Guardian Cryptic crossword No 29,834 by Kite

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The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29834.

I started off at a fast pace with much of the upper half, slowed down below, and finally came to a screeching halt with 11A COMPONENT.

ACROSS
1 ATROCIOUS
Horrible US car I too exchanged (9)
An anagram (‘exchanged’) of ‘US car I too’.
6 LENS
What one needs to see clearly in European city (4)
Double definition; the ‘European city’ is in France, although there are municipalities of the same name in Belgium and Switzerland.
10 SCOUR
Briefly scrub middle of pot vigorously? (5)
An anagram (‘vigorously’) of ‘scru[b]’ minus its last letter (‘briefly’) plus O (‘middle of pOt’) with an &lit definition..
11 COMPONENT
Part of short quiz, perhaps about medical speciality (9)
Over to you: I cannot see any justifiable wordplay – at a stretch, CONT[est] might be a ‘short quiz perhaps’, but the envelope contents tell me nothing.
12 SET MENU
Little choice in this as soldiers arrange uniform clothes (3,4)
An envelope (‘clothes’) of MEN (‘soldiers’) in SET (‘arrange’) plus U (‘uniform’).
13 LASAGNE
Way to give in and make pasta (7)
An envelope (‘in’) of SAG (‘give’) in LANE (‘way’).
14 INDISPENSABLE
Inside damage hampers prison’s key (13)
An envelope (‘hampers’) of PEN’S (‘prison’s’) in IN (‘inside’) plus DISABLE (‘damage’).
17 AUDITORY CANAL
Knock out any radical listening 11 (8,5)
An anagram (‘knock’) of ‘out any radical’; ’11’ is COMPONENT, the answer to 11A.
21 GLACIER
Slippery creeper in German city colder after opening shed (7)
A charade of G (‘German’) plus LA (‘city’) plus [i]CIER (‘colder’) minus its first letter (‘after opening shed’).
22 SURNAME
Appellation of South American country that’s not independent (7)
A subtraction: SUR[i]NAME (‘South American country’) minus the I (‘that’s niot independent’).
24 ITINERANT
Travelling author is reportedly expressing anger about temperature (9)
An envelope (‘about’) of T (the first one, ‘temperature’) in I (the ‘author’ of the clue) plus INERANT, sounding like (‘reportedly’) IN A RANT (‘expressing anger’).
25 DHOBI
Asian cleaner content to mend hob initially (5)
A hidden answer (‘content to’) in ‘menD HOB Initially’. An Indian washerman.
26 MEET
Bee has to swarm around (4)
A reversal (‘around’) of TEEM (‘swarm’).
27 SPEARHEAD
Lead weapon with tip (9)
A charade of SPEAR (‘weapon’) plus HEAD (‘tip’).
DOWN
1 ASSASSIN
Butcher two turkeys at home (8)
A charade of ASS ASS (‘two turkeys’) plus IN (‘at home’).
2 ROOST
Son’s in bottom bed (5)
An envelope (‘in’) of S (‘son’) in ROOT (‘bottom’).
3 CAREERS ADVISER
One helping pupils to see arrives unexpectedly with card (7,7)
An anagram (‘unepectedly’) of ‘see arrives’ plus ‘card’.
4 OCCLUDE
Stop officer speaking as represented here (7)
A charade of OC (‘officer’ commanding) plus CLUDE, sounding like (‘speaking’) CLUED (‘as represented here’).
5 SAMPLES
Models showing more than enough onboard (7)
‘Onboard’ needs to be read as IN A SHIP: an envelope (IN) of AMPLE (‘more than enough’) in SS (A SHIP).
7 EVERGREEN
Fancy veneer over work unit is remaining fresh (9)
An envlope (‘over’) of ERG (‘work unit’) in EVREEN, an anagram (‘fancy’) of ‘veneer’.
8 SETTER
Maybe Kite’s sun gel (6)
Triple definition.
9 HORSEBACK RIDER
One who got up and chaired brokers’ assembly (9,5)
An anagram (‘assembly’) of ‘chaired brokers’).
15 DRAMATISE
Short, dull artist leaving one section for stage (9)
A charade of DRA[b] (‘dull’) minus its last letter (‘short’) plus MATIS[s]E (‘artist’) minus an S (‘leaving one section’).
16 BLUEBIRD
American winger from United blocking lively dribble (8)
An envelope (‘blocking’) of U (‘United’) in BLEBIRD, an anagram (‘lively’) of ‘dribble’).
18 THREADS
Goes through the unfinished books (7)
A charade of ‘th[e]’ minus its last letter (‘unfinished’) plus READS (‘books’, noun).
19 ROSETTE
Brunettes originally turned up, embracing prize (7)
A reversed (‘turned up’ in a down light) hidden (’embracing’) answer in ‘brunETTES ORiginally’).
20 AGEISM
Kinky male geisha not happy at first produces discrimination (6)
An anagram (‘kinky’) of M (‘male’) plus ‘geis[h]a’ minus the H (‘not Happy at first’).
23 ADORE
A pronounced opportunity for love (5)
A charade of ‘a’ plus DORE, sounding like (”pronounced’) DOOR (‘opportunuty’),

picture of the completed grid

13 comments on “Guardian Cryptic crossword No 29,834 by Kite”

  1. Re: COMPONENT I had trouble too. OneLook says COMPos are “Examinations assessing students’ academic knowledge”, which would do for quiz, plus ON for about, plus Ear, Nose and Throat. That’s the best I can do.

    Spent a while trying to justify AMORE until I saw ADORE. The rest went in without too much difficulty.

    LENS struck a chord because I just had a new one fitted this morning (cataract surgery).

    Tx

  6. Quite a workout and a very tricky one too.As everyone ,i too can’t figure out COMPONENT.Re:clue 8d,is SETTER a colloquial term for sun?

  7. 26 took an age to parse, last word in the clue was of course where I should have been looking,
    Dolt I am!

  9. For 11a I had Comp (common abbreviation of Complementary Exam, one held in special circumstances) on ENT, giving COMPONENT

  10. Very taken with the definition for GLACIER, DRAMATISE made me laugh and ROSETTE is nicely hidden.

    I agree with those seeing COMP as the ‘short quiz’, followed by ON and ENT: I have heard people talk of ‘comping magazines’ which contain loads of quizzes etc and Chambers gives comp /komp/ (informal)
    noun
    A compositor
    An accompanist
    A competition
    A complimentary ticket, etc
    A comprehensive school
    intransitive verb
    To work as a compositor
    To play an accompaniment
    To enter competitions in newspapers, magazines, etc
    comˈper noun
    A person who regularly enters competitions

    Thanks both

  11. Jay dee @6, the sun is a setter because each evening it sets. A cryptic crossword old chestnut, along the lines of flower for river …

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