Thanks Artexlen, for a reasonably straightforward challenge today.
FF: 8 DD: 7
| Across | ||
| 1 | SORRIEST | Most apologetic as bishop, that is to say a good man (8) |
| SO (as) RR (bishop) IE (that is) ST (good man) | ||
| 6 | DREAMT | Staunch guards on time had ambition (6) |
| [ DAM (staunch) containing RE (on) ] T (time) | ||
| 9 | THRIFT | Economy? It’s here in regularly chosen newspaper (6) |
| THRI (iT’s HeRe In, regularly) FT (newspaper) | ||
| 10 | ESPRESSO | Rep’s sorted somewhere to refuel, getting coffee (8) |
| REPS* with ESSO (somwhere to refuel) | ||
| 11 | ARGO | Fabulous craft shop closed early (4) |
| ARGOs (shop, closed early – without last character) | ||
| 12 | CROSSBENCH | Irate banker becoming independent (10) |
| CROSS (irate) BENCH (banker) | ||
| 14 | ICE DANCE | Form of artistic sport’s difficult – can I cede? (3,5) |
| CAN I CEDE* | ||
| 16 | PLIE | Worked steadily, almost achieving graceful movement (4) |
| PLIEd (work steadily, almost) – movement in ballet | ||
| 18 | RUST | Discoloration of plant opening in spring within furrow (4) |
| S (opening of Spring) in RUT (furrow) | ||
| 19 | OPERETTA | Old gun with power, not second- rate performance (8) |
| O (old) [ bERRETTA (gun) containig P (power) – without B (second-rate) ] | ||
| 21 | WHEELIE BIN | With contracted bill, whine EE’s terrible mobile carrier (7,3) |
| [BILl (contracted) WHINE EE]* | ||
| 22 | SHIV | Arm that’s to shake if meeting the Queen (4) |
| SHIV with ER (queen) becomes SHIVER (to shake) – Thanks Geoff for the help here. | ||
| 24 | ATOM BOMB | Explosive article criminal mob hid in burial place (4-4) |
| A (article) [ MOB* in TOMB (burial place) ] | ||
| 26 | SPARSE | Scattered leftover sandwiches beginning to sweat (6) |
| SPARE (leftover) containing S (beginning to Sweat) | ||
| 27 | YENNED | Wanted money abroad sent back home (6) |
| YEN (money abroad, japan) NED (reverse of DEN – home) | ||
| 28 | LINESMEN | Officials from Nine Elms messed up (8) |
| NINE ELMS* | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | OTHER | Worry being topless will make you different (5) |
| bOTHER (worry, topless) | ||
| 3 | RAISON DETRE | Directing is one trader’s function (6,5) |
| IS ONE TRADER* | ||
| 4 | ENTICING | Hospital department with decoration that’s attractive (8) |
| ENT (hospital department) ICING (decoration) | ||
| 5 | THE TOWER OF BABEL | For a bet, we both set off with the Parisian to climb tall building (3,5,2,5) |
| [FOR A BET WE BOTH + LE (the, french)]* | ||
| 6 | DEPOSE | Oust awful despot, nearly last of type (6) |
| DESPOt* (nearly, without last character) with E (last of typE) | ||
| 7 | EYE | Judgment from first person in hearing (3) |
| sounds like I (first person) | ||
| 8 | MASOCHIST | Is stomach convulsing? He might like it (9) |
| IS STOMACH* | ||
| 13 | EXPRESSWAYS | State retains influence for public roads (11) |
| EXPRESS (state) containing SWAY (influence) | ||
| 15 | COUCHETTE | Opening of curtains, the cue to upset sleeper (9) |
| C (opening of Curtains) [THE CUE TO]* | ||
| 17 | TENNYSON | Poet X, curious name to take up (8) |
| TEN (X) [ reverse of NOSY (curious) N (name) ] | ||
| 20 | MILORD | Old Mr Batty keeps one posh address (6) |
| OLD MR* containing I | ||
| 23 | ISSUE | Family problem (5) |
| double def | ||
| 25 | MEN | Poor half-hearted workers (3) |
| MEaN (poor, half hearted) | ||
*anagram
Spent as long on Yenned Issue, and Shiv (which I failed to get) as on the rest of the puzzle. Still very enjoyable. Thanks setter & TL.
The nina would have helped with SHIV.
@2 Good point!
The nina certainly helped to get SHIV, indeed Muffyword.
A particular reason for ‘Stairway to Heaven’?
Years ago, I think it was in Sheffield, I briefly met arteXlen (or eXternal as he calls himself in the Indy).
I am pretty sure that, on that occasion, he told me that he doesn’t do themes (and ninas).
His puzzles are indeed always ‘plain’.
So, any particular reason?
Finished and all correct, but as usual I failed to spot the nina.
Can someone explain how banker equates to bench?
It was difficult but I managed to contort enough and kick myself in the head for missing the Nina.
NNI@5, from chambers, banker: A mason’s bench
Regards,
Mahesh
Thanks.
Thanks Artexlen and Turbolegs
Did this one after a late afternoon round of golf – still in 30+ degrees, so got off to a pretty slow start. It did fall out more quickly in a second sitting however. Some nice tricks and misdirection used throughout with the unexpected nina completely passing me by.
Didn’t know the mason / sculptor ‘banker’ and hadn’t heard of the catalogue retailer, Argos, (spending a lot of time trying to equate argot to ‘talking shop’. On the other hand, was pleased to have seen SHIV -ER as ‘shake’ and then look up to check that a SHIV was indeed a weapon.
The clever MILORD was the last one in.