing peevish irritation when a native American turned up in Bury (8)
Reversal of Ute [native American] within plant [bury]
|
| 11 | TOPS |
See over the highest parts (4)
Reversal of spot [see]
|
| 15 | HEARTBEAT |
Reviews that are about live TV programme (9)
Be [live] within anagram of that are
|
| 17 | DIRECTIVE |
This wealthy chap not quite hiding anger over court order (9)
Ire [anger] ct [court] within dive [this wealthy chap?? Help!]
|
| 18 | LOOSEN UP |
Use new pool to unwind and relax (6,2)
Anagram of use pool n [new]
|
| 20 | LIED |
Song about heartless imp (4)
Reversal of de(v)il [imp]
|
| 21 | PASSAGE |
Crossing pages out to cover up a bit of scandal (7)
A s(candal) within anagram of pages
|
| 22 | PELLET |
Count returning after exercise gets shot (6)
PE [Physical Exercise] reversal of tell [count]
|
| 24 | IMAGE |
Helping to make Waldheim a German idol (5)
Hidden in waldheIM A GErman
|
| 25 | CHEST |
Strongbox discovered in church is French (5)
Ch [church] est [‘is’ in French]
|
dive(s) = rich man (not quite)
Thanks Ringo
The missing part of 17dn is DIVE[s] who was the rich man at whose gate Lazarus lay (Bible, Luke 16.19). Chambers also defines Dives as “a rich and luxurious person”.
Aha! Thank-you, both. A new one on me.
Thanks so Ringo et al, without a dictionary in the pub after work dives made no sense.
I enjoyed this puzzle. All went together nicely.
Thx both
Thanks Peto and Ringo
Certainly was not in the groove with this puzzle and found it a bit of a battle – enjoyable nonetheless!
Found the NE the most challenging with REDTOP (as a reference to tabloid newspapers) and LUCE (as the alternative name of a pike) both new to me. Didn’t know of the HEARTBEAT TV series.
Did know of Dives as the rich fellow though. Thought that both of the hidden answer clues were clearly telegraphed, making them virtual write-ins.
The clues had a different feel in the language that may have made it harder for me to spot the cryptic instruction – it was only my second crossword by this setter … and a matter of getting used to his style.