Turbolegs had to rush off to catch a flight before he had time to post his blog so he asked me to publish his parsing of the clues (but he didn’t send me a preamble). Admin.
Across
1 King in races – King and twelve others? (6)
HEARTS
R (king) in HEATS (races)
4 Insects having second half of season next to arachnids (8)
TERMITES
winTER (season, half of) MITES (arachnids)
10 See president lose with voter distraught (9)
ROOSEVELT
LOSE VOTER*
11 Misanthrope making money that’s pocketed a while (5)
TIMON
TIN (money) containing MO (a while)
12 You will occupy that house (4)
THOU
hidden in “..thaT HOUse”
13 Irish seat taken by cheat? Fiddlesticks! (10)
TARADIDDLE
TARA (irish seat) DIDDLE (cheat)
15 Gas offered by this writer on Macbeth? (7)
METHANE
ME (this writer) THANE (macbeth)
16 Party rubbish dumped outside hotel (6)
THRASH
TRASH (rubbish) outside H (hotel)
19 Protective cover is needed for mammals (6)
COATIS
COAT (protective cover) IS
21 Stuck inside a box I will be suffering most pain (7)
ACHIEST
I in A CHEST (box)
23 Freely available, as the fox’s grapes were deemed to be? (2,3,5)
UP FOR GRABS
cryptic def
25 English loony rolling over as pantomime character (4)
DAME
E (english) MAD (loony), all reversed
27 Perform as choir, embracing western style of music (5)
SWING
W (western) in SING (perform as choir)
28 Site of shipping trade done with, as forecast (9)
PORTENDED
PORT (site of shipping trade) ENDED (done with)
29 Letter I’d sent out with new heading (8)
RETITLED
LETTER I’D*
30 Performing effectively, wearing clobber (2,4)
IN GEAR
IN (wearing) GEAR (clobber)
Down
1 Tricky period that could make ma dither (4,4)
HARD TIME
MA DITHER*
2 What rich person doesn’t lack – your uncle, say? (1,3,2,3)
A BOB OR TWO
cryptic def
3 Restricted season for a hearing (4)
TIED
sounds like TIDE (season)
5 Newcomer in hospital department getting to shout at length (7)
ENTRANT
ENT (hospital department) RANT (shout at length)
6 Dull gentleman upset with the introduction of cunning female leaders (10)
MATRIARCHS
MAT (dull) [ RIS (gentleman = SIR, reversed) containing ARCH
7 Diffident and unintelligent with computer technology having to be set up (5)
TIMID
DIM (unintelligent) IT (computer technology), all reversed
8 A nerd’s transformed to be smoother (6)
SANDER
A NERD’S*
9 Member had to be messenger for the Pope (6)
LEGATE
LEG (member) ATE (had)
14 Inventor making vehicle fitting reportedly (10)
CARTWRIGHT
CART (vehicle) WRIGHT (sounds like RIGHT, fitting)
17 Escape from desk somehow and go off (9)
SKEDADDLE
DESK* ADDLE (go off)
18 A kind-sounding person who listens (8)
ATTENDER
sounds like A TENDER (kind)
20 Dump that is engendering beastly disease (7)
SCRAPIE
SCRAP (dump) IE (that is)
21 Reddish-brown stream, gold on the surface (6)
AUBURN
AU (gold) BURN (stream)
22 Dogs and soldiers that may appear on computer screen (6)
CURSOR
CURS (dogs) OR (soldiers)
24 Move quickly to protect number in Welsh town (5)
FLINT
FLIT (move quickly) containing N (number)
26 Intend to have the last word with head buried (4)
MEAN
AMEN (last word) with A (head) moving down to 3rd position
Thanks to Bradman and Turbolegs. For a change I parsed everything, but I came here to be certain that THRASH = party and “tide” = season.
I didn’t know the Aesop’s fables reference at 23a, the ‘Inventor’ at 14d or the ‘Welsh town’ at 24d but all were gettable from wordplay or def. Otherwise everything went in without too many problems although, like acd @1, ‘tide’ for ‘season’ and THRASH for ‘Party’ gave me a bit of pause for thought.
I liked the ‘Bob’s your uncle’ clue and SKEDADDLE, one of those good ‘Etym dub’ words.
Thanks to Turbolegs (and ? Gaufrid) and to Bradman
Having entered “a lot of tea” for 2d, I was happy with “tapirs” TARP (cover) IS anag. for 19a. Then with CARTWRIGHT I had to change to COATIS and never figured out 2d ! Thanks bradman for a good puzzle and Turbolegs for the blog.
Like Wordplodder @2 I didn’t know the reference at 23a but was too lazy to look it up so thanks for the Aesop info. Unlike Wordplodder, I thought 2d was a terrible clue. Ok, “bob’s your uncle” but “or two”? Am I missing something or is it really a poor clue?
Thanks to Turbolegs and Bradman
I suppose BOB’S could be SHILLING’SHILLING
Thanks Bradman & Turbolegs.
When you need a bob or two, a short-term loan may be available from your friendly local “uncle”.
Thanks for the comments re 2d. Still don’t work for me. Clue doesn’t say “available from uncle”.
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs / Geoff
A more straightforward than usual puzzle from the Don with the top half going in very quickly. Slowed down, in particularly in the SW corner, not knowing the Welsh town or the English inventor of the wool-combing machine.
I think that 2d is a very good play on two well known sayings with the second “Bob’s your uncle”, in the context of the clue, giving BOBS (which could be two bob(s)). It brought a wry smile to me when the penny dropped.
Finished with UP FOR GRABS, FLINT and COATIS the last few in.
bruce@8. So “A Bob” is “your uncle” or “bob’s” is Bob (uncle) with s (shilling) another Bob? That’s a big stretch. Taking Bob’s = Bobs (plural) doesn’t work though.
Hi Hovis
I’m not saying that it is perfect grammar in the clue. I think that it is more a whimsical connection of two well known sayings to generate an answer. If you ignore the punctuation of BOB’S, which seems to be a legitimate ploy in cryptic plays, then yes BOBS = more than one BOB or perhaps A BOB OR TWO. Just thought that the overall effect that it generated, more than made up for this looseness or stretch as you put it of the grammar. I was prepared to forgive that and as I said above enjoyed the sound of the penny (or the two bob in this case) dropping ! 🙂