A straightforward offering from Alberich today, thanks to whom for this pleasant challenge.
FF: 8 DD: 7
| Across | ||
| 1 | CATCH ALL | Dealing with several issues, husband wears expression of disapproval (5-3) |
| H (husband) in CATCALL (expression of disapproval) | ||
| 6 | STROLL | Wind on street makes you walk slowly (6) |
| ST (street) ROLL (wind) | ||
| 9 | COLLAR | Sounds like humour for Nick (6) |
| sounds like CHOLER (humour) | ||
| 10 | OVERDONE | Love Italian composer mostly? Somebody exaggerated (8) |
| O (love) VERDi (italian composer, mostly) ONE (somebody) | ||
| 11 | ARIA | Callas, say, not the last to perform one? (4) |
| mARIA (callas, without M – last in perforM) | ||
| 12 | PHARMACIST | Healthcare professional ordered Paris Match (10) |
| PARIS MATCH* | ||
| 14 | RENOWNED | Rueing regularly getting recognised, being famous (8) |
| REN (RuEiNg, regularly) OWNED (recognised) | ||
| 16 | TRAP | Separate wheels for carriage (4) |
| reverse (~wheels) of PART | ||
| 18 | STOA | Portico somewhat famous to Athenians (4) |
| hidden in “..famouS TO Athenians” | ||
| 19 | DREARIER | Relatively dull Romeo feeds ducks by river (8) |
| [R (romeo) in DEARIE (ducks)] R (river) | ||
| 21 | SUPERNOVAE | As it were, discontented various European sports stars (10) |
| [VS (VariouS, discontented, without inner characters) EUROPEAN] | ||
| 22 | ITEM | One article or a couple (4) |
| double def | ||
| 24 | MACAROON | Desert around California provides something sweet (8) |
| MAROON (desert) around CA (california) | ||
| 26 | OBLATE | Religious person died recently (6) |
| OB (died) LATE (recently) | ||
| 27 | LENTIL | I left with fast pulse (6) |
| LENT (fast) I L (left) | ||
| 28 | INFORMAL | One regular eats starter of fish that’s not starchy (8) |
| I (one) NORMAL (regular) containing F (starter of Fish) | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | AMOUR | Mail loses first right to reveal affair (5) |
| ArMOUR (mail, losing first R – right) | ||
| 3 | COLLABORATE | Company to speak about mounting dance work jointly (11) |
| [CO (company) ORATE (speak)] around LLAB (dance = BALL, reversed) | ||
| 4 | ATROPINE | Die having first chewed old rat poison (8) |
| [O (old) RAT ]* PINE (die) | ||
| 5 | LEONARDO DA VINCI | Ironic novel involved with Dada artist (8,2,5) |
| IRONIC NOVEL DADA* | ||
| 6 | STEAMY | Crew in Sicily on vacation like a sauna perhaps (6) |
| TEAM (crew) in SY (SicilY, on vacation , without inner character) | ||
| 7 | ROD | Stick insect climbs (3) |
| reverse of DOR (insect, species of dung beetle) | ||
| 8 | LANDSCAPE | Boys accepting new head’s view (9) |
| [N (new) in LADS (boys) ] CAPE (head) | ||
| 13 | CATERPILLAR | Provide food? I will, putting on standard grub (11) |
| CATER (provide food) [ I’LL (i will) in PAR (standard) ] | ||
| 15 | ENTOURAGE | Attendants in hospital department today (9) |
| ENT (hospital department) OUR AGE (today) | ||
| 17 | WEREWOLF | Mythical being lived by rising stream (8) |
| WERE (lived) WOLF (reverse of FLOW, stream) | ||
| 20 | UNCOOL | We hear you damaged colon, not hip (6) |
| U (sounds like you) [COLON]* | ||
| 23 | EXTRA | Turkey stuffing cut up? That’s a bonus (5) |
| TR (turkey) in reverse (up, in down clue) of AXE (cut) | ||
| 25 | APT | A pint is appropriate (3) |
| A PT (pint) | ||
*anagram
Thanks Alberich and Turbolegs
Not entirely convinced by the equivalence of RECENTLY and LATE in 26, but otherwise a fair puzzle, though COLLAR took a while to emerge from the mist.
Good and not too taxing puzzle in Alberich’s familiar style.
COLLAR and DREARIER were my last ones in, the latter because ‘ducks’ confused me. Shouldn’t it be ‘duck’?
And why do we have ‘as it were’ in 21ac?
I thought 20d (UNCOOL) was (easy but) quite nice.
Thanks to Turbolegs (for the blog) & Alberich (for the entertainment)
Thanks to Alberich and Turbolegs. Very enjoyable. I knew OBLATE from a recent puzzle and COLLAR-choler from acquaintance with the four humours but took a while getting my LOI WEREWOLF because I started with supernovas, not SUPERNOVAE.
Thanks Alberich, Turbolegs
@Sil
Ducks/duck are both singular equivalents of dearie
As it were, I think, is there because ‘discontented’ does not really mean ‘with the content removed’
Thanks James. All clear now.
Thanks Alberich and Turbolegs
Got though this one a little quicker than normal from this setter … but made the error at 9a, even after working out that it was a homophone of ‘choler’, I twisted the sound to get COOLER (prison, nick) rather than the now more obvious COLLAR (arrest, nick).
A few well-used clues at 27a, 14a, 18a, 6a and 25d which was unexpected.
Finished in the NW corner with my erroneous COOLER and CATCHALL as the last couple in.
Thanks to Turbolegs and Alberich
Simon S @1
A news item might be “late/recently in”.
Not sure about “sports” as the anagrind in 21a though, I can only read it as meaning “wears” in that context.
“Sporty” might work.
Thanks for the blog, Turbolegs.
I failed to solve one across as ‘several’ is not synonymous with ‘all’. Poor clue.
@8 catch-all adj covering or dealing with a number of instances, eventualities or problems, esp ones not covered or dealt with by other provisions. (Chambers dictionary)
If you really must take your frustrations out on this blog, please check your facts first.
Dansar @ 7
In horticulture, “sports” are new variants of a plant.
psmith @10
Thank you for that, I have looked it up and found that “sport” in that sense can also be used as an intransitive verb meaning “to mutate”. The clue works perfectly.