(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.) A straightforward puzzle, thanks to Armonie. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 A doodlebug devoured fly (6)
AVIATE : A + V-I(with the numeral Romanised, the V-1;the German flying bomb in WWII, nicknamed the doodlebug) + ATE(devoured).
Defn: What aviators do.
4 Outrages Tory wearing casual shoes (8)
SCANDALS : C(abbrev. for a Conservative;a Tory) contained in(wearing) SANDALS(casual shoes).
9 Liking for smack (5)
TASTE : Double defn: 2nd: A distinctive flavour.
10 Naval officer captures British force? Excellent! (9)
ADMIRABLE : [ ADMIRAL(a senior naval officer) containing(captures) B(abbrev. for “British”) ] + E(symbol for “electromotive force” in physics, though a preferable symbol would be “emf”, to distinguish it from “energy”, the quantity more familiarly symbolised by “E” ].
11 Founder of fell race could be leading (7)
CREATOR : TOR(a fell;a barren or stony hill) placed after(… leading) anagram of(could be) RACE.
12 A spouse’s posh recipe for ham (7)
AMATEUR : A + MATE(a spouse) + U(posh;characteristic of the upper class) +R(abbrev. for “recipe”).
Defn: Not accomplished;unskilful.
13 Tuck in a sweatshirt (4)
EATS : Hidden in(in a) “sweatshirt “.
Defn: Food.
14 Penny takes craftsman underground (8)
PARTISAN : P(abbrev. for “penny”) plus(takes) ARTISAN(a craftsman).
Defn: Descriptive of underground guerrilla forces fighting an occupying army.
17 Engineers popped off and put right (8)
REMEDIED : R.E.M.E.(abbrev. for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers corps in the British military) + DIED(popped off;expired).
19 Swimmer unhappy having caught cold (4)
SCAD : SAD(unhappy) containing(having caught) C(abbrev. for “cold”).
Defn: … in schools:
22 Top lost from conditioner more frequently (7)
OFTENER : The 1st letter deleted from(Top lost from) “softener”(a conditioner;a substance used in washing to make things, eg. clothes, hair, softer)
24 In song, tease a champion of popular rights (7)
TRIBUNE : TUNE(a song;a melody) containing(In …) RIB(to tease;to make fun of).
Defn: A person or institution that champions public rights.
25 Cecil spat out, “That’s doubtful!” (9)
SCEPTICAL : Anagram of(… out) CECIL SPAT.
Defn: …, as in “he’s doubtful of her explanation”.
26 Information soldier got from school (5)
GENRE : GEN(information) + RE(abbrev. for a “Royal Engineer” in the British military).
Defn: A category of artistic compositions, such as music or literature, distinguished by a certain style, form or content.
27 Advertising is, in certain environment, an eye-opener (8)
SURPRISE : [ PR(abbrev. for “public relations”;advertising) + IS] contained in(in … environment) SURE(certain;without doubt).
28 Authority allowed adornment (6)
ARMLET : ARM(authority, as in the “arm of the law”) + LET(allowed).
Down
1 Diplomat‘s daughter married (8)
ATTACHED : ATTACHÉ(a specialist, well, attached to a diplomatic mission) + D(abbrev. for “daughter”).
2 Police officer crept in so cunningly (9)
INSPECTOR : Anagram of(… cunningly) CREPT IN SO.
3 Looks after doctor at rest (6)
TREATS : Anagram of(doctor) AT REST.
5 Commander, somewhat mad, is sectioned (13)
COMPARTMENTAL : COM(abbrev. for “commander”) + PART(to some extent;somewhat) + MENTAL(mad;not right in the head).
6 Operatic heroine partners French invaders (7)
NORMANS : NORMA(heroine of Bellini’s opera of the same name) + N,S(abbrev. for “north” and “south”, nominally, partners in a bridge game).
Defn: … and conquerors of England in 1066.
7 Walk accomplished around Maidenhead (5)
AMBLE : ABLE(accomplished;expert) containing(around) the 1st letter of(…head) “Maiden“.
8 Make a mistake in retiring for a drink (6)
SHERRY : ERR(to make an error) contained in(in) SHY(retiring;reserved).
10 Atmosphere on beach’s good? People initially show affectation! (4,3,6)
AIRS AND GRACES : AIR(the atmosphere) plus(on, in a down clue) SAND(a sandy area, say, a beach) + G(abbrev. for “good”) + RACE(a group of people with common ancestry) + the 1st letter of(initially) “show“.
15 Clan to run off at night (9)
NOCTURNAL : Anagram of(… off) CLAN TO RUN.
16 Supporter for a girl in depression (8)
ADHERENT : A + HER(pronoun referring to a girl) contained in(in) DENT(a depression in a surface, made by applying pressure, or a blow).
18 Man accepts direction in church (7)
MINSTER : MISTER(a form of address for a man) containing(accepts) N(abbrev. for “north”, a geographic direction).
20 Increases sales, initially in footwear (6)
BOOSTS : The 1st letter of(…, initially) “sales ” contained in(in) BOOTS(footwear).
21 Construction worker to start going topless (6)
RIGGER : “trigger”(to start;to set off) minus its 1st letter(going topless, in a down clue).
Defn: … skilled in the use of pulleys, lifting gear, cranes, etc.
23 His or her model beneficiary (5)
THEIR : T(the car model, the first to be mass-produced by the Ford Motor Company) + HEIR(beneficiary to an estate, say).
Defn: Third person possessive pronoun. “His OR her” doesn’t seem compatible with the plural answer.
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
Thanks Armonie and scchua
Found it to be straightforward also. ‘Doodlebug’ and SCAD were both new terms for me.
All the rest were just crisp and clear clues and no ambiguity with the answers. MINSTER was last in. I liked both NORMANS and AIRS AND GRACES as the best of them.
Thanks Scchua and Armonie. I agree, it was a pretty direct solve and good fodder for newbies.
I do have one doubt though – shouldn’t 13ac be ‘Tucks …’ rather than ‘Tuck’ if the answer is supposed to be ‘Eats’? Or is it fine the way it is?
Cheers
TL
TL@2: The defn and answer are both nouns for “food”.
I think ‘eats’ is being used as the informal noun – as in ‘good eats here’?
In the Navy ‘big eats’ is the occasion of going out, or ashore, for a slap-up meal.
Thanks folks, for the clarifications.
Cheers
TL