A fairly typical Tees puzzle with a nice mixture of clues and some snippets of general knowledge thrown in.
| Across | ||
| 9 | BASTINADO | Abstain when whipped and party gives punishment (9) |
| Abstain* + do. Bastinado is a punishment which involves striking the soles of the feet. | ||
| 10 | SHOWN | Explained method used to break partnership (5) |
| How in SN (Bridge partnership) | ||
| 11 | EGRET | White bird‘s energy mostly increased with time (5) |
| E(nergy) + gre[w] + t(ime) | ||
| 12 | SUTTON HOO | Ancient burial site moved to Houston (6,3) |
| (To Houston)* | ||
| 13/18D | TOWER OF STRENGTH | Powerful tractor perhaps one you can depend on (5,2,8) |
| Clever clue which looks like an anagram of “Powerful tractor” but is actually a CD playing on the word tower, as in something which tows. | ||
| 14/20 | STATE OF THE UNION | Annual assessment by marriage guidance counsellor? (5,2,3,5) |
| DD | ||
| 16 | E COLI | Nasty bug from priest going round company (1,4) |
| Eli around Co(mpany) | ||
| 18 | SEA | Course ahead involving Aegean? (3) |
| Hidden in courSE Ahead | ||
| 19 | RESIT | Son in row over repeated test (5) |
| S(on) in tier< | ||
| 21 | ELEANOR | Lady first to encourage and tend soldiers (7) |
| E[ncourage] + lean + OR | ||
| 22 | CREMATE | Mother in Greek island to burn up (7) |
| Ma in Crete | ||
| 24 | THEOMANIA | Articles about Arab producing divine illusion (9) |
| The + A around Omani | ||
| 26 | ELTON | John being one learner in exclusive institution (5) |
| L(earner) in Eton | ||
| 27 | CATCH | Something trapped a sort of 22 (5) |
| DD referring to the Joseph Heller novel, Catch 22. | ||
| 28 | TOMATILLO | Evil lurks within tomato plant (9) |
| Ill in tomato. A tomatillo is a plant originating in Mexico, which bears a different type of fruit to tomatoes. | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | ABSENTEE | American, busy worker posted in for one away (8) |
| A(merican) bee around sent | ||
| 2 | ESCROW | European Society boast reveals goods held by third party (6) |
| E(uropean) S(ociety) crow | ||
| 3 | CISTERCIAN | Man following order spies held inside tank (10) |
| CIA in cistern. Cistercian is an order of monks. | ||
| 4 | MASSIF | Male beast and one female in mountainous plateau (6) |
| M(ale) + ass + I f(emale) | ||
| 5 | CONTESSA | Italian aristocrat to swindle woman (8) |
| Con + Tessa. | ||
| 6 | OSLO | Collusion periodically seen around European city (4) |
| Even letters of cOlLuSiOn reversed | ||
| 7 | LOCH NESS | Left chosen ground beginning to see monstrous location? (4,4) |
| L(eft) + chosen* + s[ee]. The question mark is probably needed for the def, as it’s unlikely there really is a monster. | ||
| 8 | ONE OFF | Good leaves having rotted — event not to be repeated (3-3) |
| [G]one off | ||
| 15 | AGREEMENTS | An environmentalist grabbing me initially to sign pledges (10) |
| A green around me + t[o] s[ign] | ||
| 17 | OMELETTE | Welcome letter contains something tasty (8) |
| Hidden in welcOME LETTEr | ||
| 18 | See 13 Across | |
| 20 | See 14 Across | |
| 21 | ENTICE | Lure and net snagged on rocks (6) |
| Net* + ice (in diamonds sense) | ||
| 22 | CLAMMY | Unpleasantly moist and adhesive earth that covers two miles (6) |
| Clay around m(ile) m(ile) | ||
| 23 | ATTILA | Brutal invader one who cultivates land some say (6) |
| Hom of “a tiller”. | ||
| 25 | MAHE | Seychelles island hotel in West? (4) |
| H(otel) in Mae (West). Mahe is the principal island of the Seychelles. | ||
*anagram
I actually thought this was rather enjoyable- a bit more sparkle than his usual fare.
Nice puzzle.
Regarding 26A, while I was having coffee this morning, I overheard someone saying he’d been at the same school as Elton, and when it was announced at morning assembly, the other students were saying “What? Piggy Dwight’s become a pop star?”
An enjoyable solve, just right for a Monday morning. We vaguely knew ESCROW and MAHE, and had to check TOMATILLO in Chambers, but the rest was plain sailing. Re MAHE, it must be ages since we encountered a clue with ‘Mae’ for ‘west’ or vice versa; it was a bit of cliche at one time.
Thanks, Tees and NealH.
Yeah, it took me ages to think of Mae West – my LOI.
Also annoyed as to how long it took me to get 27ac, despite having watched the first episode of the TV series last week. (Some years since I read the book.)
You know how it is. Eventually one\’s clothes become fashionable again.
Lovely puzzle from one of the best in the business.
But.
But?
On Thu 13 June Neo had in the FT “Collusion periodically revealed around European city”.
I knew I’d seen it before.
That’s not like you, PB!
Lovely puzzle though.
🙂
Hi Sil
That’s a whoopsie then. I don’t like to repeat ideas really, and check that I’m not so doing (each clue). An imperfect operation obviously, so apologies for that.
Cheers Ts.