Very straightforward and clearly clued. Thanks, Peto.
| Across | ||
| 1 | MEMBER |
Don’t forget about being dumped by someone in a club (6)
REMEMBER (don’t forget) minus RE (about) |
| 5 | ABSOLUTE |
Bale’s out injured for certain (8)
An anagram (injured is the indicator) of BALES OUT |
| 9 | CLEAR CUT |
Unequivocal about old king getting cross (5-3)
C for about plus LEAR (old king) plus CUT (cruss, or transect) |
| 10 | NEGATE |
Deny fellow’s back out of prison (6)
NEWGATE prison minus W, the final (back) letter of fellow |
| 11 | SINK IN |
Wrong about what writers make use of to be understood (4,2)
SIN is the wrong, surrounding INK, which is what writers use |
| 12 | CREATION |
Almost certain to adjust to working with Genesis (8)
An anagram (adjust indicates it) of almost all the letters of certain plus ON (working) |
| 14 | PRESENT TENSE |
Now being considered edgy as Burns may be in it (7,5)
PRESENT (as in the present case, or the case under consideration) plus TENSE (edgy). Burns is an example of a verb in the present tense. |
| 18 | MATTER OF FACT |
Disinclined to feign after affair becomes pedestrian (6-2-4)
OFF (disinclined to) plus ACT (feign) after MATTER (affair) |
| 22 | PLEADING |
Arguing in support of principal standing by Penny (8)
P for penny plus LEADING (principal as an adjective) |
| 25 | STUPOR |
Proust’s wandering in a daze (6)
An anagram (wandering) of Proust |
| 26 | VACANT |
Empty containers – one inside the other (6)
A CAN inside a VAT |
| 27 | EXCHANGE |
Old coppers in conversation (8)
EX (old) plus CHANGE (loose change, coppers) |
| 28 | DEMOCRAT |
Obama’s one dream – to travel around Cuba (8)
An anagram of DREAM and TO with C for Cuba inserted |
| 29 | SHEARS |
Is informed after last of NHS cuts (6)
HEARS (is nformed) after S, the final letter of NHS |
| Down | ||
| 2 | ECLAIR |
Girl’s name finally put on top of cake (6)
CLAIRE is the girl’s name. Move the last letter to the top and you have ECLAIR. This clue also works with Clair (an alternative spelling) as the girl and E (the final letter of name). |
| 3 | BLACK SPOT |
Supports including line linking cannabis with disease (5,4)
BACKS (supports) with L for line inserted, plus POT (cannabis). Black spot is the name of a disease affecting fish and of a fungal infection of roses. |
| 4 | RACONTEUR |
Storyteller’s right about courtesan abandoning son (9)
R for right plus an anagram (about) of courtesan minus S for son. |
| 5 | ARTICLE |
Complicated recital item (7)
An anagram (complicated) of recital. |
| 6 | SENSE |
Understanding some of Amundsen’s experiences (5)
Contained in the kast two words of the clue |
| 7 | LIGHT |
A number left for Spain with less than a full load (5)
EIGHT is the number. Substitute L (for left) for E (for Spain) |
| 8 | TITMOUSE |
It’s eaten by oddly tame river bird (8)
IT contained in TM, the odd letters of tame, plus OUSE (river in Yorkshire) |
| 13 | ART |
Painting of animal needs no introduction (3)
HART (which pants for cooling streams) minus its introductory letter. |
| 15 | TRANSECTS |
Cuts across north London area carrying leaflets? Just the opposite (9)
TRACTS (leaflets) carrying N for north and SE, South-East England, the area around London |
| 16 | ENTOURAGE |
Anger over books being lifted by Unionist’s followers (9)
ENRAGE (anger) including a reversal of OT (Old Testament, the first books of the Bible) and U for unionist |
| 17 | TALL TALE |
The head of Tonbridge needs a drink after Lofty’s incredible story (4,4)
TALL (lofty) plus T, the first letter (head) of Tonbridge plus ALE (drink) |
| 19 | END |
Girl’s missing one odd piece (3)
Enid is the girl. Remove the I (Roman numeral for one). An end is an odd piece – eg the end of a roll of fabric or a bin end. |
| 20 | FIGMENT |
Ready to accept FBI agents’ fabrication (7)
FIT (ready) with GMEN (FBI agents) inserted |
| 21 | CONGER |
Chapter about German swimmer (6)
C for chapter plus ON (about) plus GER for German |
| 23 | ALAMO |
Concealed in equal amounts in besieged mission (5)
Contained (concealed) in the third and fourth words of the clue. |
| 24 | INTER |
Forward leaves to join Bury (5)
To sinter metals is to join them metallurgically (akin to welding). Remove the first letter (forward leaves). |
Many thanks David, Linda and Peto.
There are typos in both versions of 4d above:
It should be RACONTEUR rather than RACONTEER or RACONTUER.
Well spotted.
Typical Peto/Poins quality, fair and accessible.
I couldn’t see how 24d (INTER) worked, so thanks for that D&L.
Also the ‘animal’ in 13d’s ART stumped me but it is, of course, a male deer (‘hart’) that lacks an introduction.
D&L, you wrote: HART (which pants for cooling streams).
Can you explain that to me, please?
Thanks for the blog.
And many thanks to Peto for this morning’s light entertainment.
Hymns Ancient and Modern no 238 based on Psalm 42. Handel did an anthem on it, too. One of us was a chorister.
sinter beat me good spot chaps. Not too hard but I took a while to get anything. Thanks bloggers and peto
Sil@3 and flashling@5
Hi both, GKN, a British company, is a world leader in sintered products. If you look at the ?GKN Sinter Metals section of the GKN website you can find out all you wanted to know and more about the process.
Thanks Peto and D&L
Actually completed this on the day, but only now checked it tonight (has been very busy at work and away for most of the weekend).
Found this enjoyable and reasonably hard work to finish off. Last few in were FIGMENT, DEMOCRAT and CONGER.
Missed the parsing of ART … just didn’t see ‘hart’ as the animal. Got the wrong fodder for CREATION (had CERTAIN [T]O). Had your second option for ECLAIR but think that your first one works much better.
Had an alternative (and think better) take with 24d – I had LOCK (rugby forward) leaving INTERLOCK to give INTER. Both versions work all the same.
Thanks D&L and Peto.
Good clean puzzle.
I got the parsing of (h)art but like others missed (s)inter so thanks for the illumination.
I’m not normally a fan of three-letter words in puzzles but thought En(i)d was particularly neat.