Independent 9,580 / Hob

Hob has provided a puzzle to challenge and delight this Tuesday.

I am late posting owing to work commitments, but that has not stopped me from thoroughly enjoying this multi-layered puzzle, with all its cross-references and punning. This is the kind of solving experience that I most like to have when tackling a daily puzzle: taxing but not unreasonably so, quirky in its treatment of its theme(s) and above all thoroughly entertaining.

I have to say that Hob has the last laugh today, since I cannot parse the definition at 11 (now amended) and suspect that I have missed something very obvious at 15/23 (now amended). I look forward to being enlightened by other solvers – thanks for the help!

It is hard to single out any particular clues here, as this is a puzzle whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts, in my humble opinion. I like the near the knuckle references to contraception and the way that this sub-theme has been tied in with the bigger theme of ATMs and banking. The mind boggles at what Hob might have come up with if he’d squeezed hole-in-the-wall into the grid too 😉 On a more serious note, I appreciated the “stripping” devices used in 24 and 27; and the & lit. at 27.

*(…) indicates an anagram; definitions are italicised; // separates definitions in multiple-definition clues

Across  
   
01 ETHIOPIAN African playing the piano around lunchtime?

I (=lunchtime?, i.e. one o’clock) in *(THE PIANO); “playing” is anagram indicator

   
10 MATES Johnny’s so-called // friends?

Double definition: Mates is a brand of condoms (“johnny”) in the UK

   
11 FIRST Trees planted at edge of forest by Geoff or Damien?

FIRS (=trees) + <fores>T (“edge of” means – here – last letter only); a (Geoff) Hurst or a (Damien) Hirst is Cockney rhyming slang for a first class honours degree!!

   
13 ENFIELD Gun takes aim, without life being lost

*(LIFE) in END (=aim); an e.g. Lee-Enfield is a bolt-action, repeating rifle

   
14 ROWDIES Noisy lot dispute “offside”

ROW (=dispute) + *(SIDE); “off” is anagram indicator

   
17 TUBED Returning from French bar, used the Underground

DE (=of French, i.e. the French word for of) + BUT (=bar, except); “returning” indicates reversal

   
19 ATM 15 23 used by 24D 10

In full, with words substituted for the clue references, this clue reads: Withdrawal method used by flatmates

Hidden (“used by”) in “flATMates”; an ATM (=automated teller machine) is a way of withdrawing cash (“withdrawal method”)

   
20 TIGHT Mean // to get drunk

Double definition; “mean” is to be read as an adjective

   
21 PARADED Made a show of old man, er … dad dancing

PA (=old man, i.e. father) + *(ER DAD); “dancing” is anagram indicator

   
22 MADE MAN Appearing in film, a demanding person sure of success

Hidden (“appearing in”) in “filM A DEMANding”

   
24 FULL-CREAM Sort of milk drunk by European after credit, 19A having been emptied

FULL (=drunk) + CR (=credit) + E (=European) + A<t>M (=19A; “having been emptied” means middle letter is dropped)

   
26/22D AT THE MOMENT 19A usage having been expanded now

In e.g. texting, ATM (=19A) stands for “at the moment” when expanded

   
28 ABYSS Bottomless depths of 9, once no longer popular with Scotsman

ABYSS<inian> (=Ethiopian (=entry at 9) once); “no longer popular (=in) with Scotsman (=Ian)” means letters “in + Ian” are dropped

   
29 CANTALOUP Silly plan to cut the end off a melon

*(PLAN TO CU<t> + A); “end off” means the last letter is dropped from the anagram, indicated by “silly”

   
Down  
   
01 DEAF Somewhat senseless idea fool holds

Hidden (“holds”) in “iDEA Fool”; a deaf person lacks the sense of hearing so could be cryptically described as being “somewhat senseless”

   
02 SHARIF Former actor cooking a fish, with a little rice

*(A FISH + R<ice>); “a little” means first letter only; “cooking” is anagram indicator; the reference is to Egyptian actor Omar Sharif (1932-2015)

   
03 SOFT-HEADED Stupid, like Patsy

The word “Patsy” begins with a p = piano, i.e. soft in music and could thus cryptically be described as being soft-headed

   
04 MINDED Was bothered if 30 seconds late, we hear

MIN<ute> (=30 seconds, i.e. half a minute!) + homophone (“we hear”) of “dead” (=late, deceased)

   
05 ANGSTROM Strong man cut out to be a physicist

*(STRONG MA<n>); “cut” means last letter dropped from anagram, indicated by “out”; the reference is to Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ã…ngström (1814-74)

   
06 SMEE Duck out of kinky sex and drugs

SM (=kinky sex, i.e. sadomasochism) + E E (=drugs, i.e. two ecstasy tablets!)

   
07 STASHING Hiding away, as night’s unravelling

*(AS NIGHT’S); “unravelling” is anagram indicator

   
08 USER Drug addict’s trick cycling

RUSE (=trick); “cycling” here means first letter moves to the end of the word, etc

   
13 EAT UP Use large amounts of RAM following each brief

EA (=each; “brief” indicates abbreviation) + TUP (=ram, i.e. male sheep)

   
15/23 WITHDRAWAL METHOD Finding another 19A worthwhile? Dad is Johnny’s alternative

*(ATM (=19A) + WORTHWHILE DAD); “another” is anagram indicator; the withdrawal method is an alternative (but unreliable) form of contraception to the condom (=Johnny)!

   
16 SIT-IN Protest is about money

SI (IS; “about” indicates reversal) + TIN (=money, colloquially)

   
18 BARCLAYS Bank of material found in watering holes

CLAY (=material) in BARS (=watering holes)

   
19 AUDIENCE House dance moves in use, regularly added to the mix

*(DANCE + I<n>U<s>E); “regularly” means alternate letters only are used in anagram, indicated by “moves” and “the mix”

   
24 FLAT Residence recently out of bounds

<o>F LAT<e> (=recently); “out of bounds” means first and last letters are dropped

   
25/12 CASH DISPENSER 19A ready for use next to Boot’s?

CASH (=ready) + DISPENSER (=Boot’s, i.e. the Chemist); & lit.

   
27 EXPO Show what hot young thing shows, after removing the covers

<s>EXPO<t> (=hot young thing); “after removing the covers” means that first and last letters are dropped

   
   

 

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