Mudd is today’s compiler.
A comparatively straightforward puzzle – my first pass yielded all but a handful of across answers and all the downs, thanks to crossers, with only BRIDE and FANCY THAT holding me up, the latter becasue I couldn’t see the parsing at first. There were a couple of “crosswordese” references (LOWER for cow, WINGER for bird) that may have confused new setters, but all in all a great puzzle.
Thanks, Mudd.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | IRISH WOLFHOUND |
Found how his lip cut badly, chopper ultimately slicing through – huge canine! (5,9)
|
| *(found how his li) [anag:badly] where LI is LI(p) [cut] with (choppe)R [ultimately] slicing through | ||
| 10 | AWFUL |
Loathsome right snubs leader (5)
|
| (l)AWFUL (“right”) snubs leader (i.e. first letter) | ||
| 11 | NEWS MEDIA |
Latest broadcast is made – by this? (4,5)
|
| NEW (“latest”) + *(is made) [anag:broadcast] | ||
| 12 | TERRACE |
Row in competition after school period finishes early (7)
|
| RACE (“competition”) after TER(m) (“school period”) finishing early | ||
| 13 | RELIEVE |
Comfort always recalled when eating pork pie (7)
|
| <=EVER (“always”, recalled) when eating LIE (“pork pie” in rhyming slang) | ||
| 14 | MINIM |
Unlimited time after time, note (5)
|
| [unlimited] (t)IM(e) after Min, (minute, so “time”) | ||
| 16 | FANCY THAT |
My headgear goes on like trilby, originally (5,4)
|
| HAT (“headgear”) goes on FANCY (“like”) + T(ribly) [originally] | ||
| 19 | SPARK PLUG |
Start and stop engine part (5,4)
|
| SPARK (“start”) + PLUG (“stop”) | ||
| 20 | NEPAL |
Country mucker from Middlesbrough? (5)
|
| NE (North East, so “from Middlesbrough?”) + PAL (“mucker”) | ||
| 22 | ALPACAS |
These American camelids, Andean primarily, in mountain range? (7)
|
| A(merican) C(amelids) A(ndean) [primarliy] in ALPS (“mountain range”) and &lit. | ||
| 25 | TIDIEST |
Most orderly papers, one written in exam (7)
|
| ID (identity “papers”) + I (one) written in TEST (“exam”) | ||
| 27 | RAISE HELL |
Jack, that guy will cause trouble! (5,4)
|
| RAISE (“jack”) + HE’LL (“that guy will”) | ||
| 28 | BRIDE |
Bronzer’s first, then go – for blusher? (5)
|
| B(ronzer) [‘s first] then RIDE (“go”)
“Blushing bride” was riginally a reference to a virgin bride who, lacking sexual experience, might be nervous about her wedding night. |
||
| 29 | WATERLOO BRIDGE |
Crosser of Thames obliged or otherwise to pass what’s in it? (8,6)
|
| *(obliged or) [anag:otherwise] to pass WATER (“what’s in it”, it being the Thames) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | REFERENDA |
Votes wild and free, concerning at first (9)
|
| *(and free) [anag:wild] with RE (“concerning”) at first | ||
| 3 | SALSA |
Lass has danced with a dance! (5)
|
| *(lass) [anag:has danced] with A | ||
| 4 | WONDERFUL |
Great fund, 5 when broke (9)
|
| *(fund lower) [anag:when broke], LOWER being the solution to “5” down | ||
| 5 | LOWER |
Jersey or Guernsey, say – further south? (5)
|
| Double definition, the first referring to that which lows, i.e. a cow (Jersey and Guernsey being breeds of cow) | ||
| 6 | HIMALAYAN |
Dynasty in which I am, a place in 20, for example (9)
|
| HAN (a Chinese “Dynasty”) in which I’M (I am) + A + LAY (“place”), the 20 in the clue referring to NEPAL, the soluton to 20 across. | ||
| 7 | UNDUE |
First couple of numbers in France and Italy not fitting (5)
|
| UN (one in French) + DUE (two in Italian) | ||
| 8 | DEAREST |
Most expensive pet (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | BANTAM |
Chicken covering collar up (6)
|
| <=(MAT (“covering”) + NAB (“collar”), up) | ||
| 15 | MAKE CLEAR |
Explain where a mackerel swims (4,5)
|
| *(a mackerel) [anag:swims] | ||
| 17 | NIGHTCLUB |
New thing hit music venue (9)
|
| *(thing) [anag:new] + CLUB (“hit”) | ||
| 18 | HAPPENING |
Funky event (9)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 19 | SPARROW |
Winger in box spat! (7)
|
| SPAR (“box”) + ROW (“spat”) | ||
| 21 | LITTER |
Swine delivered garbage (6)
|
| Double definiton, the first rederring to newborn piglets | ||
| 23 | POINT |
A little hippo in tricky position (5)
|
| Hidden in [a little] “hipPO IN Tricky” | ||
| 24 | SEE TO |
Deal with articulation of letter and number? (3,2)
|
| Homophone/pun/aural wordplay [articulation of] CEE (“letter”) and TWO (“number”) | ||
| 26 | DUBAI |
Name a capital in Islamic emirate (5)
|
| DUB (“name”) + A + [capital in] I(slamic) |
I agree it was straightforward and I enjoyed it. I ticked SALSA, RAISE HELL NEWS MEDIA and LITTER
Thanks for parsing WATERLOO BRIDGE. I thought IRISH WOLFHOUND was obvious to solve, but the parsing was a bit over the top
Thanks Mudd and loonapick
Entertaining and doable. Liked fancy that. Thanks both.