Super puzzle, very entertaining. Either Aardvark or I has made a mistake at 4 down. On my previous form it is probably going to be me. Thank you Aardvark.
I am leaving for a holiday now but will make an effort to answer queries if and when I am able.
| Across | ||
| 1 | IMPRESARIO | Being a showman, this person’s flaunting spare port (10) |
| I’M (this person is) then anagram (flaunting) of SPARE and RIO (port) | ||
| 7 | DUSK | Time of day nobleman mainly collects son (4) |
| DUKe (nobleman, mainly) contains S (son) | ||
| 9 | SCAM | Scotsmen to do a turn, using fiddle (4) |
| MAC’S (Scotsman’s) reversed (to do a turn) | ||
| 10 | SAMUEL COLT | Inventive guy adapted meals to accommodate superior horse (6,4) |
| anagram (adapted) of MEALS containing U (superior) then COLT (horse) – American businessman and inventor | ||
| 11 | SESAME | Type of seed mother’s found back in York perhaps (6) |
| MA’S (mother’s) reversed (back) in SEE (a diocese, York perhaps) | ||
| 12 | ETON MESS | European brought in manuscripts on college course latterly? (4,4) |
| E (European) in MS (manuscript) following (on) ETON (college) then S (southerly, a course) – a dessert, the last course served | ||
| 13 | MENISCUS | Staff talk about trimming outside piece of cartilage (8) |
| MEN (staff) then dISCUSs (talk about) missing (trimming) outside letters | ||
| 15 | OMAN | Lady heading off somewhere in Middle East (4) |
| wOMAN (lady, no heading) | ||
| 17 | LAMP | Mark goes inside to drink punch (4) |
| LAP (to drink) contains M (mark) | ||
| 19 | IN A SENSE | Sort of naiveté, some might say (2,1,5) |
| sounds like (as some may say) innocence (naivete) | ||
| 22 | PORTRAIT | Left one to lie in grass, painting? (8) |
| PORT (left) then I (one) inside (to lie in) RA T (grass, informer) | ||
| 23 | STIFLE | Hamper, comprising small spongy dessert, Roger removed (6) |
| S (small) then TrIFLE (spongy dessert) missing R (Roger) | ||
| 25 | BONESHAKER | Maybe rib bartender’s bike (10) |
| BONE (may be rib) SHAKER (bartender) | ||
| 26 | PERM | Particular hairstyle wanted each month (4) |
| PER (each) M (month) | ||
| 27 | POET | Linesman possibly starts to puff over extra time (4) |
| starting letters of Puff Over Extra Time – someone who writes in lines | ||
| 28 | LONGFELLOW | Tall chap, 27 (10) |
| LONG (tall) FELLOW (chap) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | MACHETE | Spice coats the carving knife (7) |
| MACE (spice) contains (coats) anagram (carving) of THE | ||
| 3 | RUMBA | Male’s in difficulty with a dance (5) |
| M (male) in RUB (difficulty) then A | ||
| 4 | SESTERCE | Secrets escaped when ringing about ancient coin (8) |
| I’m not sure about this. Best I can do is: anagram (escaped) of SECRETS containing (when ringing) RE (about). My explanation gives a superfluous R. | ||
| 5 | RUMPELSTILTSKIN | In children’s story, strange pets still disturbed family (15) |
| RUM (strange) with anagram (disturbed) of PETS STILL then KIN (family) | ||
| 6 | OCELOT | Fortune accompanies old church cat (6) |
| LOT (fortune) follows (accompanying) O (old) CE (Church of England) | ||
| 7 | DECOMPOSE | Withdraw from office, committee being content to break up (9) |
| DEPOSE (withdraw from office) containing (with…being the content of) COM (committee) | ||
| 8 | SILESIA | Ale is repeatedly drunk in European region once (7) |
| anagram (drunk) of ALE IS IS (is is repeated) | ||
| 14 | IMPATIENT | Fretful introduction by Irishman perhaps, one on hospital department (9) |
| I’M PAT (introduction by Irishman perhaps) on I (one) ENT (hospital department) | ||
| 16 | SANSERIF | Health resort rouses retired type (8) |
| SAN (sanatorium, health resort) then FIRES (rouses) reversed (retired) | ||
| 18 | AMOROSO | A married woman, followed by Oscar at separate intervals – that’s sweet (7) |
| A the MRS (married woman) with each letter followed by O | ||
| 20 | SALERNO | Italian city market – northwards near roundabout? (7) |
| SALE (market) NR (near) reversed (northwards, going up on a map) then O (roundabout, something round) | ||
| 21 | WARHOL | Pop artist fights against everything, audibly (6) |
| WAR (fights) with HOL sounds like (audibly) everything (whole) | ||
| 24 | IMPEL | Drive Sprite, bearing left (5) |
| IMP (sprite) E (East, a bearing) and L (left) | ||
definitions are underlined
I write these posts to help people get started with cryptic crosswords. If there is something here you do not understand ask a question; there are probably others wondering the same thing.
Thanks PeeDee
4dn is a hidden (when ringing) reversal (about) in ‘sECRETS EScaped’.
I also came to the conclusion that 4d was a mistake. I took ‘about’ to be C rather than RE, which only appears reversed, but this leads to a missing C and an extra E. Then, I looked again and saw it is a reverse included. D’oh.
Crossed again.
Writing in Rumplestiltskin without checking spelling certainly delayed LOI (12a) but I thought this was less gruelling than his puzzle yesterday. Both excellent though.
I’m pretty sure that 12ac should be: ETON + MSS (manuscripts, plural) around E.
With ‘course, latterly’ as the definition.
Thanks Aardvaark & PeeDee
I saw 12 as Sil too.
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee
Nice crossword that I did over three sittings with the usual good mix of clue devices used throughout from this setter. Didn’t see the reverse hidden at 4d – they can be very hard to see these days !
Interesting to see IMPRESARIO feature in back to back crosswords.
Finished in the NW corner with SESTERCE, SESAME and MENISCUS the last few in.