I thought this a good straightforward puzzle. Often when one reads ‘straightforward’ in an introduction it is a eupemism for either ‘too easy’ or ‘dull’ – in this case not so. I didn’t coast though this nor did I find it boring. In the race to provide ever more new and innovative clues I think good straightforward puzzles sometimes get overlooked. Thank you Jason.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SENTENCE | Judgment dispatched from this place, husband in absentia (8) |
| SENT (dispatched) and hENCE (from this place) missing H (husband) | ||
| 5 | SCRIPS | Self-catering slashes IOUs of a form (6) |
| SC (self catering) and RIPS (slashes) – same as a chit, a note representing money | ||
| 9 | EXCITING | Leaving college in third place could be thrilling (8) |
| EXITING (leaving) with C (college) as the third letter | ||
| 10 | CAMPER | More theatrical holidaymaker? (6) |
| double definition | ||
| 12 | LIST PRICE | Lean priest with cool recommendation? (4,5) |
| LIST (lean) and PR (priest) with ICE (cool) | ||
| 13 | SAINT | Naughty son is not commonly a —– (5) |
| S (son) and AINT (is not, commonly). The definition is not a traditional &lit, so how would you describe it? | ||
| 14 | SPAM | Junk heads to some port around Macao (4) |
| first letters (heads) of Some Port Around Macao | ||
| 16 | SEASIDE | Place of piers, donkeys and kiss- me-quick hats is English alone (7) |
| ‘S (is) E (English) ASIDE (alone) | ||
| 19 | ORATION | Ring to supply address (7) |
| O (ring) with RATION (supply) | ||
| 21 | VIEW | I’ve new wife making an appearance (4) |
| anagram (new) of I’VE then W (wife) | ||
| 24 | NANNA | Two bits of Indian bread, one cut, for relative (5) |
| NAN and NAn (two bits of Indian bread) second is cut short | ||
| 25 | INNERSOLE | A part of shoe relies on fixing name within (9) |
| anagram (fixing) of RELIES ON containing N (name) | ||
| 27 | CARPET | Slate covering (6) |
| double definition – to reprimand and floor covering | ||
| 28 | BARBADOS | Pub baron troubles island (8) |
| BAR (pub) and B (baron) with ADOS (troubles) | ||
| 29 | EXPERT | Direct from cheeky specialist (6) |
| EX (direct from) and PERT (cheeky) | ||
| 30 | REKINDLE | Breathe new life into Bible studies by reading app? (8) |
| RE (Religious Education, Bible studies) by KINDLE (reading app from Amazon) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | SPELLS | Stints which Harry’s teachers taught? (6) |
| taught to Harry Potter | ||
| 2 | NICEST | Most agreeable lollies, say, in New Territories (6) |
| ICES (lollies say) in NT (New Territories) | ||
| 3 | EAT UP | Finish relish (3,2) |
| double definition | ||
| 4 | CONFIRM | Establish cheat over company (7) |
| CON (cheat) over FIRM (company) | ||
| 6 | CLASSMATE | Quality game’s ending for kid from your lessons? (9) |
| CLASS (quality) and MATE (end of chess game) | ||
| 7 | IMPLICIT | Absolute urchin acknowledged (8) |
| IMP (urchin) and LICIT (acknowledged) | ||
| 8 | SPRITZER | Special hotel pressing monarch’s drink (8) |
| SP (special) RITZ (hotel) on top of (pressing) ER (Elizabeth Regina, monarch) | ||
| 11 | MESS | Place to eat pickle (4) |
| double definition | ||
| 15 | PRIVATEER | I pervert a sailing vessel (9) |
| anagram (sailing) of I PERVERT A | ||
| 17 | CORNICHE | Roller? Once rich, in another way (8) |
| anagram (in another way) of ONCE RICH – a model of Rolls Royce car | ||
| 18 | RAINDROP | This falls in shower and sink (8) |
| RAIN (shower) and DROP (sink) | ||
| 20 | NAIL | Pin down nothing about adult (4) |
| NIL (nothing) inside (about) A (adult) | ||
| 21 | VINTAGE | Old French wine with time to mature (7) |
| VIN (French wine) with T (time) and AGE (to mature) – a smooth clue | ||
| 22 | SORDID | Seedy type finally slipped off, cheated (6) |
| SORt (type) missing final letter then DID (cheated) | ||
| 23 | NESSIE | Reclusive Scot is seen photoshopped (6) |
| anagram (photoshopped) of IS SEEN – the Loch Ness monster | ||
| 26 | RABBI | Teacher’s interminable blather (5) |
| RABBIt (blather) missing final letter (interminable) | ||
*anagram
definitions are underlined
I agree with your observation in the preamble.
Though the word breakup and the clueing devices used may be familiar, the surface reading of almost all the clues is pleasing.
To answer your question under 13ac, we can just call it an occasional clue or an elliptical charade.
The clue must have had at the end a long dash, not the series of hyphens.
But then newspaper staff who transcribe text into software are not always careful.
it may have been a good straightforwad puzzle but an awful grd!
Thanks PeeDee and Jason.
A good, enjoyable challenge.
It took a while to sort out ‘S E ASIDE but got there in the end.
Thanks Jason and PeeDee
Probably one of the better Jason crosswords that I have done – a little more testing than his usual offerings but, as stated, very well clued with elegant surfaces.
Didn’t understand the definitional part of SEASIDE apart from it being a ‘place of piers’ – I guess that there is some British connection between donkeys and kiss-me-quick hats and the seaside as well.
Thought that BARBADOS was very good (initially looked for an anagram of ‘pub baron’ which I assume was his intent) and likewise thought that REKINDLE was clever.
Had a bit of trouble homing in on EAT UP and SCRIPS (which was my last one in).
Hi Bruce
Donkey rides for kids on the beach are a long established seaside tradition in the UK.
Thanks PeeDee …