GURNEY kicks off the week…
A nice gentle start. Very enjoyable.
Thanks GURNEY!
ACROSS
1. One refusing to compromise — sit up angrily, making case for resistance (6)
PURIST
(SIT UP)* (*angrily) making case for R (resistance)
4. Hard-working farm promises to pay (8)
STUDIOUS
STUD (farm) + IOUS (promises to pay)
9. Nice, say, to have fragrant rose, reminder somewhat on reflection (6)
RESORT
([fragran]T ROSE R[eminder])< (somewhat, <on reflection)
10. Formal work, a pleasure, is close to sublime (8)
TREATISE
TREAT (a pleasure) + IS + [sublim]E (close to)
12. First-class flier I’d diverted — here? (8)
AIRFIELD
A (first class) + (FLIER ID)* (*diverted)
13. More passionate conflict by French waters (6)
WARMER
WAR (conflict) by MER (French waters)
15. Look closely at initially suspicious container (4)
SCAN
S[uspicious] (initially) + CAN (container)
16. NI girls try dancing in exciting way (10)
STIRRINGLY
(NI GIRLS TRY)* (*dancing)
19. Vidi, one might say (3-7)
EYE-WITNESS
Cryptic definition.
Vidi = I saw in Latin
20. Way up at hand? To some extent (4)
PATH
[u]P AT H[and] (to some extent)
23. Animal, much-loved, invariably obedient? (6)
PUPPET
PUP (animal) + PET (much loved)
25. Suave, finding somewhere to rest on return before broadcasting (8)
DEBONAIR
(BED)< (somewhere to rest, <on return) before ON AIR (broadcasting)
27. Astonished from beginning, took prime position (8)
STARTLED
START (beginning) + LED (took prime position)
28. Monument you discovered in New York? (6)
STATUE
U (you) discovered in STATE (New York?)
29. Separate, careful to avoid embarrassment, they say (8)
DISCRETE
"discreet" = DISCRETE (careful to avoid embarrassment, "they say")
30. One acting in relation to information given ahead of time (6)
REGENT
RE (in relation to) + GEN (information) given ahead of T (time)
DOWN
1. Maybe a surprised expression on second thoughts (7)
PERHAPS
PER (a) + HA (surprised expression) on PS (second thoughts)
2. Refuse car trip and come to notice again (9)
RESURFACE
3. Not to be commended? Very right, investigator declares at the outset (6)
SORDID
SO (very) + R (right) + DI (investigator) + D[eclares] (at the outset)
6. New ATM card I invested in is effective (8)
DRAMATIC
(ATM CARD)* (*new), I invested in
7. Hate element no longer small (5)
ODIUM
[s]ODIUM (element, no longer S (small))
8. Have great confidence in son — stand alongside (5,2)
SWEAR BY
S (son) + WEAR (Stand) + BY (alongside)
11. Glaringly obvious nocturnal type’s cornering learner worker (7)
BLATANT
(BAT (nocturnal type) cornering L (learner)) + ANT (worker)
14. Correct, about basics ultimately, do well (7)
PROSPER
PROPER (correct) about [basic]S (ultimately)
17. Ensure person being funded is seen round Dubai on regular basis (9)
GUARANTEE
GRANTEE (person being funded) is seen around [d]U[b]A[i] (on a regular basis)
18. Board member appalling — constant flipping nonsense! (8)
DIRECTOR
DIRE (appalling) + C (constant, speed of light) + (ROT)< (nonsense, <flipping)
19. Formerly worked as model with little protection (7)
EXPOSED
EX (formerly) + POSED (worked as model)
21. Product from earth’s very fresh (7)
HARVEST
(EARTHS + V (very))* (*fresh)
22. Bravo! Shout of encouragement embracing non-drinker’s courage (6)
BOTTLE
B (bravo) + (OLE (shout of encouragement) embracing TT (non-drinker))
24. Has idea of climbing mountain with Poles in support (5)
PLANS
(ALP)< (mountain, <climbing) with N S (poles, North and South) in support
26. Allowed to include female side (4)
LEFT
LET (allowed) to include F (female)
Found this a lot easier than normal for this setter. In 18d, I took C as a generic constant (as often seen in constants of integration, for example) rather than the specific speed of light one, but that’s neither here nor there.
Lovely Monday puzzle – found bottom half took longer than the top half.
Favourites: PUPPET, DEBONAIR, REGENT, PERHAPS, BLATANT, DIRECTOR
Thanks Gurney and Teacow
Once again, I’m on me own.
I found this a rough ride, in places. In my defence, 14(d), is an island of pain. 7 letters, first and last uncrossed, only 3 crossers. ( PROSPER) .
It didn’t help, that I didn’t see , the EYE-WITNESS, until it came to trial. 19(ac).
It’s an excellent puzzle, I can’t fault it.
But…..” a nice gentle start”? And Hovis concurs?
Even now, (8d), I don’t get STAND=WEAR .
Is it ” I can’t stand for this” = “I can’t wear it” ?
I can only hope somebody else out there, found it a teensy bit tough.
Big thanks ‘though, Gurney & Teacow
Liked EYE-WITNESS, PERHAPS and DIRECTOR (another who took constant as a mathematical constant C).
E.N.Boll&@3
Some online dictionaries say WEAR means ‘tolerate’ (& many other things).
I can’t stand it=I can’t wear it?
That said, I have seen this equivalence in at least one other puzzle before.
Thanks Gurney & Teacow
Agreed it was a gentle start to the week, though I still don’t see the WEAR/STAND connection, and EYE WITNESS took an inordinate amount of time for some reason. My COD was 21D for its simple elegance.
Thanks to setter and blogger as always.
We found this a medium-difficulty puzzle but completed it all, just needing to consult a thesaurus a couple of times. EYE-WITNESS took a bit of working out, and we only saw the parsing of DIRECTOR as we wrote it in.
Thanks, Gurney and Teacow.
@5 JKT my Chambers has wear – Scots – to tolerate.
thanks to Gurney for a terrific puzzle and Teacow for a blog to match.
Enjoyable start the week
Favourite was Eye Witness
Thanks to all
Many thanks for the excellent blog, Teacow, and thanks also to all who commented.
“Wear” = “Stand” is given in Collins as English slang synonym in the sense mentioned in some comments above.
Similar experience to allan_c. I found some of this tough
Liked REGENT, PERHAPS and RESORT
Why does “you discovered” = u?
Thanks Gurney and Teacow
Re #10, “discovered in” is insertion indicator here with u = you from, say, text messaging
aha! thank you
E.N.B.@3, fear not, you are not alone. I too found this tough. And like you, I thought it was an excellent puzzle. I had a semi-parsed ROSARY (a reminder somewhat on reflection) at 9a – a product of over-complicating a straightforward reversal clue.
Thanks, G&T, for the refreshing puzzle and blog (gentle assessment notwithstanding).
ENB@3 – me 3. Could’ve even open up the top left quarter, except for 15A. Not that, by any means, completing the whole thing is usual.