A good puzzle for solvers just starting out or those simply wanting a gentle puzzle post Sunday lunch. I enjoyed this in the latter category. Thank you Sphere.
| Across | ||
| 1 | SPHERE | Special present is a ball (6) |
| SP (special) HERE (present) – the setter shows admirable restraint here | ||
| 4 | WARMED | Conflict at sea hotted up (6) |
| WAR (conflict) with MED (sea) | ||
| 9 | RANK | Drove close to black cabs’ waiting area (4) |
| RAN (drove) and blacK (closing letter of) | ||
| 10 | CLEMENTINE | Fine wine topped with fruit (10) |
| CLEMENT (fine) and wINE (topped, no first letter) | ||
| 11 | STYMIE | Filthy place found by setter carrying pig’s guts in hamper (6) |
| STY (filthy place) then ME (the setter) containing pIg (guts, centre of) | ||
| 12 | INTEREST | Popular street ruined by diversion (8) |
| IN (popular) and STREET* anagram=ruined | ||
| 13 | OPPRESSOR | Media taken in by ‘terribly poor’ tyrant (9) |
| PRESS (media) in POOR* anagram=terribly | ||
| 15 | BABY | Tree is home to blackbird’s first chick (4) |
| BAY (tree) contains (is home to) Blackbird (first letter of) | ||
| 16 | COOP | Egalitarian retail outlet in which to find chickens? (4) |
| CO-OP (Cooperative Society, egalitarian retail outlet) | ||
| 17 | STABLEBOY | One helping with the horses in farm area containing strong smell (9) |
| STY (farm area) contains ABLE (strong) and BO (smell) | ||
| 21 | ANCESTOR | Trace son mistreated by forebear (8) |
| anagram (mistreated) od TRACE SON | ||
| 22 | LIBIDO | Liberal side of personality associated with essential part of boy’s sex drive (6) |
| LIB (Liberal) ID (side of personality) with bOy (essential part, centre of) | ||
| 24 | SUPERVISOR | Foreman with smashing shield (10) |
| SUPER (smashing) and VISOR (shiled) | ||
| 25 | NAIL | Catch leaders of new administration in Lahore (4) |
| leading letters of New Administration In Lahore | ||
| 26 | SATINS | Posed wearing Selfridges’ ultimate fabrics (6) |
| SAT (posed) IN (wearing) selfridgeS (ultimate letter of) | ||
| 27 | SCHOOL | Head of science meeting husband in trendy educational establishment (6) |
| Science (first letter, head of) then H (husband) in COOL (trendy) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | START-UP | New business involving fabulous sheep? (5-2) |
| STAR (fabulous) TUP (a sheep) | ||
| 2 | HOKUM | Buzz round satisfactory bunk (5) |
| HUM (buzz) contains OK (satisfactory) | ||
| 3 | RICKETS | Decapitated insects with disease (7) |
| cRICKETS (insects, decapitated) | ||
| 5 | AVESTA | Save stamps featuring a collection of Zoroastrian texts (6) |
| found inside sAVE STAmps | ||
| 6 | MOTORCADE | Forced to carry old metal band in procession of vehicles (9) |
| MADE (forced) contains O (old) TORC (metal band) | ||
| 7 | DYNASTY | Extremely dirty and unpleasant house (7) |
| DirtY (extreme letters of) and NASTY (unpleasant) | ||
| 8 | LEPIDOPTERIST | Editor’s tipple mixed by natural historian (13) |
| anagram (mixed) of EDITOR’S TIPPLE | ||
| 14 | ROOSEVELT | Lose voter upset by former president (9) |
| anagram (upset) of LOSE VOTER | ||
| 16 | CONCUSS | Knock out Tory before central part of discussion (7) |
| CON (Conservative, Tory) then disCUSSion (central part of) | ||
| 18 | BALDRIC | Smooth end drops off magnificent belt (7) |
| BALD (smooth) and RICh (magnificent) missing end letter | ||
| 19 | OLD BILL | Police using out of date legislation? (3,4) |
| OLD (out of date) and BILL (legislation) | ||
| 20 | STEVEN | Saint still a man (6) |
| ST (saint) and EVEN (yet) | ||
| 23 | BONGO | Drum and pipe given to leader of Orangemen (5) |
| BONG (pipe) with Orangemen (leading letter of) | ||
*anagram
definitions are underlined
Yes, a pleasant Sunday stroll, although with one or two stiles to negotiate on the way. Also, with no nina or theme, an excellent beginner’s crossword. CoD was LEPIDOPTERIST.
Thanks, Sphere and Peedee.
Thanks for the blog, PeeDee. I agree entirely with your preamble and with Allan’s choice of clue of the day.
I have nothing to add except that 16ac inevitably reminded me of the classic Two Ronnies sketch and I can’t resist commending it here to those who may not have seen it or have maybe forgotten it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVWdbO6FFfw
Thanks for the puzzle, Sphere – and welcome!
Thank you Elieen, that made me laugh. It could be appropriate for Sil’s Guardian Letters Page post too 😉
The app gives compiler as Peter, not Sphere. Not sure what’s going on.
Re #4, I’m sure this will be clarified. SPHERE is the first answer, so maybe not the setter. Did not spoil anyone’s enjoyment though, I’d say.