PeeDee is away today so it gives me a chance to return to what used to be my regular Wednesday FT slot. Had this been posted yesterday, I would have been able to say that it was exactly eleven years since my first blog appeared on 15² (a Cinephile) but that was published on 23/7/08 so I can’t.
I’m not sure that I have got the parsing of 18ac correct so please feel free to offer a more plausible alternative.
Across
1 Likewise, newspaper to support book (8)
SOFTBACK – SO (likewise) FT (newspaper) BACK (support)
5 Head girl that provides zest in the kitchen? (6)
NUTMEG – NUT (head) MEG (girl)
10 Red woolly thing returned by Scotsman (7)
MARXIAN – RAM (woolly thing) reversed (returned) X (by) IAN (Scotsman)
11 Managed to obtain symbol of magic from Africa (7)
RWANDAN – RAN (managed) around (to obtain) WAND (symbol of magic)
12 Result: 50-50, with time added on (5)
EVENT – EVEN (50-50) T (time)
13 In working group (male), there’s a prize for wagging – small bone (9)
TRAPEZIUM – an anagram (for wagging) of A PRIZE in TU (working group) M (male)
14 RU Lion trained inside ground, given very little food (12)
MALNOURISHED – an anagram (trained) of RU LION in MASHED (ground)
18 When recalling soldiers chilled by the air of gunfire, forever (9,3)
ARMISTICE DAY – RA (soldiers) reversed (when recalling) MIST (air of gunfire?) ICED (chilled) AY (forever) &lit
21 Old boy mostly annoyed with locums appearing regularly forgetful (9)
OBLIVIOUS – OB (old boy) LIVI[d] (mostly annoyed) [l]O[c]U[m]S (locums appearing regularly)
23 Juvenile, seeing heartland in mayhem, keeps away (5)
YOUTH – [ma]YH[em] (heartland in mayhem) around (keeps) OUT (away)
24 First / sign (7)
INITIAL – double def.
25 Cooker placed by posh cook briefly on the left (1,6)
À GAUCHE – AGA (cooker) U (posh) CHE[f] (cook briefly)
26 European city branch recruiting new man (6)
ARNHEM – ARM (branch) around (recruiting) N (new) HE (man)
27 Poster in this place alongside set of books is sticking (8)
ADHERENT – AD (poster) HERE (in this place) NT (set of books)
Down
1 Creator’s filling tin with the Spanish fruitcake (6)
SIMNEL – I’M (creator’s) in (filling) SN (tin) EL (the Spanish)
2 Rat-catcher runs repeatedly into foundations (6)
FERRET – RR (runs repeatedly) in FEET (foundations)
3 Cry from a German hurt at back between shoulders (2,2,5)
BE IN TEARS – EIN (a German) [hur]T (hurt at the back) in (between) BEARS (shoulders)
4 Firm ordered Neil to safeguard work’s capital once (14)
CONSTANTINOPLE – CONSTANT (firm) plus an anagram (ordered) of NEIL around (to safeguard) OP (work)
6 Custom in European Union to raise outside flag (5)
USAGE – EU (European Union) reversed (to raise) around (outside) SAG (flag)
7 Motorway extremely difficult to patrol closely – at this hour? (8)
MIDNIGHT – M1 (motorway) D[ifficul]T (extremely difficult) around (to patrol) NIGH (closely)
8 Dicky may need to go beyond garden’s entrance to see moon (8)
GANYMEDE – an anagram (dicky) of MAY NEED after (to go beyond) G[arden] (garden’s entrance)
9 Hold dear Linda’s comic novel (8,6)
TREASURE ISLAND – TREASURE (hold dear) plus an anagram (comic) of LINDA’S
15 Whatever happens, Ian will be shocked by New York state (2,3,4)
IN ANY CASE – an anagram (will be shocked) of IAN followed by NY (New York) CASE (state)
16 Pretty Parisian wearing waterproof coat, takes a piece of earthenware (8)
MAJOLICA – JOLI (pretty Parisian) in (wearing) MAC (waterproof coat) plus A
17 Paint large bird near son feeding cat (8)
EMULSION – EMU (large bird) plus S (son) in (feeding) LION (cat)
19 Male after mostly fast food (6)
QUICHE – HE (male) after QUIC[k] (mostly fast)
20 Menace, at that point, releasing initial energy (6)
THREAT – TH[e]REAT (at that point, releasing initial energy)
22 Light fabric one used to block rodent (5)
VOILE – I (one) in (used to block) VOLE (rodent)
Yes, I parsed 18a as you did, being unsure of the ‘air of gunfire’ bit as well. My favourite clue.
Missed the old X for ‘by’ trick in 10a for which I put a very uncertain ‘martian’ – well, at least it’s the red planet.
I also liked the surface for the NUTMEG clue and MAJOLICA. Hours in front of the telly mindlessly watching “Bargain Hunt” and “Antiques Roadshow” does have its rewards in the end.
Thanks to Aardvark and to Gaufrid – a happy 11 year, 0 months and 1 day anniversary.
Haven’t checked, but I guess this is a pangram.
Perhaps the gunfire in 18a refers to a spray gun?
Have now checked. It is a pangram.
I like this setter.Just noticed I foolishly wrote BE IN TEAMS (dunce’s hat called for)
Thanks Gaufrid.
Happy anniversary Gaufrid and thank you for the explanations
Thanks also to Aardvark for an enjoyable crossword – I was looking at things to chill you in the current heatwave one of which was mist sprays which helped with the parsing of 18a
Thanks Aardvark and Gaufrid
Good work Geoff on your 11th year on the job.
Very enjoyable puzzle, as we’ve come to expect from this setter. Helped today by getting most of the long ones quite early on.
Had to think about the ‘mist gun’ for a while at 18a and wasn’t all that convinced that OBLIVIOUS was forgetful rather than just unaware. Spotted the likelihood of a pangram just before finishing at the top left and it helped get MARXIAN. Last two were SIMNEL (vaguely remembered and slowly constructed from the word play) and the trickier than it should’ve been BE IN TEARS (quite clever).