A very pleasant and fairly-clued start to the day. Thanks, Sleuth, if you’re reading this.
| Across | ||
| 1 | FACETIOUS |
Waggish fellow, one with crumpled suit with old contents (9)
F for fellow, ACE for one plus SUIT plus O for old |
| 6 | GLOSS |
Explain away superficial appearance (5)
Double definition. Gloss over. |
| 9 | TRAMP |
Immoral woman, snare to catch male (5)
TRAP with M for male inserted |
| 10 | ELABORATE |
Complicated spread of Ebola with speed (9)
An anagram of EBOLA and RATE (speed) |
| 11 | HELLESPONT |
Nightmarish place, eastern location bordering northern strait once (10)
HELL plus E for eastern plus SPOT (location) with N for northern inserted. Hellespont is the ancient name of the narrow passage between the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Marmara. These days it is known as the Dardanelles. |
| 12 | FIRM |
Constant concern (4)
Double definition |
| 14 | GANGWAY |
Organised group consider for discussion ship’s opening? (7)
GANG (organised group) plus WAY (homophone – hence “for discussion” – of weigh, or consider) |
| 15 | HARBOUR |
Rickety bar in time offering shelter (7)
HOUR (time) with ARB (an anagram of BAR) inserted |
| 17 | THEOREM |
Proposition in article about to probe award (7)
THE (definite article) OM (Order of Merit, an award) with RE (about) inserted |
| 19 | RUFFIAN |
Supporter embracing one sport after another, violent figure (7)
FAN (supporter) with an I inserted (embracing one) plus RUF (rugby union and football) |
| 20 | URGE |
Drive in powerful movement son ignored (4)
Surge is the powerful movement. Delete S for son and you have URGE |
| 22 | BRASSINESS |
Neck support shown by guards in European ship (10)
BRA (support) plus SS (guards – Schutzstaffel) plus IN plus E for European plus SS (this time for ship) |
| 25 | KARLSRUHE |
Marx perhaps converted usher in German city (9)
KARL Marx plus an anagram of usher |
| 26 | JUROR |
One of twelve seeing action? (5)
Cryptic definition. There was a majority verdict in one of yesterday’s crosswords |
| 27 | TEENY |
Insignificant place to drive by US city (5)
TEE (from which some people drive a golf ball) plus NY for New York |
| 28 | ESTIMABLE |
Valued times possibly lecturer had in Lincoln (9)
An anagram of TIMES, ABE for Lincoln and L for lecturer. |
| Down | ||
| 1 | FETCH |
Bring cheese without a companion (5)
Feta cheese without the A plus CH for Companion of Honour. Where would compilers be without the honours system? |
| 2 | CHALLENGE |
Object to dining room, English, in church (9)
HALL (dining room) plus ENG (English) in CE for Church of England |
| 3 | TUPPERWARE |
Drug found in water analysed in containers (10)
UPPER (a type of drug) in an anagram of water |
| 4 | OVERPAY |
Settle too much? (7)
Cryptic definition |
| 5 | STAUNCH |
Trusty means to check bleeding (7)
Double definition |
| 6 | GOOF |
Largely cease to be fond of stupid person (4)
GO OFf (cease to be fond of) minus the final letter |
| 7 | OMANI |
Arab detained in Romania (5)
R-OMANI-A |
| 8 | STEAM IRON |
Most are in ground? It’s used for evening out (5,4)
An anagram (ground is the indicator) of Most are in |
| 13 | TRAFFIC JAM |
Symptom of arterial blockage? (7,3)
Cryptic definition. Roads are sometimes referred to as arteries. |
| 14 | GUTBUCKET |
One with outstanding pot? (9)
We liked this. Pot is a belly (or corporation in crosswordese). |
| 16 | OLIVE DRAB |
Colour as it happens found in unconventional board (5,4)
LIVE (as it happens, not recorded) in an anagram of board |
| 18 | MARQUEE |
Brand start of event in large tent (7)
Marque (brand) plus E (first letter of event) |
| 19 | RESPECT |
Particular appreciation (7)
Double definition |
| 21 | GORGE |
US environmentalist touring grand valley (5)
G for grand inserted into GORE the American politician and environmentalist. |
| 23 | SPREE |
Merry outing on German river (5)
Double definition. This time next week we’ll be on one beside it. |
| 24 | I SPY |
Child’s game is pretty devoid of substance (1-3)
IS plus the first and last letters of pretty |
Very entertaining. Thanks Sleuth and D & L.
18 ac. I parsed this as RU + F1 (formula one) within fan.
Thanks to S & B. Enjoyed this but puzzled about the parsing of 18ac. I think jmac’s nailed it.
Thanks D&L and Sleuth.
A straightforward puzzle this. Good precision clueing and no quibbles.
I parsed 19ac in the same way as jmac and MikeC – so I’d call that a majority vote (even though we don’t have 12 26s).
Ages since I’ve seen the word gutbucket. Not quite sure if I can slip it in to my next project award recommendation though!
Thanks Sleuth and D&L
Late to this, as I often am. Found it not all of that hard – out on a train-ride plus one other short session to mop up the SW corner.
Lots to like here, although there were a couple that I either parsed wrongly – GANGWAY (didn’t get the ‘weigh’ bit) or just didn’t finish it off – RUFFIAN (had the RU and FAN bit, and didn’t twig to the Formula One (FI) bit ) – so thanks jmac for that.
Didn’t know the German city of KARLSRUHE, the German river SPREE or the British term GUTBUCKET. Liked TEENY and TRAFFIC JAM.
Last few in were – KARLSRUHE, GUTBUCKET and GORGE the last in