Good start to the week from Peto.
A mixed range of clues – some write-ins and a few that had me thinking for a while. New to me were PECK as a large quantity, and the definitions for 2d and 19a (but accessible from the clues and a quick dictionary check). A very enjoyable solve overall, so many thanks to Peto!
ACROSS
1. Urchin in Agra struggling to find something to eat (10)
RAGAMUFFIN
(AGRA)* (*struggling) to find MUFFIN (something to eat)
7. Insect heading off for a flower perhaps (4)
OUSE
[l]OUSE (insect, heading off)
9. Greek beat off Pole (4)
SPAR
SPAR(tan) (Greek, TAN (beat) off)
10. Find cause to lie about involving workers (3,5,2)
LAY HANDS ON
LAY (cause to lie) + ON (about) involving HANDS (workers)
11. Sanction returning a large quantity of virtually valueless coin (6)
KOPECK
OK< (sanction, <returning) + PECK (a large quantity)
12. Stand up to eccentric king maybe (4,4)
FACE CARD
FACE (stand up to) + CARD (eccentric)
13. Haggard locks each trunk primarily as a means of protection (8)
GAUNTLET
GAUNT (haggard) + L[ocks] E[ach] T[runk] primarily
15. Managed to miss Communist leader’s piece in paper (2-2)
OP-ED
[c]OPED (managed, to miss C[ommunist] (leader))
17. Current international rejected award (4)
GONG
GO[i]NG (current, I (international) rejected)
E.g. “going rates”
19. Trainer’s sixth sense leads to hesitation by old boxer (8)
ESPALIER
ESP (sixth sense) leads to ER (hesitation) by ALI (old boxer)
22. Fellow in charge at Australian church (8)
BASILICA
BASIL (fellow) + IC (in charge) at A (Australian)
23. What kind of class? (6)
ASSORT
25. Subordinate to charge for riding aid (10)
SIDESADDLE
SIDE (subordinate) + SADDLE (to charge)
26. Place for hiding money in recession (4)
LAIR
RIAL< (money, <in recession)
27. Essential to mark notable winger (4)
KNOT
[mar]K NOT[able] (essential to)
28. Stupidly share tweet with lover (10)
SWEETHEART
(SHARE TWEET)* (*stupidly)
DOWN
2. American soldiers outside pub having a jar (7)
AMPHORA
AM (American) + OR (soldiers, ordinary regiment) outside PH (pub, public house), having A
3. Be consistent with rule on drugs after Georgia’s set up (5)
AGREE
R (rule) on EE (drugs, ecstasy ecstasy) after GA< (Georgia’s <set up)
4. Improbable peacekeepers for example getting extremely lucky (8)
UNLIKELY
UN (peacekeepers) + LIKE (for example) getting L[uck]Y (extremely)
5. Lose one’s temper knowing of wretched thane held by force (3,3,3,6)
FLY OFF THE HANDLE
FLY (knowing) + OF + (THANE HELD + F(force))* (*wretched)
6. Subtle difference in tone as sister describes area close to church (6)
NUANCE
NUN (sister) describes A (area) close to CE (church)
7. Requiring courage to dispense with British coach for adhering to traditional methods (3,6)
OLD SCHOOL
[b]OLD (courage, to dispense with B (British)) + SCHOOL (coach)
8. Cause of destruction in Colombia during short-lived disturbance (7)
SCOURGE
CO (Colombia) during SURGE (short lived disturbance)
14. Careless with information about Nigel distributed over time (9)
NEGLIGENT
GEN< (information, <about) + (NIGEL)* (*distributed) over T (time)
16. Seeming appropriate to maintain standard in French (8)
APPARENT
APT (appropriate) to maintain PAR (standard) + EN (in, French)
18. Enthusiastic reception, with hint of relief, for victory speech (7)
OVATION
With R[elief] (hint of) for V (victory): ORATION (speech)
20. Nobleman starts to introduce essential reforms sooner (7)
EARLIER
EARL (nobleman) + I[ntroduce] E[ssential] R[eforms] (starts to)
21. Contends with dreadful liars implicating head of Vodafone (6)
RIVALS
(LIARS)* (dreadful) implicating V[odafone] (head of)
24. Explain trace of virus found in fish (5)
SOLVE
V[irus] (trace of) found in SOLE (fish)
AMPHORA and ESPALIER were favourites today, both for their surfaces and their parsing. Also really liked SWEETHEART and the omissions at 7a, 15a and 7d.
I got into a bit of a muddle in the SW corner though, trying to fit ‘Dominica(n)’ and though I agree with Teacow on KNOT, checkers had ‘gnat’ which I can also see, as the essence or heart if not able wiNGer, though with no instructions to reverse…curious.
Anyway, it was a light-hearted romp overall. Thanks both to Peto and Teacow.
Sorry, of noTAble wiNGer. Naughty auto-correct
I felt 18d was clueing ORATION(speech) not OVATION, parsing as in blog.
Yes, also had ORATION.
I’m with Hovis@3 and Diane@4.
As for PECK as a large quantity, I remember from my childhood my mother singing “I love you a bushel and a peck.”
Thanks Peto and Teacow
Another of the slightly harder Mondays that is becoming the norm these days. Was another with ORATION and had parsed ASSORT as more of a charade – AS (what, as in ‘I did as/what I was told’) + SORT (kind).
Took ages to get the long centre down clue and although have seen the term OP-ED before, needed both crossers to get that as well.Particularly liked untangling some of the more complex word play, as in 19a, 2d, 5d, and 16d. Also thought that FACE CARD was well defined and constructed.
Had a scattered finish with SCOURGE, RAGAMUFFIN and ESPALIER the last few in.
In AMPHORA I thought OR was other ranks (soldiers). Could not see how KNOT was a winger unless a sportsman I was unfamiliar with.
Sm@7
You are quite right about OR. I was one once. Knot is a shore bird.
Thanks John@8. Learn something every day.
I was another who dithered about 18d before deciding it said “R for V” in a reasonably straightforward way, so had ORATION.
Thanks for the puzzle Peto and the untangling Teacow.
The SW corner was my undoing — missed ORATION, did not know KNOT as a bird or GONG as award. Still, there was a lot to like with SPAR, APPARENT, and ESPALIER as favourites. Thanks to both.
We too took a while to decide if 18dn was ‘ovation’ or ‘oration’. One of those ambiguous clues where the doubt can’t be settled as the difference between the two possible answers is in an unchecked letter – grrr!
Apart from that a satisfying solve. Favourite was ESPALIER with GAUNTLET as a close second.
Thanks, Peto and Teacow.
FWIW, the solution in today’s paper says ORATION.
Why is “fly” “knowing”?
Hi Geoff
Fly is a British slang term for being mentally alert, sharp, knowing.
Could find no origins for it.
Thanks, Bruce.