Great stuff – and a proper mental workout. Thank you Loroso.
The 12 undefined clues all lead to words meaning SET. What Loroso does best.
| Across | ||
| 1 | REGULATE |
For example entering game, dead set (8)
EG (for example0 in RU (game) and LATE (dead) |
| 5 | CREAMY |
A bit thick, weep about each mark (6)
CRY (weep) containing EA (each) M (mark) |
| 8 | CRU |
Vintage FT setter must not finish (3)
CRUx (FT setter) unfinished |
| 9 | CLINOMETER |
Surveying tool never touched in curious relic (10)
NO (never) MET (touched) in RELIC* |
| 10 | SWASTIKA |
“Hakenkreuz” – was it put back into music? (8)
WAS and IT reversed (put back) in SKA (music) |
| 11 | ORBITS |
Radius took effect in big circles (6)
R (radius) BIT (took effect) in OS (out-size, big) |
| 12 | LAID |
Face the other way (4)
DIAL (face) reversed (the other way) – definition set |
| 14 | INFLEXIBLE |
Home team given ball, oddly, in retreat? (10)
IN (home) XI (eleven, team) with BaLl (odd letters of) in FLEE (retreat) – definition set |
| 17 | DISSUADING |
Trying to stop awkward sun said to block excavation (10)
(SUN SAID)* anagram=awkward inside (to block) DIG (excavation) |
| 20 | HARD |
Piece of pottery that’s not square (4)
sHARD (piece of pottery) missing S (square) – definition set |
| 23 | CLOG UP |
In competition, record foul (4,2)
LOG (record) in CUP (competition) |
| 24 | PREPARED |
Secretary admitting salesman’s left (8)
PA (secretary) containing REP (salesman) has RED (left, politically) – definition set |
| 25 | COATI-MUNDI |
Animal fur, one plastered in mud (5-5)
COAT (fir) I (one) and (IN MUD)* anagram=plastered |
| 26 | NOR |
It helps to show direction (and not) (3)
part of (it helps to show) NORth (direction) |
| 27 | AT REST |
Still a strain? That’s about right (2,4)
A TEST (strain) containing R (right) |
| 28 | RECKLESS |
Covered by freckles, small rash (8)
found inside (covered by) fRECKLES Small – hidden in plain sight! |
| Down | ||
| 1 | ROCK-SOLID |
Cool drinks – not new, but fresh (4-5)
anagram (fresh) of COOL and DRInKS missing N (new) – definition set |
| 2 | GOURAMI |
Pan out, start to use butter on one fish (7)
GO (pan out) Use (starting letter of) RAM (butter, a goat) I (one) |
| 3 | LOCATE |
Business opening and others will come up (6)
CO (company, business) inside (opening) ET AL (and others) reversed (will come up) – definition set |
| 4 | THICKENED |
Head for the country – a sort of Eden (9)
The (head for, first letter of) HICK (country, adj) and EDEN* anagram=a sort of – definition set |
| 5 | COMPOSE |
Turn up, wrapping gift up (7)
COME (turn up) containing (wrapping) SOP (gift) reversed – definition set |
| 6 | ESTABLISH |
Try line is found in what? (9)
STAB (try) L (line) and IS inside (found in) EH (what?) – definition set |
| 7 | MARITAL |
Completely ruin it, missing end of wedding (7)
MAR IT ALL (completely ruin it) missing last letter (end) |
| 13 | DESIGNATE |
River full of swimming giants (9)
DEE (river) containing (full of) GIANTS* anagram=swimming – definition set |
| 15 | LONG-RANGE |
Looking ahead, sees lake on farm (4-5)
L (lake) ON GRANGE (farm) |
| 16 | ENDODERMS |
Kinky dorm needs some tissues (9)
anagram (kinky) of DORM NEEDS |
| 18 | ILLICIT |
Crook – and I quote – not quite criminal (7)
ILL (crook) and I CITe (quote, not quite) |
| 19 | APPOINT |
A quiet drink? Nothing’s swallowed (7)
A P (piano, quiet) PINT (drink) containing (swallows) O (nothing) – definition set |
| 21 | ARRANGE |
Scottish island starts to generate electricity (7)
ARRAN (Scottish island) and Generate Electricity (starting, first letters of) – definition set |
| 22 | UPLINK |
Place in open country for transmission (6)
|
definitions are underlined
Thanks Loroso and PeeDee
17ac: I think this should be DISSUADING (anagram of SUN SAID in DIG). Your wordplay has a surplus N.
I too had dissuading(17)- but was beaten on a few others. he’s a tough setter-I should have done better.
Thanks PeeDee
I was about to say the same as Pelham but he beat me to it. However I can say that I have a different entry for 5dn – COMPOSE (set) being SOP (gift) reversed in COME.
I also parsed 22dn differently – PL IN in (open) UK (country).
I agree with all the suggestions above. I will update the blog ASAP.
I solved half of this in the dentist’s waiting room and then finished off the top half when I got back home.
A lovely stretch of the grey matter, including having fun working out which words went with the ‘definition’.
Thank you and Merry Christmas to Loroso and PeeDee too
Thanks for the great blog PeeDee and a Merry Christmas to you all.
Thanks Loroso and PeeDee
Doing a Christmas holiday catch up and got to this one today.
An interesting theme, where I could gather all of the words easily enough but didn’t twig to what was really going on until I had them all and finally got REGULATE as my third last one in. Think that it added to the enjoyment factor of ‘living in the dark’ right up to the finish.
Lots of interesting twists in the clueing and a fun puzzle for the holiday break.
Thanks PeeDee and Loroso.
Tough and enjoyable. COATI-MUNDI was a new one to me but gettable from the clue.
Couldn’t parse THICKENED! Now I see it.
Doh!