Once again I’ve forgotton to blog this in advance, sorry about that.
I actually solved it a week ago so no excuses, it’s a classic Everyman, no quibbles with only 9d even requiring a scribble in the margin to check the wordplay.
Thanks Everyman for a nice solve over a Sunday pint in the pub.
Across
1 Dedicated, unite to protect man with skill after awkward situation (12)
WHOLEHEARTED
HOLE (awkward situation) & HE (man) & ART (skill) all inside WED (unite)
10 Time filled by learner with bluster, no good in area of maths (7)
ALGEBRA
L(earner) inside AGE – time & G(ood) removed from BRA(g)
11 Dislike group’s attitude (7)
MINDSET
MIND – dislike & SET – group. Mind for dislike is a bit unusual but it does work for me.
12 Tone from doctor interrupting bore (6)
TIMBRE
M.B. – doctor inside TIRE- to bore
13 Remedy not available back before point in match (8)
ANTIDOTE
N/A reversed & DOT – point inside TIE – match
15 Implement used for decorating different parts in hub (10)
PAINTBRUSH
[PARTS IN HUB]* differently
16 Encourage a prediction (4)
ABET
A & BET
18 Biblical book in reality omitting tons (4)
RUTH
T(ons) removed from (t)RUTH
19 Unconvincing new chart pitifully bad (10)
LAMENTABLE
LAME – unconvincing & N(ew) & TABLE – chart
22 Have a chat, or the opposite (8)
CONVERSE
Double definition
23 Belt needing work after partition (6)
WALLOP
A partition WALL & OP(us)
25 Warbled tune about drink (7)
SANGRIA
SANG – warbled & AIR – tune reversed – about
26 Type of barge that’s less dark (7)
LIGHTER
Double defintion
27 Musical film moving at a rare speed (6,6)
EASTER PARADE
A moved [AT A RARE SPEED]*. This puzzle was published on Easter Sunday (and April fools day to boot) but this appears to be the only nod towards it.
Down
2 Each hint, fraught with meaning, demanding a lot of attention (4-11)
HIGH-MAINTENANCE
A fraught [EACH HINT MEANING]*. Nice surface for a crossword clue.
3 Release defamatory statement mostly connected with class (8)
LIBERATE
Most of LIBE(l) & RATE – class
4 Try and find out (4)
HEAR
Double definition
5 Run, notice little, then rest, shattered (10)
ADMINISTER
AD(vert) – notice & MINI – little & a shattered REST*
6 Hero of comic books in colour, popular (6)
TINTIN
TINT – colour & IN – popular.
7 Confused record about mob led astray (15)
DISCOMBOBULATED
DISC – record & a STRAYING [ABOUT MOB LED]*. Knut in a recent crossword had in his tribute to Ken Dodd DIS CUM KNOCK ERA TED hidden in the grid.
8 Circuit most important in computer (6)
LAPTOP
LAP & TOP. Not exactly the hardest clue Everyman will set this year…
9 Road made of stone skirting bay? (6)
STREET
A bay TREE inside ST(one)
14 Editor upset about lots of sheets and cover showing unreal scene (10)
DREAMSCAPE
ED(itor) reversed – upset & REAMS – lots of paper & CAPE – a coat, cover
17 Indignation led by celebrity, not a newcomer (8)
STRANGER
A removed from ST(a)R & ANGER – indignation
18 Break made by part of posse certainly going north (6)
RECESS
Hidden reversed in poSSE CERtainly. Part indicates hidden and going north in a down clue indicates reversal.
20 Wield overwhelming power in authority (6)
EXPERT
P(ower) inside EXERT – to wield
21 Rubbish layer rising and rising? Not half (6)
DEBRIS
BED – layer rising – reversed in a down clue again & half of RIS(ing)
24 Lose control suddenly following impudent talk (4)
FLIP
F(ollowing) & LIP
Thank you Everyman for an enjoyable puzzle and PeterO for the blog.
EASTER last Sunday, and the Orthodox EASTER today!
Yes, classic Everyman – well-clued using all the devices in an accessible way but with enough craft and intrigue to make it worth doing. I haven’t got my copy of it so I can’t remember which clues I picked out.
Doing it over a pint in the pub would make it even more enjoyable – thanks to Flashling and Everyman.
Unfortunately the given parsing for 14 doesn’t work, yielding DEREAMSCAPE rather than DREAMSCAPE. I parsed it as ED(itor) reversed (‘upset’) surrounding (‘about’) REAMS (‘lots of sheets’) and CAP (‘cover’). Otherwise a fine puzzle and blog – thanks Everyman and flashling.
I agree with zim@3 about DREAMSCAPE
My favourites were ANTIDOTE, WHOLEHEARTED, LAMENTABLE.
Thanks you flashling and Everyman
This was difficult going and I couldn’t get some of them. 9ac parsing seems questionable. Don’t understand the parsing for 5 d either. Still it was something to do on a gloomy, cold day.
I don’t have a problem with Dreamscape. The DE is around the whole of REAMS and CAP, i.e. D REAMSCAP E.
I think 5 and 9 both work too, Audrey.
Ad is a notice
Mini is little
Ster is an anagram of Rest
A Bay is a type of tree inside ST as in Ounces Pounds and Stones
I agree with you about the weather though. No bowls today, I’ll wager.
I thought this crossword was fine, albeit some of the definitions were a bit feeble (paintbrush) and I put Slip for 24 down, misreading it as Imprudent talk.
Barrie @6. I think the problem with dreamscape is that the parsing was given as cape for cover ,and it should be cap. That’s why there was an ‘e’ missing. The parsing you have given is the correct one.
Aha, yes. I didn’t spot that. Well done. I did wonder why Zim didn’t say Dereamscap. I thought he was criticising the clue rather than amending Flashling’s boozy parsing.
Mea culpa.
I enjoyed this a lot more than last week’s one which I found extra hard. iF I had wanted to do this in the pub I would have been there hours though
I needed the blog to understand the logic of 1ac – I got it right but couldn’t explain to myself the reason – apart from the HE the rest was a mystery. That’s how it often goes with me.
Favourites were Tintin, Debris and Sangria
Some of the clues were devilishly hard and some were trivial. Needed to use a wildcard dictionary to get “antidote”, “lamentable” and “debris”. Could not parse “street”.
Needed some electronic help with WHOLEHEARTED and could not parse ANTIDOTE. I have not see N/A to mean NOT AVAILABLE. N/A means NOT APPLICABLE. Enjoyed DREAMSCAPE (parsed it correctly), STREET and WALLOP.