The puzzle can be found here.
I haven’t blogged a Sleuth puzzle since November 2016, and, looking back, I think my comments on that puzzle would be similar to these I’m making today.
Overall, it was fairly straightforward, although some of the surfaces are a bit awkward, especially 10ac.
I can’t parse 11ac, but assume that MODEL may be a defintiion for MIRROR? I don;t have access to paper dictionaries just now, so can’t be sure if that’s what the setter was intending.
Thanks, Sleuth.
| Across | ||
| 1 | DISARM | Remove suspicion from inspector close to this division of company (6) |
| D.I. (detective “inspector”) + (thi)S + ARM (“division of company”) | ||
| 5 | LABRADOR | A drab role largely at sea for man’s best friend (8) |
| *(a drab rol) | ||
| 9 | PARMESAN | Standard means for preparing cheese (8) |
| PAR (“standard”) + *(means) | ||
| 10 | GADGET | Obtain after good commercial gizmo (6) |
| GET (“obtain”) after G(ood) AD (“commercial”) | ||
| 11 | MIRROR | Way of seeing oneself as a model (6) |
| Is this a double definition? | ||
| 12 | UNSMOOTH | Rough second debate in a French hospital (8) |
| S(econd) + MOOT (“debate”) in UN (“a French”) H(ospital) | ||
| 14 | BOARDING CARD | Character staying overnight firstly – it’s required to make a flight? (8,4) |
| CARD (“character”) with BOARDING (“staying overnight”) first | ||
| 18 | IMPERTINENCE | Nerve centre in empire about to be destroyed sadly (12) |
| *(centre in empi) where EMPI is EMPIRE with RE (“about”) being destroyed | ||
| 22 | ARROGANT | Conceited Arab with bombastic speech about origins of oil glut (8) |
| Ar.(ab) with RANT (“bombastic speech”) about O(il) G(lut) | ||
| 25 | REMISS | Lax procedure missing fences (6) |
| Hidden in “proceduRE MISSing” | ||
| 26 | ASHORE | Tree with valuable material on land? (6) |
| ASH (“tree”) with ORE (“valuable material”) | ||
| 27 | INFRARED | Diner far off – it’s beyond a certain range? (8) |
| *(diner far) | ||
| 28 | LANDMARK | Bring down currency once? It’s a significant event (8) |
| LAND (“bring down”) + MARK (“currency once”) | ||
| 29 | TRENDY | Hear about object that’s fashionable (6) |
| TRY (“hear”) about END (“object”) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | ITALIC | Character for listing? (6) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 3 | ADMIRABLE | Praiseworthy book penned by authority at sea with energy (9) |
| B(ook) penned by ADMIRAL (“authority at sea”) with E(nergy) | ||
| 4 | MISCREANT | Worker supporting varied crimes – petty offender? (9) |
| ANT (“worker”) supporting *(crimes) | ||
| 5 | LANGUID | Listless learner given a northern mentor mostly (7) |
| L(earner) given A N(orthern) GUID(e) (“mentor” mostly) | ||
| 6 | BOGUS | Fake bishop with love and a lot of sentimental outpouring (5) |
| B(ishop) + O(“love”) + GUS(h) (a lot of “sentimental outpouring”) | ||
| 7 | AUDIO | A one-sided statement of intent over sound reproduction (5) |
| A + U.D.I. (Unilateral Declaration of Independence, so “one-sided statement of intent”) + O(ver) | ||
| 8 | OVERTURN | Public outlet for tea is upset (8) |
| OVERT (“public”) + URN (“oulet for tea”) | ||
| 13 | MUG | Face dupe (3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | NON-PROFIT | Amateur sound characterising a charity? (3-6) |
| NON-PRO (“amateur”) + FIT (“sound”) | ||
| 16 | CREAM CAKE | With companion gone, check camera that’s reproduced teatime food (5,4) |
| *(eck camera) where ECK is CHECK with CH (“companion” of honour) gone | ||
| 17 | AMBROSIA | Brother accordingly turns up in a motorway with a fine fuel (8) |
| Br.(other) + <=SO (“accordingly” turns up) in A M1 (“motorway”) with A, so A(M((Br)OS)1-A | ||
| 19 | RAG | Cheap newspaper in error again (3) |
| Hidden in “erroR AGain” | ||
| 20 | NITPICK | Fool before selection gets to criticise pettily (7) |
| NIT (“fool”) before PICK (“selection”) | ||
| 21 | OSTEND | Very large watch over European port (6) |
| OS (“very large”) + TEND (“watch over”) | ||
| 23 | OVOID | Nothing cancelled – like an egg? (5) |
| O (“nothing”) + VOID (“cancelled”) | ||
| 24 | ARENA | A historic period arising in stadium (5) |
| <= AN ERA (“a historic period” rising) | ||
*anagram
Didn’t know that meaning for DISARM, but confirmed by Chambers. Had to look up UDI for 7d and was held up a little while thinking ‘bro’ was the ‘brother’ in 17d. Other than that, pretty straightforward stuff although the construction for 18a seemed a bit clunky to me. Thanks to Sleuth and loonapick.
For “mirror”, Chambers gives “a faithful representation of something” and “a model or example, good or bad”, so 11a is definitely a DD. Rather a weak clue if you ask me.
Thanks to Sleuth and loonapick. I could not parse AUDIO (I did not know UDI) and got off on the wrong foot with LANGUID (my first choice was “laconic”) but otherwise moved through fairly quickly (and MIRROR seemed OK to me).
Thanks sleuth and loonapick, especially for UDI.
straightforward mostly but I liked nerve centre and beyond a certain range.
Well, I had everything in correctly but the weird/tricky parsings already mentioned above had me completely baffled.
Thanks for the puzzlement and clarification to Sleuth & Loonapick.
Thanks Sleuth and loonapick
Filled in the grid easily enough but didn’t / couldn’t parse 18a, 7d or 15d.
Finished in the SE corner with OSTEND and INFRARED the last couple in.