Once again I get a Teaser to solve for you. Apologies for missing a few blogs recently to Gaufrid.
A mostly straighforward solve but one or two with the dial turned up to 11.
Cheers Tees, good ‘un
Across
9 Old relative taking trip over border (3,6)
RIO GRANDE
Well it’s a border, O(ld) & GRAN inside RIDE – trip
10 Vampire slayer in second opinion? (5)
STAKE
S(econd) & that’s my TAKE – opinion
11 Polish monument Resistance snubbed (5)
SHINE
R(esistance) removed from SH(r)INE
12 Hoped-for future relief with fat dispersed (9)
AFTERLIFE
A dispersed [RELIEF FAT]*
13 Way anger about ecstasy is unproductive (7)
STERILE
ST(reet) – way & E(cstacy) inside RILE – anger
14 Disease insects initially avoided (7)
RICKETS
A decapitated (c)RICKETS
17 Lord’s supporter succeeded in playing (3)
ASS
Ass that Jesus rode on, S(ucceeded) inside AS for playing such as Benedict Cumberband AS Holmes
19 Directorate at last behind Oriental (7)
EASTERN
End of (directorat)E & ASTERN – behind, rear.
21 Fish in this spot when caught (3)
SEA
Def plus I suspect Caught = C and it sounds like SEA
22 Wild parrot bites English magistrate once (7)
PRAETOR
E(nglish) inside a wild PARROT* Didn’t spot this for ages, my lack of classical edumacation strikes again.
23 Expert on waves that break skin (7)
SURFACE
A good surfer would be a SURF – ACE
25 One’s Medea, Alcestis or Ceres, switching parts (9)
SORCERESS
Hidden answer and a pig to spot, well played Tees
27 Machine tool hospital brought in recently (5)
LATHE
H(ospital) inside LATE
29 Bodies in ground alongside a stone (5)
AGATE
A & the GATE – number of folks inside the ground at a match say
30 Dock worker back to undermine checks (9)
STEVEDORE
a reversed ERODE – undermine VETS – checks
Down
1 Hearts removed from national flag (4)
IRIS
H(earts) removed from IRIS(h)
2 Bachelor relating to sheep — and to cattle? (6)
BOVINE
B(achelor) & OVINE – of sheep
3 Outstanding groom that’s first to hide bomb (3-7)
PRE-EMINENT
PREEN – groom & the first of T(hat) with MINE – bomb – hidden inside
4 Railed audibly as trespassers do (6)
INVADE
“Inveighed” we hear
5 No tears from tenants living thus? (4-4)
RENT-FREE
&lit ish cum cryptic def, no rent – tear would leave tenants with fewer complaints
6 Starts with the straight approach — right for leader (4)
TSAR
Initial letters of T(he) S(traight) A(pproach) R(ight)
7 Caution — answer is cryptic (8)
WARINESS
A cryptic [ANSWER IS]*
8 Charge around Pratt’s Bottom in celebration (4)
FETE
The bottom of (prat)T inside FEE – charge
13 Rogue‘s trick with penny (5)
SCAMP
SCAM – trick & a P(enny)
15 Accountant continued to want posh car (10)
CONTROLLER
CONT(inued on P93 – ed) & ROLLER
16 Apparition in relative darkness (5)
SHADE
Double def
18 Flight set to leave East taking appropriate route? (8)
STAIRWAY
E(ast) leaving S(e)T & the AIRWAY
20 Stop old case getting damaged — insure? (8)
SURCEASE
A bit of a tricky one this, I think it’s a damaged CASE* inside – IN – SURE
23 Coitus interruptus by guests regularly in old county (6)
SUSSEX
Sussex doesn’t really exist anymore, East and West do. Regular letters of (g)U(e)S(t)S interrupting SEX – coitus
24 One writes to the French thunder god (6)
AUTHOR
AU – “to the” in French & THOR
25 Wet top of sycamore tree (4)
SOAK
Top of S(ycamore) & an OAK tree
26 Remove top to drain jug (4)
EWER
Top removed from a (s)EWER
28 First Lady’s new uniform (4)
EVEN
(adam &) EVE & N(ew)
Defeated me with SURCEASE, never heard the word before otherwise wordplay might have made sense.
21a I had the definition as just ‘Fish in this’ with the homophone being ‘see’ for ‘spot’
Thanks to both for a good workout and helpful blog
I parsed 21a as Doofs. A steady solve for me. Didn’t have any problems getting SURCEASE but took me a while to get SHADE and then SEA, my LOI. 25a was a superb inclusion clue. Thanks to Tees and flashling.
Just finished this.
Superb inclusion at 25a as Hovis says, 21 I had as doofs, 23 ace ‘on’ surf (waves that break). Much laughter from me at wild parrots that bite magistrates, and coitus interruptus.
Many a good one from Teaser today, apart from frown item: in-sure? Come on Tees, that’s not you surely 🙂
A good workout, finished without help, thanks to knowing PRAETOR and SURCEASE, and 23dn raised a smile. Last in were IRIS and RIO GRANDE. No problems with needing to ‘lift and separate’ for ‘insure’ – the device may be frowned on or even taboo elsewhere but is not uncommon here and in the Graun. We did, though, think 15dn was a bit weak, just needing ‘continued’ to be abbreviated – or have we missed some subtlety?
Thanks, Tees and flashling.
Hi Allan
Yes, I’m aware of the device in-sure, in-deed et cetera as purveyed in The Grauniad. My remark was intended as tongue-in-cheek, as Tees, though supposedly a Ximenean, has inserted one or two of these of late.
Continued=cont. I think you and flashling are right, that’s all it is, apart from the RR.
17ac and 4dn were my last two, and even when I got them, I couldn’t parse the latter.