A gentle bank holiday puzzle from CRUX.
Good mix of clues here, nothing terribly challenging, but enjoyed the Spoonerism. 10a felt a bit iffy, but otherwise all good. Thanks CRUX!
Across
1 Error made by rejecting schoolchildren (4-2)
SLIP-UP
(PUPILS (schoolchildren))< (rejecting)
4 A business style developed by members of a fan club (8)
ACOLYTES
A CO (a business) + (STYLE)* (*developed)
10 Show hatred of WMD’s almost instinctive, say (9)
ABOMINATE
A BOM[b’s] + INATE (sounds like innate)
11 Writer of operas we associate with Berg, mostly (5)
WEBER
WE + BER[g] (mostly)
12 Drags part of foot, audibly (4)
TOWS
Sounds like “toes” (part of foot)
13 Peculiar custom or …. or where legal examinations are held (10)
COURTROOMS
(CUSTOM OR OR)* (*peculiar)
15, 16 Old Government department located briefly in Oxford (7,6)
FOREIGN OFFICE
FO (briefly) located in [Ox]FO[rd]
19 It could mean working with American expert (6)
USABLE
US (American) + ABLE (expert)
21 Cover over Miss Woodhouse’s predicament (7)
DILEMMA
DIL (lid<) + EMMA (Miss Woodhouse, from the Austen novel)
23 Not enough tarts for Spooner? Don’t you believe it! (4,2,4)
PACK OF LIES
Lack of pies (not enough tarts, Spoonerism)
25 Could be a supporter of mine (4)
PROP
Cryptic definition
27 Flag with ochre centre representing nationality (5)
IRISH
IRIS (flag) + [oc]H[re] (centre)
28 Newspaper follows insurgency that’s linked with Japan (6,3)
RISING SUN
SUN (newspaper) following RISING (insurgency)
29 Certified deaf, maybe, but stouthearted (8)
AFFIRMED
FIRM (stout) in (hearted) (DEAF)* (*maybe)
30 Quite a serious puzzle appears here (6)
TEASER
[Qui]TE A SER[ious]
Down
1 Introduce celebrity member of aristocracy (5,3)
START OFF
STAR (celebrity) + TOFF (aristocracy)
2 Press get Labour’s support for heavy industry (9)
IRONWORKS
IRON (press) + WORKS (Labour)
3 Type of bends can upset one (4)
UNIT
U (type of bend) + (TIN (can))< (upset)
5 A final word of comfort to No 10 (7)
CHEERIO
CHEER (comfort) + IO (ten)
6 Sad professional life transformed – keep this to avoid publicity (3,7)
LOW PROFILE
LOW (sad) + PRO (professional) + (LIFE)* (*transformed)
7 It’s forbidden also to take a bishop (5)
TABOO
TOO (also) to take A B[ishop]
8 Rest disrupted on board could cause it (6)
STRESS
(REST)* (*disrupted) on board (SS)
9 Kind of crimson strand (6)
MAROON
Double definition
14 Orwellian creation, like Friar Tuck? (3,7)
BIG BROTHER
Double definition
17 Takes in oxgen before politician gets into serious difficulties (9)
COMPRISES
(O (oxygen) + MP (politician)) gets into CRISES (serious difficulties)
18 Directions enclosed with fire control – a wet blanket! (8)
DAMPENER
NE (directions) enclosed with DAMPER (fire control)
20 Widen general distribution (7)
ENLARGE
(GENERAL)* (*distribution)
21 Over-elegant doctor, untidy without a top (6)
DRESSY
DR (doctor) + [m]ESSY (untidy, without a top)
22 The best things to choose with first-class degree (6)
OPTIMA
OPT (to choose) + I (first class) + MA (degree)
24 Main leaders of commerce haven’t invested enough financially (5)
CHIEF
C[ommerce] H[aven’t] I[nvested] E[nough] F[inancially] (leaders)
26 Joint proposal might be made on one (4)
KNEE
Double definition
Thanks for the blog which was spot on. A lovely gentle solve finished off in the garden after lunch.
Thanks for the blog, Teacow. It is very kind of you to take the trouble on a Bank Holiday.
I thought this crossword was reasonable apart from pie=tart and expert=able.
Thanks to Crux and Teacow. I missed the FO in Oxford so my efforts in parsing with O and reign did not work, and DAMPENER was my LOI because I was not confident about mine-PROP. A good beginning for the week.
Thanks Crux and Teacow
ACD @ 3: the item in question is usually called a pti-prop, over here at least, and a mine is often referred to as a pit (coal-miners used to say they were working ‘down the pit’).
hth
Me @ 4; PIT-prop…
Thanks Crux and Teacow
A reasonably quick solve today but fun all of the same. Liked both the homophone and Spooner clues.
MAROON was the last one in.