(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.) I wouldn’t say that it was all plain sailing for me. Thanks to Poins. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1 Restraint limiting attempt to turn at the same time (8)
TOGETHER : TETHER(a restraint in the form of a rope, chain, etc. to prevent an animal or object from going beyond a certain radius) containing(limiting) reversal of(.. to turn) GO(an attempt).
5 What Robert Catesby became after going around Spain regularly (6)
PAPIST : PAST(after, say, a certain point in time) containing(going around) the 2nd and 4th letters of(… regularly) “Spain“.
Answer: A usually derogative term, as used by Protestants, for a Roman Catholic, which Robert Catesby was during Protestant King James I’s reign in England.
9 Observed fellow cutting grass (8)
REMARKED : MARK(a fellow’s name) contained in(cutting) REED(a grass having a hollow stem and growing in wetlands).
10 Servant returning home tucks into something to eat (6)
MENIAL : Reversal of(returning) IN(at home) contained in(tucks into) MEAL(something to eat, viz. whole or ground grains of a cereal grass).
11 Start to get involved with Italian volunteers sent back to occupy the centre of Chieti (8)
INITIATE : IN(involved with, as in “he has been in politics since …”) + IT(abbrev. for “Italian”) + [ reversal of(… sent back) TA(abbrev. for the Territorial Army, consisting of volunteers) contained in(to occupy) the 2 central letters of(the centre of) “Chieti ” ].
12 One barely seen by short head girl on street (6)
NUDIST : “nut”(slang for one’s head) minus its last letter(short …) + DI(a girl’s name) plus(on) ST(abbrev. for “street”).
14 The first to complain after priest hides copy of evidence of activity (5,5)
PAPER TRAIL : The 1st letter of(… first) “The” + RAIL(to complain bitterly or vehemently) placed after(after) [ PR(abbrev. for “priest”) containing(hides) APE(to copy) ].
18 Catholic film director’s departed to make a fresh start (5,5)
CLEAN SLATE : C(abbrev. for “Catholic”) + LEAN(David, English film director)‘S + LATE(departed from this life).
22 Inconsistent comedian at last packing questionable venue (6)
UNEVEN : The last letter of(… at last) “comedian ” contained in(packing) anagram of(questionable) VENUE.
23 Produce information on deserter found in the middle of Leek (8)
GENERATE : GEN(information) plus(on) [ RAT(a deserter) contained in(found in) the 2 central letters of(the middle of) “Leek “].
24 Remained unused on the way back with fellow Dutch navigator (6)
TASMAN : Reversal of(… on the way back) SAT(remained unused, as in “the car sat in the garage for ages” plus(with) MAN(a fellow).
Answer: Abel, after whom the Australian island of Tasmania is named.
25 Reject determined to join top class team (3,5)
SET ASIDE : SET(determined;not to be swayed) plus(to join) A(signifying something that is top class) + SIDE(a team of competitors).
26 Furious about fellow coming back and ready finally to make a complaint (6)
MALADY : MAD(furious) containing(about) reversal of(… coming back) AL(a fellow’s name) plus(and) the last letter of(… finally) “ready“.
Defn: …, medically speaking.
27 Touchstone finds a way after resistance by Audrey at first (8)
STANDARD : RD(abbrev. for “road”;a way) placed after(after) [STAND(resistance, as in “Custer’s last stand”) plus(by) the 1st letter of(… at first) “Audrey ” ].
Defn: Criterion by which to rate something/someone.
Down
1 Fool performer with good write-up (6)
TURNIP : TURN(a short theatrical performance – the performer too?) plus(with) reversal of(… write-up) PI(short for “pious”;good).
Defn: …, in British slang.
2 Country doctor introduced to Phoebe’s mum (6)
GAMBIA : MB(post-nominal letters for a Bachelor of Medicine;a doctor) contained in(introduced to) GAIA(in Greek mythology, the primal Mother Goddess, mum of Phoebe, and other deities).
3 Retire from shop (4,2)
TURN IN : Double defn: 1st: … for the night; and 2nd: …, or inform on to the police, say.
4 United supporter overcome by result in the end (10)
EVENTUALLY : [ U(abbrev. for “united”) + ALLY(a supporter) ] placed below(overcome by, in a down clue) EVENT(the result;the actual or final outcome as in “in the event of …”).
6 Fair enough! (8)
ADEQUATE : Double defn: 1st: Acceptable;passable, and 2nd: Sufficient for the purpose.
7 Ridiculous claim to hold up popular setter as unfriendly (8)
INIMICAL : Anagram of(Ridiculous) CLAIM placed below(to hold up, in a down clue) [ IN(popular;in fashion) +I(self-referential pronoun referring to the setter of this puzzle) ].
8 Lie around the whole time? It’s unbelievable (4,4)
TALL TALE : TALE(a lie;a fairy story) containing(around) [ ALL(the whole;the lot) + T(abbrev. for “time”).
13 The determination of a dispute with Hamlet for instance (10)
SETTLEMENT : Double defn: 2nd: A “hamlet” (with a lower case “h”) is an example.
15 Get used to Bill meeting a client without hesitation (8)
ACCUSTOM : AC(abbrev. for “account”;a bill;a rendering of monies owed) plus(meeting) “customer”(who is called a client when it comes to professional services, including such by sex workers and lawyers) minus(without) “er”(an expression of hesitation).
16 Several transferred after QPR’s latest defeat (8)
REVERSAL : Anagram of(… transferred) SEVERAL placed after(after) the last letter of(…’s latest) “QPR“.
17 Working in addition to supporting Democrat whenever required (2,6)
ON DEMAND : ON(working, as with an electrical appliance) + [ AND(in addition to) placed below(supporting, in a down clue) DEM(abbrev. for “Democrat”) ].
19 Employ a couple of Ethiopians during bad weather (6)
RETAIN : The 1st 2 letters of(a couple of) “Ethiopians ” contained in(during) RAIN(bad weather).
Defn: … someone for his/her services by paying a preliminary fee.
20 Film‘s iconic opening set in an Indian city (6)
PATINA : The 1st letter of(… opening) “iconic ” contained in(set in) PATNA(capital city of the Indian state of Bihar).
Defn: …, eg. that formed on copper.
21 Be obliged to admit fellow sent north is on the tail of Red Guard (6)
DEFEND : Reversal of(… sent north, in a down clue) [ NEED(be obliged to do something, as in “you don’t need to attend”) containing(to admit) F(abbrev. for “fellow”) ] placed above(is on, in a down clue) the last letter of(the tail of) “Red“.
(Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)
All pretty straightforward, though I was misled in 20dn into looking for a film title and only solved it by cheating for the initial letter. But on the other hand I saw the misdirection in 27ac at once, though it made an excellent clue.
Thanks Poins and scchua
Thanks Poins and scchua.
Quite hard going for me – I was held up at 9a, a REED is not a grass, but crossword setters are always doing this, so in the end the penny dropped.
Cookie, Chambers seems to disagree with you. It defines reed as a type of grass and grass as a family of plants including the reeds.
Collins also says reed is a type of grass.
My apologies, you a right. I was thinking of the paper reed, Papyrus, which belongs to the sedge family, Cyperaceae, not the grass family, Gramineae (Poaceae). My COED does not state that a reed is a grass, for reed it gives “any of various water or marsh plants with a firm stem, esp. of the genus Phragmites“, and checking on the web I find that genus belongs to the Gramineae. My flora, “Taxonomy of Vascular Plants” by George H. M. Lawrence, Cornell University 1966, Macmillan, does not mention reeds at all. Papyrus no longer grows in Egypt, but it covers 13% of the land in Uganda where I lived for several years.