Independent 9423/Hoskins

Frankly, I thought this was a load of guff.

In fact, it was a fine puzzle, but did contain a number of references to farting.  I’m surprised the setter eschewed the opportunity to bring in Donald TRUMP. There were also references to sex and drugs, although rock and roll did not appear. There is one I can’t parse.

Abbreviations
cd  cryptic definition
dd  double definition
(xxxx)*  anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x]  letter(s) missing

definitions are underlined

Across

1  The wake of the fart knocked over mother
AFTERMATH
We might as well start with flatulence.  An insertion of MA in (THE FART)* with ‘knocked’ as the anagrind and ‘over’ as the insertion indicator.  Interesting word: dating from the 1500s, it originally referred to a second crop of grass grown on the same land, after the first had been harvested.  It comes from AFTER plus MATH, from Old English mæð, ‘a mowing or cutting of grass’.

6  Forbidden love old club brought back
TABOO
A reversal of O, O and BAT.

9  Country dudes getting into operatic number
ARMENIA
An insertion of MEN in ARIA.

10  Haircut 100 to prosecute ‘grasping’ Queen
TONSURE
A charade of TON and R inserted into SUE.  Haircut 100 really are a band, so the surface reads well if you take Queen as a band as well.

11  Some terrific scenes recalled Star Wars?
SCI-FI
Hidden reversed in terrIFIC Scenes.

12  Devoted daughter out of head on drugs
DEDICATED
I can’t really see this.  D for ‘daughter’, CAT is a drug, E is a drug, but beyond that I am lost.  Help most welcome.

Edit: NormanLinFrance has kindly rescued me – explained at comment no 1.

14  Drop when flatulent emission circulates
SAG
More farting.  A reversal of GAS.

15  Nuts?  Mine are shot and they can’t multiply
INNUMERATES
I’m sorry to hear that.  (NUTS MINE ARE)*

17  Sad to report trapped wind fruit had caused?
MELANCHOLIC
A homophone of MELON and COLIC.

19  What might be chewed and regularly clued
CUD
The odd letters of ‘clued’.  The consequence of chewing the cud is cow farts, which make a significant contribution to global warming, since methane is worse than carbon dioxide in that respect.

20  Top treatment for ruddy nodding dog!
RED-CARPET
This was funny.  It’s a charade of RED, CAR and PET, and is referencing the naff nodding dogs that people insist on putting on the rear shelf of their cars.  Churchill is probably the best-known example.

22  Hymn that’s on hand to entertain soprano
PSALM
An insertion of S in PALM.

24  Husband punches footballer and he moans
WHINGER
An insertion of H in WINGER.

26  Famous old luvvie, one bottled by Reed?
OLIVIER
Sir Laurence OLIVIER, one of our most famous thesps, is an insertion of I in OLIVER Reed, another of our famous thesps.  The latter was very fond of the bottle – the alcohol-containing type.  Legend has it that he drank 101 pints in a two-day binge before one of his weddings.  My favourite film of his is Women in Love.

27  Up for it always if a bit of gin’s involved
EAGER
An insertion of A and G for the first letter of ‘gin’ in EER for the archaic word for ‘always’.

28  Job near city Brown rejected after Labour
POSTNATAL
A charade of POST and a reversal of LA and TAN.  Good surface.

Down

1  Stockpile caps for any modern US gas outlet?
AMASS
Let’s start the down clues with a bit of flatulence as well.  A charade of AM for the first letters of ‘any modern’ and ASS, which in the US is whence gas is emitted when conditions permit.

2  Locum work is alluring, but only half the time
TEMPING
Hoskins is asking you to take one T out of TEMPTING.

3  Split with Hoskins over sex (no upward performance)
RENDITION
Nuts, now more sex references.  Is there nowhere this setter can’t go?  It’s a charade of REND, I for the setter and NO IT reversed).

4  An order ignored by some musicians who played on?
ABANDON SHIP
A whimsical reference to the band on the Titanic, who allegedly continued playing when the ship was sinking.  And of course it’s A BAND ON SHIP.

5  Detest not going all the way in Balmoral?
HAT
A Balmoral is a type of hat, so it’s HAT[E]

6  What cop might have on jerk kidnapping French #1
TUNIC
I got fixated on there being JE in this somewhere, but in fact it’s UN for ‘number one’ in French inserted into TIC.

7  One tweeting a description of Boris Johnson?
BLUE TIT
I very nearly did a number one in my kecks when I got this.  Priceless.  It’s a dd.  I personally would have left the question mark out.  For our overseas solvers, I will explain it: BoJo is a conservative (therefore, over here, blue) and Hoskins clearly doesn’t think much of him.  More importantly, it gives me an opportunity for the obligatory Pierre bird link.  One of our most common avian friends and a handsome little bird which will brighten up a garden during the short days of winter.

8  Acting ever so odd, having had too much Coke?
OVERDOSED
(EVER SO ODD)*  Farting, sex, drugs …

13  Deconstruction jobs can create noise, I’m told
DEMOLITIONS
(NOISE IM TOLD)*

14  New women’s bra: an over-the-shoulder number?
SAM BROWNE
(WOMENS BRA)*  The leather belt that soldiers wear from their shoulder to their waist.

16  A function that a television’s aerial aids?
RECEPTION
A dd.  Today’s rubbish joke:

Two television aerials got married.  The ceremony was crap, but the reception was excellent.

18  Liberal avoiding topless place where on can stay the night
LODGING
A charade of L and [D]ODGING.

19  Horse-drawn carriage seen in The Boston Tea Party?
CHARIOT
A whimsical way of saying that The Boston Tea Party might have been a CHA RIOT.

21  Sausage that bishop pulls out of raging passion?
ANGER
I can’t really make sense of the surface – can you pull, or pull out of a sausage?  Whatever, it’s [B]ANGER.  Hang on, Hoskins couldn’t possibly be referring to BANGING THE BISHOP, could he?  In the mood he’s in today, very probably.  A sausage looks like … well, you can work it out, I’m sure.

23  Just married – it’s a test people say
MORAL
It certainly is.  A charade of M for ‘married’ and ORAL for ‘a test people say’.

25  Epitaph starts with ‘Poorly?  I’m really on the up!’
RIP
The first letters of the fourth, fifth and sixth letters of the clue.

Excellent Boxing Day puzzle from Hoskins.  Well done to him, and let’s have some more.