The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29923.
As always, a pleasure to solve from Paul – witty, inventive, quirky and mischievous.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | HOWS THAT |
Bowler, say, after wicket in present appeal (4,4)
|
| A charade of HOWST, an envelope (‘in’) of W (‘wicket’, cricket records) in HOST (‘present’, verb); plus HAT (‘bowler, say’). The clue has an extended definition, again with a cricket reference, although it is more often rendered as something like owzat. | ||
| 6 | ENGAGE |
Time has passed say detaining new recruit (6)
|
| A charade of ENG, an envelope (‘detaining’) of N (‘new’) in E.G. (‘say’); plus AGE (‘time’), with ‘has passed’ suggesting the order of the particles. | ||
| 9 | SCHOOL |
Train left, second half of train first (6)
|
| A charade of S (‘second’) plus ‘half of’ CHOO[-choo] (‘train’) plus L (‘left’). | ||
| 10 |
See 22
|
|
| 11 | HOLD WATER |
Wash, as will washing machine, for example (4,5)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 13 |
See 18
|
|
| 15 | TATTOO |
Exaggerated echoing in flow of universe – superficial design (6)
|
| An envelope (‘in’) of TTO, a reversal (‘echoing’) of OTT (over the top, ‘exaggerated’) in TAO (‘flow of universe’). | ||
| 17 | COLONY |
Settlement describing two dots? (6)
|
| A whimsical formation COLON-Y, with : as the ‘two dots’. | ||
| 18, 13 | TOILET BRUSH |
Bowl cleaner line into Brit and he’s out after a review (6,5)
|
| An envelope (‘into’) of L (‘line’) in TOIETBRUSH, an anagram (‘after a review[) of ‘Brit’ plus ‘hes out’. | ||
| 19 | LETS GO |
Extremes of thoughtlessness in builder? Come on! (4,2)
|
| An envelope (‘in’) of TS (‘extremes of ThoughtlessnesS‘) in LEGO (‘builder’). | ||
| 21 | UNITE |
Ally with entourage stripped back (5)
|
| [r]ETINU[e] (‘entourage’) minus its outer letters (‘stripped’) and reversed (‘back’). | ||
| 22, 10 | GRUMBLING APPENDIX |
Internal problem – reference having that complaint? (9,8)
|
| Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 25 | LITTORAL |
Tortilla cooked beside the water (8)
|
| An anagram (‘cooked’) of ‘tortilla’. | ||
| 26, 29 | WIND-UP MERCHANT |
Infuriating type, retailer of clockwork mechanisms? (4-2,8)
|
| Definition and literal interpretation. | ||
| 28 | IGNORE |
Blank page released from grip, one that’s tight (6)
|
| An anagram (‘that’s tight’) of ‘gri[p] one’ minus the P (‘page released’). | ||
| 29 |
See 26
|
|
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | ORC |
Light-skinned monster (3)
|
| A subtraction: [t]ORC[h] (‘light’-) minus its outer letters (-‘skinned’). | ||
| 3 | SWORD |
Steel, silver, silicon or scandium, say? (5)
|
| S-WORD (Silver, Silicon or Scandium, say’). | ||
| 4 | HALF A DOZEN |
Six eggs I eye, loosely speaking, would be twice that? (4,1,5)
|
| ‘Eggs I eye’ sounds somewhat like (‘loosely speaking’) XII (Roman numeral, 12). | ||
| 5 | THAMES |
Trains including first from Hillingdon that runs through London (6)
|
| An envelope (‘including’) of H (‘first from Hillingdon’) in TAMES (‘trains’). | ||
| 6 | EXPO |
Fair seductress disrobed (4)
|
| A subtraction: [s]EXPO[t] (‘sedructress’) minus the outer letters (‘stripped’). | ||
| 7 | GINORMOUS |
Huge trapper or trappee detailed? (9)
|
| A charade of GIN (‘trapper’ – trap) plus ‘or’ plus MOUS[e] (‘trapee’) minus its last letter (‘detailed’). | ||
| 8 | GRIMSBY TOWN |
Gloomy street crossing near particular football club (7,4)
|
| A charade of GRIM (‘gloomy’); plus SBYT, an envelope (‘crossing’) of BY (‘near’) in ST (‘street’); plus OWN (‘particular’). GRIMSBY TOWN FC is not exactly Premier League; its major success seems to have been to reach the FA Cup semifinals twice (in the 1930s; actually, they have had more recent achievements) | ||
| 12 | OUTSTANDING |
Sovereign to be paid (11)
|
| Double definition. | ||
| 14 | HOVER MOWER |
Five torpedoes where room built for blade-on-blade machine (5,5)
|
| An envelope (‘torpedoes’) of V (Roman numeral, ‘five’) in HOERMOWER, an anagram (‘built’) of ‘where room’, with a cryptic definition in which the first ‘blade’ is a cutter, and the second, grass.. | ||
| 16 | THIRTY-TWO |
Every man on board has to try with all at sea (6-3)
|
| An anagram (‘all at sea’) of ‘to try with’; the ‘board’ in the definition being a chess board. | ||
| 20 | PRELIM |
Trial where runner climbs towards peak in Peru (6)
|
| A charade of P (‘peak n Peru’) plus RELIM, a reversal (‘climbs’ in a down light) of MILER (‘runner’), with ‘towards’ suggesting the order of the particles. | ||
| 23 |
See 24
|
|
| 24, 23 | FREE LUNCH |
Article in Spanish university in another language that supposedly doesn’t exist! (4,5)
|
| An envelope (‘in’ – the second one) of EL (‘article in Spanish’) plus U (‘university’) in FRENCH (‘another language’). | ||
| 27 | URN |
In audition, make pot (3)
|
| Sounds like (‘in audition’) EARN (‘make’). |
Liked the cryptic defs. Liked HALF A DOZEN even more.
Thanks Paul and PeterO.