Thank you to Artexlen. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1. Afterthought to take in concerning old forecast (8)
PRESAGED : PS(abbrev. for “postscript”, an afterthought/an additional remark at the end of a letter or an extra piece of information after the event) containing(to take in) RE(with reference to/concerning) + AGED(old/matured).
6. Resistance to backing figure that’s bad (6)
ROTTEN : R(symbol for electrical resistance in physics) + reversal of(… backing) TO + TEN(the figure/number 10).
9. Answer really loudly and declare business (6)
AFFAIR : A(abbrev. for “answer”, as in “Q and A”) + FF(abbrev. for “fortissimo”, a musical direction to play very loudly) plus(and) AIR(to declare/to say openly).
Defn: One’s …/concern.
10. Destroy vessel crossing river with unlimited brio (8)
VAPORISE : VASE(a vessel/jar used for holding cut flowers or as an ornament) containing(crossing) [ PO(river in Italy) plus(with) “brio” minus its 1st and last letters(unlimited …) ].
Defn: To … something by turning it into gas through extreme heat.
11. Anguish for gent regularly overlooked (4)
FRET : “for gent” minus its 2nd, 4th and 6th letters(regularly overlooked).
12. Close attention by chaps, tons giving affection (10)
ENDEARMENT : END(to close/to finish) + EAR(attention/willingness to listen to others) plus(by) MEN(chaps/fellows) + T(abbrev. for “tons”).
14. Sign with tip of nettle that one’s a stinger (8)
SCORPION : SCORPIO(one of the zodiac’s twelve signs, symbolised by a stinger) plus(with) 1st letter of(tip of) “nettle“.
16. Lose footing after lager’s knocked back (4)
SLIP : Reversal of(…’s knocked back) PILS(a type of lager beer).
18. Returning rook feeding young bird (4)
WREN : Reversal of(Returning) [ R(abbrev. for “rook”, in chess notation) contained in(feeding) NEW(young/of recent origin) ].
19. Monstrosity of old yard covered in swill (8)
GARGOYLE : [ O(abbrev. for “old”) + Y(abbrev. for “yard”, as a unit of distance) ] contained in(covered in) GARGLE(to swill/to wash and rinse, in this case, one’s mouth, with liquid).
21. So careless breaking dishes (10)
CASSEROLES : Anagram of(… breaking) SO CARELESS.
A casserole cooked in a casserole:
22. Hollow space dry home for animal (4)
SETT : “space” minus all its inner letters(Hollow …) + TT(dry/abstaining from alcoholic drinks).
24. Being in the grip of virus, large strain for country (8)
BULGARIA : BUG(a virus/a microorganism harmful to one’s health) containing(Being in the grip of …) L(abbrev. for “large”) + ARIA(a strain/a song, in this case, in an opera).
26. Organ and a rodent’s head eaten by cat (6)
LARYNX : [A + 1st letter of(…’s head) “rodent” ] contained in(eaten by) LYNX(one of a species of wild cats).
Defn: …, specifically your voice box.
27. Magnify fourth letter by writer (6)
DEEPEN : DEE(“D”, fourth letter in the alphabet) plus(by) PEN(a writer/a writing instrument).
Defn: … in depth or intensity.
28. Manner in which to hold garden tool for trimming line of bushes (8)
HEDGEROW : HOW(manner/the way of doing something) containing(in which to hold …) EDGER(a garden tool for trimming the edge of a lawn).
Down
2. Direct official dismissing two characters at the end (5)
REFER : “referee”(an official in a contest) minus its last 2 letters(dismissing two characters at the end).
Defn: To …/bring someone’s attention to something or somebody.
3. Small amounts of stuff consumed by rats (11)
SMATTERINGS : MATTER(stuff/substance) contained in(consumed by) SINGS(rats/informs on, to the authorities, say).
4. Shrub from area in middle of bed to pull up (8)
GARDENIA : Reversal of(… up, in a down clue) [ A(abbrev. for “area”) + IN + middle letter of(middle of) “bed” + DRAG(to pull along/haul) ].
5. Biblical tale roughly: lad did endless havoc with giant (5,3,7)
DAVID AND GOLIATH : Anagram of(roughly) [LAD DID + “havoc” minus its last letter(endless …) plus(with) GIANT].
An apt surface for the definition.
6. Withdrawal of soldiers on exercises, all cut short (6)
REPEAL : RE(abbrev. for the Royal Engineers, soldiers in the British Army) placed above(on, in a down clue) PE(abbrev. for “physical education”, instruction in physical exercise) + “all” minus its last letter(cut short).
Defn: A formal …/a revocation of, say, a law.
7. Height of clipped shot (3)
TOR : Last letter deleted from(clipped) “tore”(shot/moved suddenly and rapidly).
8. Craft ales in set required (9)
ESSENTIAL : Anagram of(Craft) ALES IN SET.
13. Wrongly understand disadvantages in fog on French road (11)
MISCONSTRUE : CONS(disadvantages/that which serve as arguments against, say, doing something) contained in(in) MIST(a fog/a cloud of tiny droplets or particles suspended in air) placed above(on, in a down clue) RUE(French for “road”).
15. Arch villain very old getting topped (9)
CURVATURE : CUR(a villain/a rogue) + V(abbrev. for “very”) + “mature”(old/aged) minus its 1st letter(getting topped).
17. Fought with editor after others left (8)
WRESTLED : W(abbrev. for “with”) + { ED(abbrev. for “editor”) placed below(after, in a down clue) [ REST(the others/the remaining ones) + L(abbrev. for “left”) ] }.
20. Test horse going round track before start of race (3,3)
DRY RUN : DUN(a horse with a particular colouring) containing(going round) [ RY(abbrev. for “railway”, which runs on tracks/rails) placed above(before, in a down clue) 1st letter of(start of) “race” ].
Defn: …/a rehearsal.
23. Dance in tartan gown (5)
TANGO : Hidden in(in) “tartan gown“.
25. Break a doctor binds (3)
GAP : A contained in(… binds) GP(abbrev. for “general practitioner”, a non-specialist doctor).
Got all out except ROTTEN & CURVATURE, and couldn’t parse DRY RUN. 5d was pretty obvious after a few intersecting clues, and I couldn’t be bothered parsing it. Pleased there were no obscurities and only one Britishism that I’m now quite familiar with (RE)!
Good fun, thanks Artexlen, and scchua (whose identity I didn’t need to check as I assumed it from the pictures!).
Very nice puzzle, thanks, Artexlen – neat, elegant clues throughout. Particularly liked the apt anagram for DAVID AND GOLIATH. And thanks of course for the blog, scchua.
Re 13D: it has been many years (decades, even) but back in the day, when my French was more fluent, I remember being drilled that “rue” was a “street” and that a road was a “route”. Probably close enough in crossword land…
But, back then, we had adjectives and didn’t have to endure even the ABC referring to football teams as the “England team” and the “France team” instead of “English team” and “French team”.
RE 27A, I don’t see how “by” equates with “plus”. Doesn’t “plus” mean “add two letters” and “by” means “multiply them”? I look forward to further comments.
Anyway, thanks to setter and blogger.
Thanks Artexlen and Scchua
27ac: “by” means “next to”.
Doesn’t seem so difficult looking at the puzzle now, but I found this very hard going with PRESAGED and CURVATURE holding out longest. I agree about the DAVID AND GOLIATH anagram and the surface for LARYNX was appropriately off-putting!
Thanks to Artexlen and scchua
Interesting how we find different clues more challenging – DAVID AND GOLIATH was a write in on the first pass for me, which meant the right hand side went in first as I had more starting letters. It took most of the crossers for me to see CURVATURE too.
Thank you to Artexlen and scchua.
Yes, Shanne@6: I couldn’t resist trying 5d first, and the &littish surface and enumeration (5,3,7) made it my foi.
It seemed in this puzzle that the length of the answer dictated the degree of difficulty: from the oven-ready easier to eat CASSEROLES via the bite-size but toothsome FRET, SLIP, WREN, SETT, down to the amuse-bouches TOR & GAP.
Also liked DRY RUN, HEDGEROW, SMATTERINGS.
loi: CURVATURE – It’s a cracker.
Thanks Artexlen & scchua.
Thanks for the blog, very good set of clues, especially some of the shorter answers
which is not usually the case.
Especially liked SETT – just a mouthful, but chewy. Lovely surface.
Nice crossword. Thanks A&s.