A fine Quiptic from Budmo, which I fancy will appeal to newer and improving solvers.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed
definitions are underlined
Across
1 Spooner’s magnificent research area: what Trump has planned for Canada?
LANDGRAB
Spooner might have the solution as GRAND LAB.
6 Single men on vacation in August
SOLEMN
A charade of SOLE and M[E]N.
9 Mature women infiltrating party
GROW UP
An insertion of W in GROUP. The insertion indicator is ‘infiltrating’.
10 Revolutionary dull way to transfer money for sheath
SCABBARD
A reversal of DRAB and BACS. BACS stands for Bankers’ Automated Clearing System.
11 Speedy male hare perhaps makes easy money
A FAST BUCK
Well, a ‘speedy male hare’ would be A FAST BUCK.
13 America determinedly protecting army trainee
CADET
Hidden in AmeriCA DETerminedly.
15 Make good broadcast on salesperson
REPAIR
A charade of REP and AIR.
17 Rejects study that is small
DENIES
A charade of DEN, IE for id est and S.
18 Second best shriek
SCREAM
A charade of S and CREAM.
19 Immediately starts to put rapeseed oil next to olives
PRONTO
The initial letters of the final six words of the clue.
21 Regulars in small town’s shop
SALON
The odd letters of SmAlL tOwN.
22 Fizzy wine left around outskirts of Dundee for procession
CAVALCADE
A charade of CAVA, L, CA for circa or ‘around’ and DE for the outside letters of ‘Dundee’.
25 Finished up like a devil
FIENDISH
(FINISHED)* with ‘up’ as the anagrind.
26 Bands of criminals pinching English holy water?
GANGES
An insertion of E in GANGS. The insertion indicator is ‘pinching’. The River Ganges is sacred to Hindus.
28 Director’s point of view close to unconscionable
ANG LEE
A charade of ANGLE and E for the final letter of ‘unconscionable’.
29 Spoil moment with appointed primate
MARMOSET
A charade of MAR, MO and SET.
Down
2 Titania, perhaps, losing wings’ feeling
AIR
[F]AIR[Y]. Titania was Queen of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
3 Party with Poles in rolling uplands
DOWNS
A charade of DO, W for ‘with’ and NS for the two poles.
4 American rightwinger concerning landlord
REPUBLICAN
A charade of RE and PUBLICAN.
5 Fundamental principles in stall F announced?
BASICS
Aural wordplay (‘announced’) for BAY SIX, which could be the sixth stall along.
6 Join main man’s introduction
SEAM
A charade of SEA and M for the initial letter of ‘man’.
7 Sign Iran worried individual working quietly with books?
LIBRARIAN
A charade of LIBRA and (IRAN)* with ‘worried’ as the anagrind.
8 Singer exercising Mormon ideas?
MARIE OSMOND
(MORMON IDEAS)* with ‘exercising’ as the anagrind. The Osmonds (remember them?) were, and apparently still are, devout members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so it’s a cad.
12 Burst into tears if in emergency response centre
FIRE STATION
(INTO TEARS IF)* with ‘burst’ as the anagrind.
14 Behind park officer is someone doing reorganisation
REARRANGER
A charade of REAR and RANGER.
16 A male child needs extra love, primarily, in office at work
PERSONNEL
A charade of PER, SON and NEL for the initial letters of ‘needs’, ‘extra’ and ‘love’. More often called HR these days. ‘The pears are £1.50 a/per kilo.’
20 Understand what 6 ft is
FATHOM
A dd.
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made …
23 Prisoner to leave course in Africa
CONGO
A charade of CON and GO.
24 Penalty is OK
FINE
A dd.
27 Back to life, back to reality, back to life, with this you can see
EYE
The last letters of ‘life’, ‘reality’ and ‘life’ again.
Many thanks to Budmo for this week’s Quiptic.
I did not fully parse 8d.
New for me: BACS = Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services (for 10ac).
A little extra context for 27d
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_to_Life_(However_Do_You_Want_Me)
Thanks for the blog! In 25a, I think that the part of the clue that should be underlined is “like a devil”.
Thanks, majortom. Corrected.
Quipticky in general, but with some obscurities, for me at least; some were guesses. Not sure about the definition of PERSONNEL (should “in” be included, maybe? and even so) and where A comes from in A FAST BUCK. DOWNS is a great clue, as is LANDGRAB. Thanks Budmo and Pierre!
Thank you Pierre. Great blog as always. I wondered how accessible was the A >per (each) in the clue for PERSONNEL, but you’ve spelt that out. It’s been commented on in the full strength cryptics, where, even knowing the trick, it’s often missed. Nicely disguised too, as it’s the first letter and capitalised.
I had a sense there may be a fairly pervasive political theme, but it was probably just my horror reading the news before the crossword came up and maybe I’m reading too much into things.
My favourites were FATHOM, MARIE OSMOND, BASICS, ANG LEE, and GANGES (thanks to a comment by Ramanath on the G site).