After several weeks of harder than average Everymans (or should that be Everymen?) we seem to have returned to normal with a very accessible puzzle, though one that was still a pleasure to solve.
.
Across
1 Renegade taking new track, coming back with cover (8)
TURNCOAT – N (new) RUT (track) reversed (coming back) plus COAT (cover)
5 Servile, yielding fine shelter (6)
AWNING – [f]AWNING (servile, yielding fine)
9 Quick examination previously done (4-4)
ONCE-OVER – ONCE (previously) OVER (done)
10 Fish situation reported (6)
PLAICE – sounds like (reported) ‘place’ (situation)
12 Grunting sound from buffalo in Kansas (4)
OINK – hidden in (from) ‘buffalO IN Kansas’
13 Leads nun’s life, organised around church (10)
INFLUENCES – an anagram (organised) of NUN’S LIFE around CE (church)
15 Bird journal reflected study by quiet enthusiast (6,6)
GOLDEN PLOVER – LOG (journal) reversed (reflected) DEN (study) P (quiet) LOVER (enthusiast)
18 Fortification held in wars ruined entirely (8,4)
HADRIAN’S WALL – HAD (held) plus an anagram (ruined) of IN WARS plus ALL (entirely)
21 Not entertained by low wit lacking variety (10)
MONOTONOUS – NOT in (entertain by) MOO (low) plus NOUS (wit)
22 Develop good argument (4)
GROW – G (good) ROW (argument)
24 Sign about insect in outhouse (4-2)
LEAN-TO – LEO (sign) around (about) ANT (insect)
25 Commercial poll containing account about support (8)
ADVOCATE – AD (commercial) plus VOTE (poll) around (containing) AC (account) reversed (about)
26 In conclusion, consumed by effort (6)
TRENDY – END (conclusion) in (consumed by) TRY (effort)
27 Revolutionary move secures extracts (8)
SNIPPETS – STEP (move) PINS (secures) reversed (revolutionary)
Down
1 Complete novel hot and unrefined (8)
THOROUGH – an anagram (novel) of HOT plus ROUGH (unrefined)
2 Coin in bank not long ago (8)
RECENTLY – CENT (coin) in RELY (bank)
3 Pen exclusive story, opening out (4)
COOP – [s]COOP (exclusive story, opening out)
4 Stupendous ace, with energy in victory, bound to enthral one (3-9)
AWE-INSPIRING – A (ace) plus E (energy) in WIN (victory) plus SPRING (bound) around (to enthral) I (one)
6 Antelope stew edible after preparation (10)
WILDEBEEST – an anagram (after preparation) of STEW EDIBLE
7 Silliness, freezing outside studio? Not half (6)
IDIOCY – ICY (freezing) around (outside) [stu]DIO (studio? Not half)
8 Musical nation by the sound of it (6)
GREASE – sounds like (by the sound of it) ‘Greece’ (nation)
11 When caught by reckless foul, landed abruptly (3,2,1,6)
ALL OF A SUDDEN – AS (when) in (caught by) an anagram (reckless) of FOUL LANDED
14 Destroyed enormous area over time in action (10)
DEVASTATED – VAST (enormous) A (area) T (time) in DEED (action)
16 Gear I changed after damage in match (8)
MARRIAGE – an anagram (changed) of GEAR I after MAR (damage)
17 Unerring in following criminal (8)
FLAWLESS – F (following) LAWLESS (criminal)
19 Play, not hard, imbued with universal charm (6)
AMULET – [h]AMLET (play, not hard) around (imbued with) U (universal)
20 Contract for example including name and length of life (6)
ENGAGE – EG (for example) around (including) N (name) plus AGE (length of life)
23 Very happy making broth? (4)
SOUP – SO (very) UP (happy)
My favourites were AMULET, TRENDY, SOUP, GOLDEN PLOVER & HADRIAN’S WALL (LOI)
Thank you Everyman and Gaufrid
Thank you Everyman and Gaufrid.
An enjoyable Everyman. I seem to remember I took a while to get AWNING and to parse SNIPPETS. I liked the clues for ONCE-OVER, GOLDEN PLOVER and MONOTONOUS – the clue for COOP reminded me of Evelyn Waugh, always a happy thought!
I found this tricky again and solving this puzzle seemed to follow a pattern. I entered half the answers quite quickly then came to a full stop, came back to it later and entered two or three, then got stuck again.
Finally finished it on Tuesday evening. I often forget about it for days even though it’s right next to the computer. I bet this puzzle only took you 10 minutes Gaufrid but there again you are an expert solver.
My last two were AWNING (should have seen this immediately) and GREASE (just never thought of Greece).
Very enjoyable. Many thanks to Gaufrid and Everyman.
Davy
“I bet this puzzle only took you 10 minutes Gaufrid …”
No, probably nearer to 15, but 50+ years experience of solving cryptics obviously helps. 😉
Agreed, back to norm again for the Everyman, with a time that was spookily similar to Gaufrid’s. 🙂 1ac was the only one to give me any real problems.
Just in case some beginners are losing heart, this took me well over one hour, perhaps even two hours.
As Gaufrid says “a pleasure to solve” – which Everyman always is regardless of the level of difficulty. There is always a good variety of clue types and they are always clued with precision and economy. Very satisfying.
Like Cookie I’m an hours rather than minutes solver – I don’t time myself, but I bet I would if I was doing them in 15 minutes, at least for a while.
Thanks G & E.
SE corner held me up for as long as the speed skaters took for the whole puzzle, and even then I couldn’t parse Snippets and thought 18 A was a (wrong) anagram of Held in wars + all.
That apart I agree it was a bit easier than of late and it was probably done in an hour.
Some very nice clues, including those mentioned by Michelle and Cookie.
My Lions flag is currently at half mast what with the battering they, Basher Ben, and Mother Theresa have taken. NZ is out of the cricket but looking good in the rugger and on water – when we are afloat, that is.
Thanks Gaufrid and Everyman.
At last one I could do though it took me a while. Finished the top left quickly then slowed down.
Looking forward to,the rugby tonight, Lions v. Crusaders. Don’t fancy the Lions chances.
Pity about the election too. Will it be Boris for PM?
A do-able Everyman. Couldn’t parse “Hadrians Wall” (didn’t get the held -> had
connection) nor could I parse “monotonous” — but the answers were “obviously”
right, so that was OK. Everything clicked on the rest.