MOO kicks off the week…
I struggled with some of the parsing today, and I’m still not sure about 17d. (see comment by Moo@3)
However, some great clues, especially 21a.
Thanks MOO!
ACROSS
1. Worry Cockney woman is neglecting duty (6)
EXCISE
EX[er]CISE (worry, ‘ER (cockney woman) is neglecting)
4. Clears off after sex. It’s instinctive (8)
VISCERAL
(CLEARS)* (*off) after VI (sex, Latin for six)
10. Model soldier missing, did you say? (7)
PARAGON
PARA (soldier) + “gone” = GON (missing, “did you say”)
11. Go on at bishop coming in and plonking bottom here? (7)
BEANBAG
BE A NAG (go on at), B (bishop) coming in
12. The Speaker’s laments — a deception? (4)
RUSE
“rues” = RUSE (laments, “the speaker’s”)
13. In error I called cop corrupt (10)
PECCADILLO
(I CALLED COP)* (*corrupt)
15. Mistakes made by shop caught in time (6)
ERRATA
RAT (shop) caught in ERA (time)
16. Remote southern bank (7)
SLENDER
S (southern) + LENDER (bank)
20. Little connection with son’s baby (7)
SWEETIE
(WEE (little) + TIE (connection)) with S (son)
21. Trump: a tax evader (6)
CAPONE
24. Journey demanding speed (10)
EXPEDITION
26. Dread of European trapped in service in recession (4)
FEAR
E (European) trapped in (RAF)< (service, <in recession)
28. Old boys hiding hunger for figures such as these (7)
OBLONGS
OBS (old boys) hiding LONG (hunger)
29. Establishment in which loners seldom found (7)
COMPANY
Double, cryptic, definition
30. Doctor defeats Carlsen at last? It must be fixed! (8)
FASTENED
(DEFEATS [carlse]N (at last))* (*doctor)
31. One who torments Republican visiting China (6)
FRIEND
FIEND (one who torments), R (Republican) visiting
China = china plate = mate
DOWN
1. Wife that was case manager for a businessman? (8)
EXPORTER
EX (wife that was) + PORTER (case manager)
2. Irish town’s gang that got you into the red perhaps (9)
CORKSCREW
CORK’S (Irish town’s) + CREW (gang)
3. Tale of Ottoman rulers overthrown (4)
SAGA
(AGAS)< (Ottoman rulers, <overthrown)
5. Yours truly’s outrage over city bungler (8)
IMBECILE
I’M (your’s truly) + BILE (outrage) over EC (city, postcode)
6. Italian lady careful about getting tipsy on this? (10)
CHARDONNAY
DONNA (Italian lady), CHARY (careful) about
7. Take to the streets and celebrate, having had change of heart (5)
REBEL
REVEL (celebrate, having had change of heart, i.e., the V changes to a B)
8. Many in district changing political allegiance (6)
LEGION
REGION (district, changing political allegiance, i.e., L changes to R)
9. A new setter, heavenly creature (5)
ANGEL
A + N (new) + GEL (setter)
14. Crowd jostling daughter at canteen (10)
ATTENDANCE
(D (daughter) AT CANTEEN)* (*jostling)
17. Old English holding on, that’s clear (9)
EXONERATE
(EX (old) + E (English)) holding ON
I don’t know where the RATE comes from
18. Loathing one’s experience under dictatorial head (8)
DISTASTE
(IS (one’s) + TASTE (experience)) under D[ictatorial] (head)
19. At first young debater badly misled (8)
BETRAYED
(Y[oung] (at first) DEBATER)* (*badly)
22. Briefly glimpse wealthy chap take his leave? (3,3)
SET OFF
SE[e] (glimpse, briefly) + TOFF (wealthy chap)
23. Drop Tory leader? That’s a sore point! (5)
TOUCH
T[ory] (leader) + OUCH (that’s a sore point!)
25. Lots of English drinking beer? On the contrary (5)
PILES
PILS (beer) drinking E (English)
27. Leader’s offence leaving Charlie upset (4)
EMIR
([c]RIME (offence, leaving C (charlie)))< (<upset)
Couldn’t parse 1a. Didn’t know “exercise” could mean “worry”.
Also have no idea where the RATE comes from in 17d.
EXONERATE
I was checking out ERAT if it meant ‘that’s’. No luck there.
Oh dear. 17d should read ‘Old English judge …’. Apologies.
Thanks for clarifying Moo@3
I was also baffled by 17d, although with the def and crossers it shouldn’t have caused too many wrong answers at least.
Very enjoyable, with the NE distinctly more difficult I thought. It did, however, contain my favourite clue: BEANBAG
Thanks Moo and Teacow.
Spent some time trying to fit “leg” for “on” in 17d, before the unparseable EXONERATE became the only option. Otherwise thanks to Moo for some delightful clues: I particularly liked 1d.
Thanks for the blog, many fine clues with neat little ideas.
Thanks to Moo@3 for EXONERATE, these things are bound to happen sometimes.
17d, as corrected by Moo@3, is a very good clue. I was so exercised by my failure to parse it that with expedition I grabbed my corkscrew, opened a bottle of Chardonnay and plonked onto my beanbag to read the blog. Having been exonerated by Moo@3 for my failure, I feel less of an imbecile.
I also liked 1a EXCISE (the surface nicely hides the definition), and Amoeba@5’s favourite, 11a BEANBAG.
Thanks Moo and Teacow for the puzzle and blog.