When I was asked, at short notice, to stand in today I hoped that it would be something I could get my teeth into and I wasn’t disappointed to see that the setter was Alberich. I always enjoy his puzzles and today was no exception.
Thanks, Alberich, for the pleasure given by this cryptic on a cold, but sunny, winter’s morning.
Across
1 Vehicle returns in strong wind for riding equipment (10)
MARTINGALE – TRAM (vehicle) reversed (returns) IN GALE (strong wind) – a strap passing between a horse’s forelegs, fastened to the girth and to the bit, noseband or reins, to keep its head down (Chambers)
7 Healing ointments not initially giving relief (4)
ALMS – [b]ALMS (healing ointments not initially)
9 Several bars characterise this / composer? (4)
CAGE – double def. – this composer
10 Drinks in bar providing entertainment (10)
STRIPTEASE – TEAS (drinks) in STRIPE (bar)
11 Sedan model – large, not small (6)
LITTER – sITTER (model) with L (large) replacing s (small)
12 A reminder independent young woman’s a waster (8)
PRODIGAL – PROD (a reminder) I (independent) GAL (young woman)
13 Tennis player embracing companion’s servant (8)
HENCHMAN – HENMAN (tennis player) around (embracing) CH (companion)
15 Villain’s gone after upright character (4)
IAGO – AGO (gone) after I (upright character)
17 Study is barely sufficient, having no time (4)
SCAN – SCAN[t] (barely sufficient, having no time)
19 Monarch has vessel possessing wholly distinctive feature (8)
HALLMARK – HM (monarch) ARK (vessel) around (possessing) ALL (wholly)
22 Popular label given to painting round carved design (8)
INTAGLIO – IN (popular) TAG (label) plus OIL (painting) reversed (round)
23 Downmarket jalopy seized by officer (6)
CHEAPO – HEAP (jalopy) in (seized by) CO (officer)
25 Polish soldiers – splendid chaps, dauntless at heart (10)
REFINEMENT – RE (soldiers) FINE (splendid) MEN (chaps) [daun]T[less] (dauntless at heart)
26 Bar billiards partly makes a comeback (4)
RAIL – hidden (partly) reversal (makes a comeback) in ‘bilLIARds’
27 Information close to Grace Kelly? (4)
GENE – GEN (information) [grac]E (close to Grace)
28 Agent struggles with Latin? That’s irrelevant (10)
TANGENTIAL – an anagram (struggles with) of AGENT LATIN
Down
2 A sin involving ardent rapacity, for starters? (7)
AVARICE – A VICE (a sin) around (involving) A[rdent] R[apacity] (ardent rapacity, for starters) – &lit
3 Historic council flat finally needs payment by tenant (5)
TRENT – [fla]T (flat finally) RENT (payment by tenant) – this historic council
4 Revolutionary playwright pens special second novel (8)
NOSTROMO – ORTON (playwright) reversed (revolutionary) around (pens) S (special) plus MO (second) – this novel
5 Very little credit on a phone, a mobile (1,4,2,3,5)
A DROP IN THE OCEAN – an anagram (mobile) of CREDIT ON A PHONE A
6 Plastic polymer lacks resistance to use (6)
EMPLOY – an anagram (plastic) of POLYME[r] (polymer lacks resistance)
7 Am I after chap sheltered by a mother? (9)
AMERICIUM – ERIC (chap) I in (sheltered by) A MUM (a mother)
8 Horse has to be exhibited in Bow? (7)
MUSTANG – MUST (has to) [h]ANG (be exhibited in Bow)
14 Cambridge girlies periodically like singing (9)
CANTABILE – CANTAB (Cambridge) [g]I[r]L[i]E[s] (girlies periodically)
16 Somehow I bet nurses want demanding DJ (5-3)
BLACK-TIE – an anagram (somehow) of I BET around (nurses) LACK (want)
18 Offspring vocally will support study grant (7)
CONCEDE – a homophone (vocally) of ‘seed’ (offspring) after (will support) CON (study)
20 Nasty clip around ear possibly? On the contrary, it’s not real (7)
REPLICA – an anagram (possibly) of EAR around an anagram (nasty) of CLIP
21 First-born daughter stuffs drug in case (6)
ELDEST – D (daughter) in (stuffs) E (drug) LEST (in case)
24 Bird to welcome with uplifted heart (5)
EGRET – GREET (to welcome) with the middle letter moved to the front (with uplifted heart)
Managed to finish apart from composer at 9a. The highlight for me was the brilliant anagram for 5d. Thanks to S&B.
thanks Alberich, Gaufrid
I also liked the long anagram, and thought it a shame the enumeration gave it away. (five words) instead of (1,4,2,3,5) would still be fair to solvers. Otherwise, most liked AMERICIUM and CAGE, for which I originally put BACH (taking several as some sort of dodgy (should have known it wouldn’t be) cutting indicator for BA[rs] CH[aracterise])
Agree that this was a lovely puzzle. I fell for Bach too until I got Trent. Thanks for the blog which helped me out with Nostromo and Americium which were too obscure for me
We all expect anagram (based) clues in a crossword.
Often they are just ‘ordinary’.
And, yes, sometimes they are quite good.
However, 5d must be considered as one of the very best.
Not just because of the anagram itself but also because of the natural surface.
Usually, Alberich’s anagrams are partially indirect (but, Ximenean as he is, totally acceptable), therefore even more ‘hats off’ as this is a full anagram!
Very good crossword.
I would almost say ‘of course’ [he’s always excellent (perhaps even due to him being a true Ximenean – who knows)].
As a long-time admirer of Alberich / Klingsor puzzles, I have got used to his style through the years.
Therefore, a good challenge but eventually not that dificult.
I ‘always’ start crosswords in the SE corner which seem to help.
Last one in ‘Nostromo’.
Thanks Gaufrid.
ps, for the second day in a row ‘egret’ and almost at the same position as yesterday!
Thanks Alberich and Gaufrid
Really entertaining puzzle that was mostly done in a coffee shop during one of the biggest downpours to hit Melbourne in many years. A good variety of clue types and that brilliant anagram at 5d.
It took a while for the Am (chemical symbol trick) to click at 7d and didn’t properly parse HALLMARK (got stuck with HAL as the kng – but probably more or a prince in hindsight).
Apart from 5d, there were a couple of other clues where there was excellent and misdirecting surface readings – GENE and AVARICE were both very good.
Also finished with NOSTROMO,
Thanks, Gaufrid.
I took this with me on a weekend trip to Copenhagen and managed to complete it on the journey, without any aids, so I was especially chuffed to have guessed, correctly, that AM was the symbol for AMERICIUM – which I hoped I had recalled correctly as an element.
I have to join in the general praise for 5dn but top marks from me go to CANTABILE – an absolute gem.
Many thanks to Alberich for providing a great prelude to a lovely weekend. 😉