Thanks to Gurney for the very enjoyable challenge this morning.
A good, simple but not breezy puzzle. Some clever misdirections, such as the “after” in 15a, “in” in 8d, “source of metals” in 21d (I expected an “M” of course). Overall a lovely way to start the day!
If you know of a particular “him” referred to in 16a, please do enlighten me. Or I may have been looking for things that aren’t there.
Again, thanks to Gurney.
ACROSS
1. Shellfish swindle – sleuth taken on (6)
SCAMPI
SCAM (swindle) + PI (sleuth) taken on
4. Maritime canal – beginning to use it in storm (8)
NAUTICAL
(CANAL + U[se] (beginning to) + IT)* (*in storm)
10. Lake and river rose inordinately (9)
RESERVOIR
(RIVER ROSE)* (*inordinately)
11. Series of matches leading to quarrel (3-2)
RUN-IN
RUN + IN (two cricketing terms, i.e. series of matches)
12. From pro, a different way (4)
ROAD
[p]RO A D[ifferent] (from)
13. Remove all traces of old tribe tale? Out of order! (10)
OBLITERATE
O (old) + (TRIBE TALE)* (*out of order)
15. Honest all the time after religious study (7)
SINCERE
SINCE (all the time after) + RE (religious study)
16. Some win at Hanover for him (6)
NATHAN
[wi]N AT HAN[over] (some)
19. Quiet check about Rhode Island shrub (6)
PRIVET
P (quiet) + VET (check) about RI (Rhode Island)
21. One getting assistance from powerful guy with time for daughter (7)
GRANTEE
GRANDEE (powerful guy), with T (time) for D (daughter)
23. Dance cheers girl after tirade (10)
TARANTELLA
TA (cheers) + ELLA (girl) after RANT (tirade)
25. Love to interrupt law lord, flashy (4)
LOUD
O (love) to interrupt LUD (law lord, as in m’lud)
27. At start medic is describing graphically English insect that bites (5)
MIDGE
M[edic] I[s] D[escribing] G[raphically] E[nglish] (at first)
28. Certain to include, after reflection, label or substitute (9)
SURROGATE
SURE (certain) to include (TAG (label) + OR)< (<after reflection)
29. Regular adviser university left out (8)
CONSTANT
CONS[ul]TANT (advisor, U (university) + L (left) out)
30. Women’s formal procedure meets resistance, author revealed (6)
WRITER
W (women’s) + RITE (formal procedure) meets R (resistance)
DOWN
1. Unexpected gentleman becomes over-curious, we hear (8)
SURPRISE
“SIR PRIES” (gentleman becomes over-curious, “we hear”)
2. Spot, in Aberdeen, half-cut, one usually of temperate habits? (9)
ABSTAINER
STAIN (spot) in ABER[deen] (half-cut)
3. Temporarily leave leisure area (4)
PARK
5. After review again securing rights for charge (7)
ARRAIGN
(AGAIN)* (*after review) securing RR (rights)
6. Referring to fall maybe in hill latrine, messy (10)
TORRENTIAL
TOR (hill) + (LATRINE)* (*messy)
7. Dance company not available – over grievance primarily (5)
CONGA
CO (company) + NA (not available) over G[rievance] (primarily)
8. Bird, large, in trap (6)
LINNET
L (large) + IN + NET (trap)
9. Understudy’s payment put by regularly inside (6)
DOUBLE
DOLE (payment) + [p]U[t] B[y] (regularly) inside
14. Lost, then see van – providential! (6- 4)
HEAVEN-SENT
17. So a truant morphed into a high-flier? (9)
ASTRONAUT
(SO A TRUANT)* (*morphed)
18. One evasive about articles separately depicting milliner’s products? (8)
HEADGEAR
HEDGER (one evasive) about A + A (articles, separately)
20. Ultimately worst motive for crime (7)
TREASON
[wors]T (ultimately) + REASON (motive)
21. Lass supported by source of metals in abundance (6)
GALORE
GAL (lass) supported by ORE (source of metals)
22. A cat I see, as mentioned, is very small (6)
ATOMIC
A + TOM (cat) + IC (“I see”, “as mentioned”)
24. Bar popular sculptor (5)
RODIN
26. Secure space that’s come up (4)
MOOR
(ROOM)< (space, <that’s come up)
Yes, a swift & enjoyable solve.
I saw 11 as a double def, ‘run in’ meaning the last few matches of e.g. a football season which decide the final league order.
Thanks to both.
I originally had ‘Set-to’ as the answer for 11a until the anagram in 6d showed me the error of my ways. I agree with Grant about ‘run-i’n referring to the last set of matches in a season to determine promotion or demotion, for example.
Enjoyable. Thanks to Gurney and Teacow.
I’m another who had ‘set-to’ till LINNET came along. Also couldn’t shake the fact that 22d contained ‘Siamese’ as a hidden word though it wouldn’t fit the grid and thus was not the ‘cat’ required.
However, there was a lovely mix of clues which parsed fairly, otherwise I’d not have scored TARANTELLA.
No idea about NATHAN, Teacow, but then I spotted an IVOR in the grid too which may be of no significance.
TORRENTIAL was my favourite.
Thanks for a fun solve, Gurney, and to Teacow.
Well, not a hidden word, exactly, but letters spelling Siamese.
Is British use of the verb “park” different from American? To me, “park” means temporarily stay, rather than temporarily leave.
Other than that, no quibbles from me. I’ve seen “him” used before merely to indicate a man’s name, as in 16a. Cf. “girl” in 23a.
Thanks to Gurney and Teacow.
@EdK@USA – in this context my interpretation was to “park an idea” – leave it aside for the time being.
@5 We also have the concept of ‘parking an issue’ at a meeting say meaning to put aside temporarily
Thanks Gurney & Teacow
Thanks to Gurney and Teacow. Very enjoyable Monday outing. I took a while spotting the lud for LOUD and wasn’t sure about the parsing of DOUBLE (I was thinking of due rather than dole)
A pleasant enough run-through today, with the exception of 11a, where Teacow’s cricketing idea did not occur to me (and I’m afraid I find it unconvincing). I reluctantly came to the same view as Grant and Steven, though it’s not a meaning given in any dictionary I have. Maybe not being a football fan was a disadvantage…
Isn’t parking one’s car temporarily leaving it?
Many thanks for the excellent blog, Teacow, and thanks also to all who commented. The sporting meaning of RUN-IN is in Collins free on-line dictionary. Re PARK, what Coby has at #10 was what was intended.
Gurney@11: I’ll accept that. Thanks again.
Thanks Gurney and Teacow
A bit late to this – working back in the city has caused all sorts of delays in getting the puzzle printed and squeezing it into the seemingly busy day. A more straightforward crossword than usual from this setter, but with enough subtlety to keep one very interested – it also drew the error of a careless and unparsed HEADWEAR at 18d.
Was another initial SET-TO until the CONGA disproved it and then needed LINNET to work out that it was RUN-IN (the second definition didn’t occur to me and needed the comments for it).
Finished in the NW corner with ABSTAINER and DOUBLE the last couple in.