Guardian Quiptic 1051 Matilda

Thanks Matilda for a fun Quiptic. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1 Know-how that hurts in the media (7)

PROWESS : OW!(exclamation when something hurts one/That hurts!) contained in(in) PRESS(the media, specifically, newspapers and journalists collectively).

Defn: …/skill or expertise in a given activity or field.

5 Moves up since first of challenges is over (7)

ASCENDS : AS(since, as in “as I don’t know, I can’t say”) + 1st letter of(first of) “challenges” + ENDS(is over/is finished).

10 Venerable part of tragedy (4)

AGED : Hidden in(part of) “tragedy“.

Defn: Accorded much respect as a result of greater age, for example.

11 Caress most of bottom frequently to begin with (one’s amenable) (1,4,5)

A SOFT TOUCH : TOUCH(to caress/to touch gently or lovingly) placed after(… to begin with) [“ass”(Americanism for “arse”/bottom/rear end) minus its last letter(most of …) + OFT(often/frequently)].

Defn: …/one who readily gives or does something if asked.

12 Trees could be 10 (6)

ELDERS : Leaders or senior persons in a group, and who therefore could be of greater age/solution to 10 across.

13 We part at revolting Adam’s Ale (3,5)

TAP WATER : Anagram of(… revolting) WE PART AT.

14 Country carrying paper bouquet (9)

FRAGRANCE : FRANCE(European country) containing(carrying) RAG(a not-so-complimentary name for a newspaper).

Defn: … of a wine, say.

16 No 1, Douglas Street? (5)

FIRST : FIR(a conifer, an example of which is the Douglas fir) + ST(abbrev. for “street”).

Defn: …/No. 1/Number One.

17 Reportedly I spill the beans on the cake? (5)

ICING : Homophone of(Reportedly) “I sing”(I spill the beans/reveal secret information, and hence incriminating someone).

Defn: That which could be/? on the cake.

19 Wee! – rubbish clue (9)

MINUSCULE : MINUS(in arithmetic, subtract the following quantity from, symbolised by “-“, which is also a punctuation mark) + anagram of(rubbish) CLUE.

Defn: …/not the bodily function, but “tiny”.

23 Andrew and I get on — it’s a match! (8)

MARRIAGE : MARR(Andrew, television presenter for the BBC) plus(and) I + AGE(to get on/advance in years).

24 Primarily, chimps, orang-utans, monkeys, macaques and suchlike found here? (6)

COMMAS : 1st letters, respectively, of(Primarily) “chimps, orang-utans, monkeys, macaques and suchlike“.

Defn: Punctuation marks (4 of them) found in this clue/here.

26 Scruffy Uncle Fin, with hesitation, is a trendsetter (10)

INFLUENCER : Anagram of(Scruffy) UNCLE FIN plus(with) ER(an expression of one’s hesitation in answering).

27 Trio not right for you once (4)

THEE : “three”(a trio) minus(not) “r”(abbrev. for “right”).

Defn: The pronoun “you” in archaic form/once.

28 Team for quiet films (7)

PLAYERS : P(abbrev. for “piano”, musical direction to play quietly) + LAYERS(films/sheets).

Defn: … members.

29 Some salad dressing seen at 16 (7)

ADDRESS : Hidden in(Some) “salad dressing“.

Defn: An example of which is/seen at, clue 16 across/No. 1, Douglas Street.

Down

2 Soldier‘s right: a pistol backfired (7)

REGULAR : Reversal of(… backfired) [R(abbrev. for “right”) + A + LUGER(a make of automatic pistol from Germany)].

Defn: … who is full time in the military.

3 Jam and a piece of cheese? (5)

WEDGE : Double defn: 1st: To force into a narrow space.

Jam and Cheese:

4 City bird on the water (7)

SWANSEA : SWAN(a large waterbird) + SEA(a stretch of water).

6 The way to get a six-pack? It’s in drinks (3-3)

SIT-UPS : IT contained in(…’s in) SUPS(drinks/takes in liquid).

Defn: …/a set of abdominal muscles, in the gym, say.

7 Again, come out for self-styled VIP (9)

EGOMANIAC : Anagram of(… out) AGAIN, COME.

Defn: …/one who’s a Very self-Important Person.

8 Fancy mash, Your Grace? (7)

DUCHESS : Double defn: 1st: Item of French cuisine made from mashed potatoes and egg yolk, butter and seasoning, more fancy/elaborate than your ordinary mash; and 2nd: A female royal personage addressed by “Your Grace”.

9 Can Simon Armitage drive with this? (6,7)

POETIC LICENCE : Cryptic defn: Reference to what poet Simon Armitage might use, and what is required to legally drive (a motor vehicle).

Answer: Freedom to depart from the facts or the conventions of language when writing or speaking.

15 Wilder race, by and large (9)

GENERALLY : GENE(Wilder, late American actor) + RALLY(a long-distance race for motor vehicles).

18 Designer admits fashion finally is sound (7)

CHANNEL : CHANEL(Coco, French fashion designer) containing(admits) last letter of(… finally) “fashion“.

Defn: …/a narrow stretch of water connecting two wider areas of water.

20 Never smoked but still sick (7)

UNCURED : Double defn: 1st: Of meat, not preserved by smoking; and 2nd: … with an illness.

21 12 with a madness for captains (7)

LEADERS : Anagram of(… madness) [ELDERS(answer to 12 across) plus(with) A].

22 Calling nurse to inject drug (6)

CAREER : CARER(a nurse/one who tends to/cares for someone) containing(to inject) E(abbrev. for “ecstasy”, the drug).

Defn: …/an occupation or profession.

25 Second to right car (5)

MOTOR : MO(short for “moment”, a short period of time/a second, as in “hang on a mo/sec!”) + TO + R(abbrev. for “right”).

Defn: …, informally.