Sorry for the late posting this week, and for the lack of grid image. We had some technical problems…
Anyway, an easy start to the week from Falcon – nothing caused us much of a problem, but all lovely clues nevertheless. We particularly enjoyed the FEARFUL TIME anagram, and EIDERDOWN was very neatly clued.
Thanks FALCON!
ACROSS
1 Contribute usefully in literary heroine’s part? (2,4,3)
DO ONE’S BIT
DOONE’S (literary heroine’s) + BIT (part)
6 Brandish one in joint (5)
WIELD
I (one) in WELD (joint)
9 Female spies receiving praise (7)
CLAUDIA
CIA (spies) receiving LAUD (praise)
10 Absorb new gen supplied by Arctic explorer (7)
ENGROSS
(GEN)* (*new) + ROSS (Arctic explorer)
11 Measure head (5)
RULER
Double definition
12 Unusually trite, fine Egyptian queen (9)
NEFERTITI
(TRITE FINE)* (*unusually)
14 Lettuce’s price cut (3)
COS
COS[t] (price cut)
15 Working not compulsory, having a lot of time? (11)
OPERATIONAL
OPTIONAL (not compulsory) having ERA (a lot of time)
17 Shooting party, provided in retreat, circles courtyard (6,5)
FIRING SQUAD
IF< (<provided in retreat) + RINGS (circles) + QUAD (courtyard)
19 Cause harm to planet, endlessly (3)
MAR
MAR[s] (planet, endlessly)
20 After end of Lent, request church working party (4,5)
TASK FORCE
[len]T (end of) + ASK FOR (request) CE (church)
22 Mean man conserving energy (5)
CHEAP
CHAP (man) conserving E[nergy]
24 One who has stopped working on Hebridean island (7)
RETIREE
RE (on) + TIREE (Hebridean island)
26 Native of Nazareth, former PM, losing face? (7)
ISRAELI
[d]ISRAELI (former PM losing face)
27 A well-bred fellow broker (5)
AGENT
A GENT (well-bred fellow)
28 The old lady twice breaking into reform school she once attended? (4,5)
ALMA MATER
MA MA (the old lady twice) breaking into ALTER (reform)
DOWN
1 Extremely debatable, my colour scheme (5)
DECOR
D[ebatabl]E (extremely) + COR (my)
2 Authoritative statements, so clear when translated (7)
ORACLES
(SO CLEAR)* (*when translated)
3 Colour that is raised on blue quilt (9)
EIDERDOWN
(RED (colour) + IE (that is))< (<raised) on DOWN (blue)
4 Egghead, having drinks with her, failing to get hard riddle (5-6)
BRAIN TEASER
BRAIN (egghead) + TEAS (drinks) + [h]ER (failing to get Hard)
5 Draw level, almost (3)
TIE
TIE[r] (level, almost)
6 Bet earnings on first in race (5)
WAGER
WAGE (earnings) + R[ace] (first in)
7 Feeling demonstrated by symbol Charlie left out (7)
EMOTION
EMOTI[c]ON (symbol, C[harlie] left out)
8 Diane with actor Ben, one producing drink (9)
DISTILLER
DI (Diane) + STILLER (actor Ben)
13 Fearful time in motion picture like Towering Inferno (7,4)
FEATURE FILM
(FEARFUL TIME)* (*in motion)
14 Ace fare it cooked? (9)
CAFETERIA
(ACE FARE IT)* (*cooked) &lit
16 Bad taste shown during last month by old eccentric? (9)
INDECORUM
IN DEC (during last month) + O[ld] + RUM (eccentric)
18 This may be worn as a favour (7)
ROSETTE
Cryptic definition
19 Actress having stitch in side, keeled over (3,4)
MAE WEST
(SEW (stitch) in TEAM (side))< (<keeled over)
21 Earliest tree on street (5)
FIRST
FIR (tree) on ST (street)
23 Earlier religious house, incomplete (5)
PRIOR
PRIOR[y] (religious house incomplete)
25 English artist’s age (3)
ERA
E (English) RA (artist)
Can rely on Falcon to give a nice easy start to the week. Personally, I thought this was one of his best ever cryptics. Loved the surface reading for the MAE WEST clue and 13d was a beaut.
Strange to see so many answers relying on removing a single letter from a word: COSt, MARs, dISRAELI, EMOTIcON, PRIORy.
Thanks to Falcon and Teacow.
Thanks to Falcon and Teacow. I agree- a pleasant Monday start. I was surprised to see ERA and DECOR turning up twice but overall I found this puzzle enjoyable.
Not difficult, but thoroughly enjoyable, with neat and concise clues, particularly the &lit at 14d (CAFETERIA). I thought it had something of the feel of an Everyman about it (same setter), and none the worse for that, in my opinion.
A pleasure to solve. Thanks to Falcon and Teacow.
Tom_I @ 3: Falcon (Alan Scott) is a former Everyman, not the current one (Colin Gumbrell).
Thanks Falcon and Teacow
Short in duration to complete, but it held it’s interest right till the end with some nifty and original word plays – particularly liked the clever reversal of MAE WEST and the neat charade for DO ONE’S BIT.
Finished in the SW corner with FIRING SQUAD (another nice charade) and the cryptic CAFETERIA as the last one in.