A nicely-pitched puzzle with not too many difficulties, but one or two parsings that took a while to work out. Thanks to Tramp.
| Across | ||||||||
| 1 | SOLDERING IRONS | They join old singer when playing clubs (9,5) (OLD SINGER)* + IRONS (golf clubs) |
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| 8 | E-CASH | Cut green tree – it might be used for a hedge? (1-4) EC[o] (green) + ASH – hedge as in “a way of protecting oneself against financial loss or other adverse circumstances” |
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| 9 | QUAGMIRE | Complex issue in question: board meeting with anger (8) QU + AGM (board meeting) + IRE |
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| 11 | INTIMAE | They line the arteries in time: fat essentially providing blockage (7) [f]A[t] in IN TIME – intima is “the innermost coating or membrane of a part or organ, especially of a vein or artery” |
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| 12 | PLATEAU | Flatten out gold on layer with metal (7) PLATE (to layer with metal, as in gold plate) + AU (gold) |
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| 13 | WEBER | Women drunk beer: he worked on bars (5) W + BEER* – as a composer, Weber “worked on bars [of music]”. Surely it should be “drank” for the surface reading? |
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| 15 | TEST-DRIVE | Early spin in cricket match: play shot with force (4-5) TEST (cricket match) + DRIVE (play a shot with force). A test-drive is an “early” spin when buying a car |
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| 17 | NONPLUSED | Playing advantage to break John McEnroe – glad, ultimately at a loss for American (9) ON (playing) PLUS (advantage) in [joh]N [mcenro]E [gla]D – the single S is a US spelling, hence “for Americans” |
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| 20 | NESTS | Traps placed outside small dens (5) S in NETS |
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| 21 | ESCORTS | Partners in tight corsets (7) CORSETS* – “tight” means drunk |
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| 23 | SAMURAI | Fighter is harmful when ignoring the odds: right then left from boxer (7) Even letters of iS hArMfUl + R + [Muhammad] ALI less L |
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| 25 | TIRAMISU | I stir middle of cup vigorously drinking morning coffee in this? (8) AM in anagram of I STIR [c]U[P] |
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| 26 | CAPRI | One after wheels? Parking to sit in old Ford (5) P in CAR (wheels) I |
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| 27 | GASTRIC BALLOON | Starter of gazpacho with a mostly tough mushroom: it might stop you getting more food (7,7) G[azpacho] + A + STRIC[t] + BALLOON (to mushroom, grow rapidly) |
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| Down | ||||||||
| 1 | STEVIE WONDER | As singer noted reviews when touring (6,6) (NOTED REVIEW)* – “As” is a Stevie Wonder song |
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| 2 | LEAST | Like to cut rent for poorest (5) AS (like) in LET (rent) |
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| 3 | EPHEMERAL | Brief here? Lap dancing to entertain this writer (9) ME (this writer) in (HERE LAP)* |
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| 4 | INQUEST | Judicial review is through: way to receive pardon for Spaniard (7) QUE (Spanish “what?” or “pardon?”) in IN (through) + ST[reet] |
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| 5 | GRAMPUS | All guys round pinball machine, initially excited: American one with flipper (7) Anagram of the initial letters of All Guys Round Pinball Machine, plus US |
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| 6 | RUMBA | Rhythmic music from drum and bass put together (5) Anagram of |
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| 7 | NURSERIES | New focus for court’s set in order — they might take the kids? (9) N + [co]UR[ts] + SERIES (a set, in order) |
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| 10 | SUPERSTITION | Great teaching out of university – son admitted avoiding 13? (12) S in SUPER T[u]ITION |
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| 14 | BONE CHINA | Single friend after bachelor: could be a dishy thing? (4,5) B + ONE CHINA (friend) |
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| 16 | DYNAMICAL | Cad mainly going out full of energy (9) (CAD MAINLY)* |
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| 18 | SASHIMI | Is mash cooked with one Japanese dish (7) (IS MASH) + I |
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| 19 | DISTURB | Upset detective bust criminal without resistance (7) DI (Detective Inspector) + R in BUST* |
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| 22 | ROAST | Slam in the lamb, perhaps (5) Double definition |
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| 24 | REPRO | Referring to master copy (5) RE + PRO (professional, master) |
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