Another well-constructed and accessible puzzle from Everyman, which I enjoyed solving and blogging.
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 A comically dim notion’s getting repeated censure
ADMONITIONS
A charade of A and (DIM NOTIONS)* The anagrind is ‘comically’.
9 Who might issue tweets about primarily ‘tremendous’ golf scores?
EAGLETS
An insertion of T for the first letter of ‘tremendous’ in EAGLES, which is something complicated to do with golf. EAGLETS are not at all complicated – just small machines for eating lots of raw meat, as the obligatory Pierre bird link shows.
10 Greek character with old poem about Arabian land
EMIRATE
A reversal (‘about’) of ETA and RIME. The best known use of the second element I can think of is Coleridge’s The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.
11 Small drink the French consumed with vacant expression?
TO LET
An insertion of LE for one of the words for ‘the’ in French in TOT. The surface is referring to the sign you’d see outside a house that was for rent.
12 Spooner’s to accumulate bulk: it’s a reckoning point
MILEPOST
A Spoonerism of PILE MOST.
14 Novel may concern sorcery
NECROMANCY
(MAY CONCERN)* with ‘novel’ as the anagrind.
15 Foremost of old deities in Norse?
ODIN
The initial letters of the last four words of the clue, and a rather clever cad.
17 Yawn, partly concealing a peeve
GAPE
Hidden in concealinG A PEeve.
19 Film – racy, very English and liberal – put on screen
BLUE VELVET
A charade of BLUE, V, E, L and VET. The film is a 1986 American neo-noir mystery thriller.
21 Decent odds on getting good choral service
EVENSONG
A charade of EVENS, ON and G.
23 You could use this to search for a loutish character
YAHOO
A dd.
25 Opera La bohème‘s outsiders shown proportionately
TO SCALE
A charade of TOSCA, the opera by Puccini, and LE for the outside letters of ‘la bohème’.
26 Somewhat lacklustre, a clergyman’s sentimentality
TREACLE
Hidden in lacklusTRE A CLErgyman.
27 Reptile’s lip snarls, seeing winged creature
PIPISTRELLE
(REPTILES LIP)* with ‘snarls’ as the anagrind.
Down
1 Cake decoration, mostly sweet
ANGELIC
ANGELIC[A]
2 Group stitching up conductors
MAESTROS
A reversal of SORT and SEAM. The reversal indicator, since it’s a down clue, is ‘up’.
3 Loudly appreciates quality of wine
NOSE
A homophone (‘loudly’) of KNOWS.
4 After time, hack desires to assemble children’s novel
THE WITCHES
A charade of T, HEW and ITCHES gives you the novel by Roald Dahl.
5 Not neat – put off
ON ICE
A dd.
6 Oaf does off with sprats, etc.
SEAFOOD
(OAF DOES)* with ‘off’ as the anagrind.
7 Public events: a detergent’s sprayed after Everyman’s seen
MEET-AND-GREETS
A charade of ME for ‘Everyman’ and (A DETERGENTS)* with ‘sprayed’ as the anagrind.
8 Magenta and Ted vow to order basic meal
MEAT AND TWO VEG
(MAGENTA TED VOW)* with ‘to order’ as the anagrind.
13 Reindeer herders all ran and sped in a frenzy
LAPLANDERS
(ALL RAN SPED)* with ‘in a frenzy’ as the anagrind.
16 Pretty much perfectly – or OK?
VERY WELL
A dd.
18 Exercise before feast including seconds
PRESS-UP
A charade of PRE for ‘before’ and S inserted into SUP. The insertion indicator is ‘including’.
20 Victor consumed lichee in tandem?
VEHICLE
A charade of V for the phonetic alphabet ‘Victor’ and (LICHEE)* with ‘consumed’ as the anagrind.
22 Press firmly – after a second, press down hard
STAMP
A charade of S and TAMP.
24 Take a spoon to porridge
STIR
And another dd to finish. STIR and ‘porridge’ are both slang words for time spent in prison.
Many thanks to Everyman for this week’s puzzle.
I agree entirely, Pierre. Lots to like: EAGLETS; TO LET (for the definition); ODIN, BLUE VELVET, TO SCALE (Tosca indeed!); THE WITCHES. LAPLANDERS are properly called Sami, according to my Swedish daughter-in-law – the former is somewhat derogatory. Thanks, Eveyman and Pierre.
Enjoyed the chuckleworthy surfaces in many of these clues, including the Spoonerism MILEPOST. Bulk is nicely misleading.
Favourites TREACLE, PIPISTRELLE, and MAESTROS.
And the pair is MEET-AND-GREETS and MEAT AND TWO VEG, although they went in so quickly I didn’t notice.
Another enjoyable serve from Everyman. I don’t understand the grammar in 9 to insert T into EAGLES. Thanks Pierre and Everyman.
Paul, Tutukaka@3. Yeah, if I understand your question, we’ve had this sort of word order before and I think the question mark also signals that it might be a bit unorthodox.
I don’t mind it, it happens in every day speech, although with a bit of a pause I’d say.
About primarily ‘tremendous’ golf scores.
Me@4. EAGLETS My pauses didn’t get included. I left some white space.
About ………….. primarily ‘tremendous’ …………. golf scores.
Cheers PM. Still seems a bit Yoda-ish to me.
Not a spoiler, as it’s just the wordplay, but it is of the moment. I’m struck by Everyman’s prescience in the clue in today’s crossword about the impressive bear wrestling with the monarch. The clip of the Queen and Paddington Bear from yesterday’s jubilee party had just started to appear here when Everyman appeared. Great fun!
A week’s a long time for a vaguing brain, but I do remember taking an age for milepost then groaning about it, and having to use a word app for pipistrelle, which was a nho. Also remember thinking Blue Velvet, hmmm, is that the one with Elizabeth Taylor .. ah no, that was National Velvet, nho the the Blue one. Hey ho, all fun, ta PnE.
Thank for the blog, your introduction says it all.
A lot of overlap on favourites here so will mention NECROMANCY, ODIN and MAESTROS.
Grant @8 BLUE VELVET is a little more blue than national velvet.
[Indeed Roz. Not averse to a bit of blue but I just read some of the blurb Don’t think I’d bother, tho I do like Rosselini]
Half of this puzzle was very easy for me, then I slowed down a lot for the second half.
New for me: novel The Witches (4d); PORRIDGE = time spent in prison (but knew STIR from previous crosswords).
Liked TO SCALE, TO LET.
Thanks, both.
I don’t think 5d ON ICE is a dd. “Put off” is one definition, but the wordplay is “zero nice,” for “not neat.”
Nice puzzle. Took me ages to get MILE POST (LOI) for some reason. Thanks Everyman and Pierre — glad you got your bird this time, you’ve had to miss a few recently.
I’ve run across PIPISTRELLE before in these puzzles, but I thought I’d look it up. When I saw how tiny it was I was inspired to look up “world’s smallest mammals.” Do look, they’re some adorable critters on there. https://www.livescience.com/33049-smallest-mammals.html.
I made quite heavy weather of this.
Like Michelle @ 11 I got half quickly and then slowed right down and did not get THE WITCHES. (Today’s is much better for me.)
Thanks Everyman and Pierre
I love pipistrelles, have hand reared babies in my time, and they are tiny, so was happy to see them appear here.
This was a satisfying Everyman. Thank you to the setter and Pierre for the blog.
Valentine @12 – I think you’ve found an alternative reading of ON ICE there – I read it (like Pierre) as a simple double definition as ‘on ice’ refers to a drink with ice cubes in, rather than ‘neat’ ie without ice.
That’s certainly the way I looked at it, Rob T.
A DNF for me, I’m afraid.
Valentine @13 – thanks for the critters – I must confess I saw the first photo with its heading and thought, what a cute little Intro! 😉 Biology isn’t my strong point.
I read ON ICE as Pierre and Rob T did, and didn’t think of your alternative parsing. ‘Neat’ = ‘nice’ would work well for US solvers, as in “That’s a neat idea” or (as per wiktionary’s suggestion) “Hey, neat convertible, man!” – but it’s not so common over this side of the pond. Also, I think some might raise an eyebrow at 0 = ‘not’, as opposed to ‘nothing’.
In 1ac, I liked the neat (!) way of getting from singular ‘censure’ to plural ADMONITIONS by the use of ‘repeated’.
Thanks Everyman and Pierre.
eb@19, Pierre and Rob T@16 — I think of a “neat” drink as one that hasn’t been diluted with water or soda. Ice just makes it colder, doesn’t dilute (until it starts to melt).
Agree with Valentine @ 20, whisky on the rocks is still neat. Either way, this clue gets thumbs down from me.
DNF for me, not on the right wavelength today.
I swear there are multiple Everymens.
A definite DNF for me. Agree with you Barrie, there must be an Everyman or two lurking over there in the Blighty!