Another thoughtfully constructed and pleasing puzzle from Tees, with some delightfully succinct surface readings and more cryptic definitions than usual.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Second verse able at last to stir emotions
MOVE
A charade of MO, V and E for the last letter of ‘able’.
3 Speed trap?
MOTORMOUTH
A cd, which took me a while to see even once I’d written the answer in. A MOTORMOUTH is someone who talks quickly and incessantly, so it’s a play on the fact that ‘trap’ is a slang word for ‘mouth’.
10 Told to demolish Conservative minister’s home
RECTORY
A charade of REC for a homophone (‘told’) of WRECK and TORY. Great surface.
11 Attractive to ignore fine print
ETCHING
[F]ETCHING
12 Improvised excellent book about Donegal’s borders
AD-LIB
An insertion (‘about’) of DL for the outside letters of ‘Donegal’ in AI for ‘excellent’ and B.
13 Deep breath?
SEA BREEZE
Another cd, referencing the fact that the SEA is often referred to as the ‘deep’, ‘breath’ is used in ‘a breath of wind’, and ‘breeze’ is a type of wind. A slight stretch, mebbes, but it’s a cleverly concise clue.
14 One having loads, rolling in it, after laundering?
SPIN-DRYER
A much more straightforward cd.
16 Makes home given time in monster’s loch
NESTS
An insertion of T in [Loch] NESS.
18 New land area provides iridescent material
NACRE
A charade of N and ACRE. NACRE is another word for mother-of-pearl.
19 Stop intelligence officer infiltrating Kent cricket side?
SEMICOLON
An insertion of MI (as in MI5 or MI6) and COL for ‘colonel’ in SE for ‘Kent’ (Kent being in the south-east of England) and ON for one of the ‘sides’ in cricket. A SEMICOLON is one of the ‘stops’ in punctuation. I am on a personal mission to become less enraged (ideally, not enraged at all) when people misuse it. George Orwell eschewed it completely in Coming Up for Air; he allegedly reckoned that it was too middle class. Kurt Vonegutt had this advice: ‘First rule: Do not use semicolons. They are transvestite hermaphrodites representing absolutely nothing. All they do is show you’ve been to college.’ A tad harsh, I think.
21 Lad from Winchester?
SON OF A GUN
Another cd, referring to the Winchester rifle.
22 Holding the French in English court is brilliant success
ÉCLAT
An insertion (‘holding’) of LE LA for one of the words for ‘the’ in French in E and CT.
24 Bitter brewed round university gets commendation
TRIBUTE
An insertion of U in (BITTER)* The anagrind is ‘brewed’ and the insertion indicator is ’round’.
25 Mum garages a small vehicle — will it run?
MASCARA
An insertion (‘garages’) of A, S and CAR in MA. I have no personal experience to call on, but MASCARA has a propensity to run, especially when the wearer becomes emotional.
26 In AA to meet drunk individually
ONE AT A TIME
(IN AA TO MEET)* Another great surface.
27 Carriage bringing husband in for example
SHAY
An insertion (‘bringing in’) of H in SAY. A SHAY is a two-wheeled, two-person carriage, I learned this morning.
Down
1 Human beings in graceless state
MORTAL SIN
The boy is on fire with crisp and succinct surfaces this morning. This one’s for the left-footers in the audience. It’s a charade of MORTALS and IN, and the ‘graceless state’ is where, according to Catholic theology, you will be if you commit a MORTAL SIN, because – being a grave action, committed with the sinner’s full consent and knowledge – it automatically leads to a separation of the sinner from God’s redeeming grace. Repentance in the confessional is your get-out-of-jail card. I checked out what currently constitutes a mortal sin according to the Holy See, and self-pleasuring is still in there, which is good to know.
2 Girl round about inside far from reticent
VOCAL
An insertion (‘inside’) of O and C for circa or ‘about’ in VAL.
4 Headless corpse is sent back for certain journey
ODYSSEY
A charade of [B]ODY’S and YES reversed. You need to consider ‘corpse is’ as BODY’S to make the grammar work.
5 After Ring compose tune in unenclosed space
OPEN AIR
A charade of O for ‘ring’, PEN and AIR.
6 Scot happened to eat speciality European dish
MACARONI CHEESE
A charade of MAC for our ‘Scot’ and NICHE and E inserted (‘to eat’) in AROSE.
7 Global peacekeepers against entering unstable Israel
UNIVERSAL
A charade of UN for the ever-present ‘peacekeepers’ and V for versus or ‘against’ in (ISRAEL)* The insertion indicator is ‘entering’.
8 Richmond MP once hot with fever
HAGUE
Overseas solvers might have struggled to see the definition, but the wordplay is clear enough: a charade of H and AGUE. Referencing William (now Lord) HAGUE, who was MP for Richmond in Yorkshire from 1989 to 2015.
9 What might be an illicit date?
FORBIDDEN FRUIT
Another cd.
15 One new coin setter has taken for carrot
INCENTIVE
A charade of I, N, CENT and I’VE for ‘setter has’.
17 Where to take refuge as truancy treated harshly
SANCTUARY
(AS TRUANCY)*
19 FBI agents placed outside division
SEGMENT
Tees is inviting you to insert G-MEN for ‘FBI agents’ into SET.
20 Smallest musical note presented with hesitation
MINIMUM
A charade of MINIM and UM.
21 Where one finds badger and duck in fight
SET-TO
A charade of SETT and O for the cricketing ‘duck’.
23 Drain to make white, not black
LEACH
[B]LEACH
Many thanks to Tees for the puzzle. Always a pleasure (although not a mortal sin).
Phew! So much harder than yesterday 🙂
All very well to say once you solve them, but I liked the cryptic definitions especially MOTORMOUTH and FORBIDDEN FRUIT.
I liked your dissertation on the semi-colon; I’ve never known when to use one correctly and think that people who do are very superior, as suggested by Kurt Vonnegut. Maybe better to take George Orwell’s advice after all
Yes Hovis, I’ve done a few not quite so challenging ones since yesterday to help me recover!
Thanks to Tees and Pierre
Another treat from Tees – too many lovely clues to pick a favourite – thanks to him and Pierre
I gave up very soon yesterday as my brain hurt, so pleased to have an easy ride this morning. Interesting etymology for ‘shay’, apparently a backformation from the French ‘chaise’, misheard as plural ‘shays’. Thanks Tees and Pierre.
Better than yesterday’s, though I’m still not on the Indy’s wavelength, especially all the cryptic definitions.
I had ELECT for 22ac for the longest time, and thought it fit the clue pretty neatly — though I concede the actual answer is secure.
Thanks to all. 25a my favourite. Could ‘is’ also be headless in 4d ? That worked for me anyway.
I think it’s ‘la’ not ‘le’ inserted in 22a
Really enjoyed the very brief clues – 3,13,and 21a, and 9d. Thanks to Tees and Pierre. Feeling stronger now so might have another crack at yesterday’s…(three dots even worse than the semicolon? I think so)
Good point about ECLAT, whose wordplay could also lead to ELECT as spotted by Crosbie and Johnny.
Nick has spotted another possibility I didn’t see, which works too I think. But the authorial intention, ho ho, was bODY’S reversed.
Thanks Pierre, thanks all.
Typo for ÉCLAT corrected – thanks to Johnnybgoode. And to Tatrasman for the etymology of SHAY – always interesting to see where these words come from.
great puzzle, thank you Tees and thank you Pierre for an entertaining and informative blog.
I’m a big fan of semicolons – no doubt inspired by reading John Irving.
Absolutely brilliant surfaces today. Delightful solve.