Thank you to Aardvark Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
1. Creator of 10 computer games keeping quiet about animated character (5,7)
HOMER SIMPSON : HOMER(Greek poet, creator of the epic poem the Odyssey/answer to 10 across) + SIMS(computer video games that simulate an activity such as flying a plane) containing(keeping) P(abbrev. for “piano”, a musical direction to play softly) + ON(about, as in “the talk was on etiquette”).
Bart’s father:
10. Structure’s primarily ignored, certainly, reviewing poem (7)
ODYSSEY : “body”(the physical structure of a person or animal)‘S minus its 1st letter(primarily ignored) + reversal of(…, reviewing) YES(certainly/for sure).
11. Experience again captivating Spain — a number should do this (7)
RELIEVE : RELIVE(to experience again/to undergo for another time) containing(captivating) E(International Vehicle Registration code for Spain).
Defn: …, ie. to deaden physical sensation or thought/to numb as a relief from physical or mental pain.
12. Note jolly Cockney that’s anal retentive? (5)
NAPPY : N(abbrev. for “note”) + ‘APPY(happy/jolly as may be pronounced by a Cockney).
Defn: The “that” in the clue – absorbent material wrapped round a baby’s bottom, including its anus, which can retain its faeces.
13. Colour expert, part of a school possibly (5,3)
LEMON DAB : LEMON(a pale yellow colour) + DAB(or dab hand/an expert/a skilled person).
Defn: … ie. a school of fish.
15. Copy partners in bridge card game amid frantic rate (10)
TRANSCRIBE : [ N,S(abbrev. for , respectively, “North” and “South”, designation for partners in a game of bridge) + CRIB(short for “cribbage”, a card game) ] contained in(amid) anagram of(frantic) RATE.
16. Trapped in Siberia (frozen locks) (4)
AFRO : Hidden in(Trapped in) “Siberia (frozen“.
Defn: … of hair on one’s head.
18. Sky maybe showing end of one-day game (1-3)
I-SPY : ISP(abbrev. for “Internet service provider”, an example of which/maybe is Sky Broadband in the UK) plus(showing) last letter of(end of) “one-day“.
Defn: A guessing ….
20. Mum encircles wood with runner, champ here (10)
STEAKHOUSE : [ SH!(exclamation requesting silence/keep mum!) containing(encircles) TEAK(wood from the tropical hardwood teak tree) ] plus(with) OUSE(a river that runs in North Eastern England).
Defn: A place/here where one will champ/chew a lot and maybe noisily, on meat dishes.
22. Serve, using shoulder power, succeeded (4,4)
BEAR ARMS : BEAR(to shoulder/to carry) + ARM(power/strength) + S(abbrev. for “succeeded”).
Defn: … in the military.
24. Course with endless Mexican food time-consuming? (5)
NATCH : “nacho”(Mexican food in the form of pancakes topped with melted cheese and other toppings) minus its last letter(endless …) containing(-consuming) T(abbrev. for “time”).
Defn: Informal term for “naturally”/”as may be expected”/”of course”, or, “course”.
26. Game flirt snaring Romeo (7)
CROQUET : COQUET(the male counterpart of “coquette”/a flirtatious person) containing(snaring) R(letter in the phonetic alphabet represented by “Romeo”).
27. Person sent to the front, essentially, carrying magazine? (7)
SOLDIER : Cryptic defn: Reference to a battlefront and to a magazine of ammunition.
Reverse wordplay: Inner letters of(essentially, carrying) SOLDIER = OLDIE(a British magazine for older people).
28. Renowned Tudor coin aquatic inhabitant found on islands (7,5)
FRANCIS DRAKE : FRANC(coin in the currency of some countries) + [ DRAKE(an aquatic animal, viz. a male duck) placed after(found on) IS(abbrev. for “islands”) ].
Defn: One who, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of the House of Tudor, became renowned for sailing round the world.
Down
2. Somewhere in Washington, elite national representative hacked (7)
OLYMPIA : “Olympian”(the elite/the best national representative/countryman in a sport competing in the Olympic Games) minus its last letter(hacked).
Defn: A city in Washington State, USA.
3. Lamb perhaps to try first (8)
ESSAYIST : ESSAY(to try/to attempt) + IST(first/1st with the Roman numeral substitution).
Defn: Of which/perhaps is Charles Lamb.
4. Heard lumberjack getting variety of milk (4)
SOYA : Homophone of(Heard) “sawer”(how you might describe a lumberjack/one who fells trees, with a saw, perhaps).
Defn: … made from soya beans.
5. Stream major thrash music (6,4)
MERSEY BEAT : MERSEY(a major river/stream major in North West England, and on which Liverpool stands) + BEAT(thrash/strike repeatedly and violently).
Defn: A genre of popular … developed in and around Liverpool in the late 50s and early 60s.
Blast from the distant past:
6. To anoint unending circle, hand suddenly appears (5)
SALVO : “salve”(to anoint/to apply by smearing or rubbing) minus its last letter(unending) + O(letter representing a circle).
Defn: Hand/applause, as in “give them a big hand”, in an outburst/that which suddenly appears.
7. Much fluorescent lighting elevated party foxtrot (2,3,2)
NO END OF : Reversal of(… elevated, in a down clue) NEON(fluorescent lighting that uses neon gas) + DO(a party/a social function) + F(letter in the phonetic alphabet represented by “foxtrot”).
8. Provider of relief with mug and fresh water for writer (4,9)
JOHN STEINBECK : JOHN(a toilet/that which provides relief when one has to go urinate or defecate) plus(with) STEIN(a large earthenware beer mug) plus(and) BECK(a narrow stream of swiftly flowing/fresh water.
Defn: American ….
9. Adverse Parliamentarian ruined heir’s new land in Wales (13)
PEMBROKESHIRE : Reversal of(Adverse) MEP(abbrev. for “Member of the European Parliament) + BROKE(ruined/bust) + anagram of(… new) HEIR’S.
14. With pounding heart, I’m shaking, getting discipline at school (10)
ARITHMETIC : Anagram of(pounding) HEART, I’M plus(With…) TIC(a spasm/a shaking).
17. Novelist‘s King Charles eating treat (8)
CHANDLER : CR(abbrev. for Charles Rex/King Charles) containing(eating) HANDLE(to treat/to attend to).
Answer: Raymond …, American novelist.
19. Deciding contest, pistol initially firing (4-3)
PLAY-OFF : 1st letter of(… initially) “pistol” + [LAY OFF](firing/dismissal of workers).
Defn: An additional match to decide the winner of a sports competition when two or more have drawn.
21. Reverse opinion about Dicky Hunt, writing agent (7)
UNTHINK : Anagram of(Dicky) HUNT + INK(a writing agent/medium).
Defn: … something.
23. Motorists coming across problem island (5)
ARUBA : AA(abbrev. for “Automobile Association”, an organisation whose members are motorists) containing(coming across) RUB(the central problem/difficulty in a situation).
Defn: … in the Caribbean Sea.
25. Unaltered parsnips regularly selected (2,2)
AS IS : 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th letters of(… regularly selected) “parsnips“.
SOLDIER
peRSon sent to front, essentially= RS reversed (back to front)=SR, magazine=(The) OLDIE, SR carrying OLDIE. &lit.
(Or noSRep essentially=SR)
Think 4 down is homophone of ‘sawyer’
Thanks, Aardvark and scchua (what a lovely puzzle and what a lovelier blog)!
Liked BEAR ARMS, SOLDIER, SALVO and PEMBROKESHIRE.
SOYA
How is ‘sawer’ pronounced? Does it have a ‘y’ sound in it? JJP@2 is right in any case.
Phew! Even for an Aardvark, this was ‘ard work. Still don’t really get SOLDIER. Maybe KVa @1 is correct but I don’t see ‘sent to the front’ as a reversal indicator. Neither does the clue read well as a cryptic definition – it does look as if it should be an &lit. Wasn’t keen on 5d. Who would refer to the Mersey as a stream? As written, ‘major’ seems to be qualifying ‘thrash’ and seems unnecessary.
Having said all that, I did enjoy the slow solving of this.
I agree with Hovis’s assessment but did enjoy this challenging puzzle. Admirable blog so thanks to both.
Too ‘ard. Aardvark used to be achievable, enjoyable and in my “good” list, but his last few have been out of range. After half an hour I’d only solved a handful and I wasn’t enjoying it. So after a quick look at this blog (thank you, scchua) he has now been transferred to my “don’t attempt” list.
Where on earth is aardvark from? I want to know how soya sounds like sawer
Isn’t the word “sawyer”? Which, according to Collins, is pronounced exactly the same as “soya”.
Thanks scchua and Aardvark.
As others above have said this was quite tricky in places with some less than obvious definitions. I enjoyed it although didn’t parse SOLDIER as I’ve never heard of the magazine Oldie. I assumed it was just a cryptic def but it’s much better than that.
JJP@2 is correct I think the homophone at 4D is for SAWYER which I’d say is similar enough to qualify. Certainly more so than sawer. Chambers lists sawyer as a person who makes a living sawing timber.
Parsed SOLDIER as KVA@1 – [pe]RS[on]< round OLDIE and &lit
Hovis@5 – I liked ‘sent to the front’ as a reversal indicator, as well as a phrase to describe cannon-fodder.
Saw SAWYER for SOYA as JJP@2
Is Charles Lamb the only ESSAYIST any setter can ever think of?
David Bowie covered The Merseybeats' Sorrow on Pin Ups(1973) – yet another 50-year-old album anniversary.
Unconvinced by the clue – “Stream major thrash music” – attempting to disguise ’60s pop as downloading music played by the major thrash metal bands.
SOLDIER
‘sent to the front’-I missed the ‘the’.
Probably, it doesn’t change anything as the logic is not accepted by anyone. 🙂
You were sitting somewhere at the back. Then you were sent to the front.
‘Back to front’ for our purposes.
Nice to get a namecheck at 28a
A certain ex-PM (who shall remain nameless), has just named his latest child after Sir FRANCIS, the king that burned the cakes, and the hero of the ODYSSEY.
Poor kid.
FrankieG@11
Sorry. I didn’t check your post before posting mine.
Thanks for the blog , I thought this was really good, clever wordplay throughout.
I see no problems with SOLDIER , I had it almost as in the blog. “Person sent to the front” is a clear definition. “essentially carrying magazine ” is the OLDIE inside the word.
I tried to convince myself that lumberjacks had to ski or there was a word derived from French scier in order to justify SKYR for SOYA. I share the hesitation about “stream major”
Missed the SOYA homophone (yes, Petert @16 I thought of SKYR too) and couldn’t parse SOLDIER which I never would have understood without the help from here. I agree with GDU @7 that Aardavark has been getting harder over the last few months and I was close to giving up with more unsolved.
Thanks to scchua for the helpful blog and to Aardvark for such a challenging puzzle
Nicely challenging puzzle. Thanks, Aardvark and scchua.
I didn’t fully understand the parsing of SOLDIER, but I did spot the reference to the Oldie, which I know of because my dad is a long-time reader (I suspect I’m almost into the target age group myself now). It was founded by a bunch of Private Eye alumni including Richard Ingrams and very much in the same irreverent/iconoclastic vein (not sure if it has a crossword though).
FrankieG @11 – to be fair, Michel de Montaigne would have been a complete giveaway as a definition!
Thanks Aardvark or should I say Hardvark. I eventually solved most of this but it was slow going. I revealed 13a and 9d and I guessed a few others solely by definition. I did like HOMER SIMPSON, JOHN STEINBECK, and FRANCIS DRAKE but most of all I liked the illustrated blog by scchua.
Eek.
Gave up after seven answers after several attempts. An off day for me i think.
I’m with GDU @ 7 – I was not on Aardvark’s wavelength at all. DNF doesn’t come near – solved only half a dozen and gave up. When I read the blog I fully understood why I had a problem – obscure definitions etc (lemon dab, champ = eat here ??? etc). I did get soya as sawyer and nappy. Thanks for the blog!
Homophone means the words sound alike. SOYA and SAWER do no sound alike unless tofu is made from saw beans.