The unpronouncable one is today's compiler.
At first glance, I thought I was going to be here for some time, but actually a lot fell into place once I had solved the comparatively straightforward long down answers in the first and last columns. These and a few other easier clues gave me enough crossers to complete the rest fairly quickly. It took me a while to parse INSOLVENT and DREW IN, but I think I got there in the end. I've never come across D = death before (5dn) and I'm not qualified to comment on whether a PLOSIVE is a letter or just the sound a letter may represent (4dn). I'm not convinced by COT in MASCOTS either as a manger is not normally for sleeping in.
Thanks, Phssthpok
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MISSTEP |
Woman twirling favourite slip (7)
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MISS ("woman") + [twirling] <=PET ("favourite") |
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| 5 | DEDUCE |
Reason 2 down’s entered (6)
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DEUCE (2, in cards) with D (down) entered |
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| 8 | XYLOPHONE |
Axes chop end off precious musical instrument (9)
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X + Y (axes, in mathematic) + LOP ("chop") + [end off] HONE(y) ("precious") |
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| 9 | REALM |
Authentic capital of magic kingdom (5)
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REAL ("authentic") + [capital of] M(agic) |
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| 11 | DREGS |
Grounds for registration being taken by police officer (5)
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reg. (registration) being taken by DS (Detective Sergeant, so "police officer") |
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| 12 | ISINGLASS |
Revolution beheaded female agent for making things clear (9)
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[beheaded] (r)ISING + LASS ("female") |
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| 13 | LITTERED |
Had babies strewn about (8)
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Double definition |
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| 15 | GENEVA |
What is inherited by Virginia’s lakeside city (6)
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GENE ("what is inherited") by Va. (Virginia) |
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| 17 | SHAMAN |
Sorcerer’s not genuine article (6)
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SHAM ("not genuine") + AN (article) |
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| 19 | ELDRITCH |
Spooky tale’s opening welcomed by unruly children — but not ending (8)
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T(ale) ['s opening] welcomed by *(childre) [anag:unruly] where CHILDRE is CHILDRE(n) but not (the) ending |
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| 22 | INSOLVENT |
Bust make up is worn by half of you (9)
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INVENT ("make up") is worn by [half of] SOL(ver) ("you") |
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| 23 | KINKS |
Fetishes are known to start with tattoos (5)
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K(nown) [to start] with INKS ("tattoos") |
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| 24 | GUEST |
Caught suspected intruder — not at all! (5)
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Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [caught] of GUESSED ("suspected") |
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| 25 | SHODDIEST |
Most grotty dishes do get smashed ahead of time (9)
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*(dishes do) [anag:get smashed] ahead of T (time) |
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| 26 | DEMEAN |
Humiliate compiler in article following editor’s rejection (6)
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ME ("compiler") in (AN ("article") following <=DE ("editor" rejected)) |
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| 27 | MASCOTS |
Talismans include manger in a Christian service (7)
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COT ("manger") in MASS ("a Christian service") A manger is only a cot in Christian mythology – it is actually a trough for feeding animals. |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MIXED BLESSING |
Glibness might result from this combination of positive and negative qualities (5,8)
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If you MIX the letters of BLESSING, the "result might" be GLIBNESS |
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| 2 | SALIENT |
Important military incursion (7)
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Double definition The second definition doesn't appear in my Chambers, but is in Collins. |
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| 3 | TAPAS |
Use fast filling snacks (5)
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TAP ("use") + (f)AS(t) [filling] |
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| 4 | PLOSIVES |
Charges after deleting former lover’s letters (8)
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(ex)PLOSIVES ("charges") after deleting EX ("former lover") Not keen on the definition as a plosive is a sound made by made a release of breath, rather than the letter that may be siginifed by such a sound. |
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| 5 | DREW IN |
Tempted to backtrack with advancing death (4,2)
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REWIN-D ("to backtrack") with D (death) advancing could become D-REW IN According to the three dictionaries I own, D is short for died or dead, but not "death". |
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| 6 | DE RIGUEUR |
Compulsory EU rights guide revised (2,7)
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*(eu rr guide) [anag:revised] where RR is right twice, so "rights" |
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| 7 | CHARADE |
Toast a half-dead farce (7)
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CHAR ("toast") + A + [half-] DE(ad) |
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| 10 | MASSACHUSETTS |
Mass spectrometer’s introduction succeeds as much as test configuration (13)
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S(pectrometer) ['s introduction] succeeds *(as much as test) [anag:configuration] Mass. is an abbreviation for the state of Massachusetts. |
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| 14 | EPAULETTE |
Girl supports end of cake decoration (9)
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PAULETTE ("girl") supports [end of] (cak)E |
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| 16 | PLATFORM |
Manifesto format manipulated by political extremes (8)
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*(format) [anag:manipulated] by P(olitica)L [extremes] |
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| 18 | AUSTERE |
Bleak House’s climax adopted by American writer (7)
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(hous)E ['s climax] adopted by (Paul) AUSTER ("American writer") |
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| 20 | TANGELO |
Hybrid take over’s leading characters include investor (7)
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T(ake) O(ver) ['s leading characters] include ANGEL ("investor") |
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| 21 | LESSON |
Drill more off? (6)
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LESS ON = more off. |
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| 23 | KUDOS |
Glory for solving unfinished su doku (5)
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*(su dok) [anag:solving] where SU DOK is [unfinished] SU DOK(u) |
Enjoyed this challenge. Usually fail on several clues by this setter but managed to finish here, although I didn’t know the second meaning of SALIENT or the writer AUSTER.
I agree that PLOSIVES aren’t ‘letters’, so it took a while before I dared write that one in. Although a manger isn’t a cot, the ‘no crib for a bed’ idea is alluded to in the surface so I’m willing to give the setter some slack on that one.
[I expect that you know that Phssthpok was the name of the Pak in Larry Niven’s SF book Protector?]
muffin @2… here is the Meet the setter for PHSSTHPOK…
I struggled with D=death, PLOSIVES as letters and the US writer in AUSTERE (and shouldn’t adopted indicate inclusion?)
TimC – I took the adoption to be “to take on” so thought it OK
I’m sure a case can be made for adding rather than including the E Loonapick. Just not totally convinced. 🙂
The Ypres Salient was a significant episode in The Great War.
Thanks Phssthpok and Loonapick
4dn: Collins 2023p 1533 has plosive n 2 a plosive consonant
‘Salient’ always makes me think about Wilfred Owen’s wonderful poem ‘Exposure’ which I studied at school. So got that one fairly quickly!
A bit challenging in places, particularly the SW corner, which we only ‘unlocked’ one we realised 1dn was a reverse anagram. But our LOI was DEDUCE – we guessed the clue had nothing to do with 2dn but took ages to see what was really happening. We liked ISINGLASS, ELDRITCH and DE RIGUEUR.
Thanks, Phssthpok and loonapick.
Found it fun but also challenging. Even though I parsed it right, I didn’t think I was right for PLOSIVES or ISINGLASS, not having really hard those used before! Thank God I’ve had a TANGELO. found MASSACHUSETTS fun.
Didn’t enjoy and dnf with about 25% to go. I lost heart despite solving some of the some of the obscurities. This made me think there must be others in there which I would never have got or understood. This proved to be true with some of my misses, though I also failed with a few easy ones.
Not a favourite setter for me.