It seems to me that it has been a while since we last heard from Moo, . . .
. . . and for a number of clues, it took me a few minutes to get back into a Moo state of mind. Not to worry, though. I think I tuned back in successfully when all was said and done.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | DECORATE |
Give medal to Grace? (8)
|
| Double definition, with a capitalization misdirection | ||
| 5 | COUPLE |
Item left in car (6)
|
| L (left) inside (in) COUPÉ (car) | ||
| 10 | AGONISE |
Worry past is constraining north European (7)
|
| [{AGO (past) + IS} around (constraining) N (north)] + E (European) | ||
| 11 | EPISTLE |
Letter from desperate elites clinging to power (7)
|
| Anagram of (desperate) ELITES around (clinging to) P (power) | ||
| 12 | LANDSCAPE |
Nothing initially in boy’s head but painting (9)
|
| First letter of (initially) N[OTHING] inside (in) LAD’S (boy’s) + CAPE (head) | ||
| 13 | MALAY |
Language complaint board ultimately rejected (5)
|
| MALA[D]Y (complaint) minus (rejected) last letter of (ultimately) [BOAR]D | ||
| 15 | NORMA |
Line missing from ordinary opera (5)
|
| NORMA[L] (ordinary) minus (missing from) L (line) | ||
| 16 | SWEEPING |
General’s son in tears (8)
|
| S (son) + WEEPING (in tears) | ||
| 19 | INGESTED |
Somehow Enid gets taken in (8)
|
| Anagram of (somehow) ENID GETS | ||
| 20 | RIOJA |
Ontario janitor knocking back the red? (5)
|
| Hidden in (knocking back) [ONTA]RIO JA[NITOR] | ||
| 21 | CHEEP |
Professor’s vulgar tweet (5)
|
| Homophone of (professor’s, i.e., of one who professes) CHEAP (vulgar) | ||
| 23 | RETROUSSÉ |
Trousers lost by launderette finally turned up (9)
|
| Anagram of (lost) TROUSERS + last letter of (finally) [LAUNDERETT]E | ||
| 25 | ADDRESS |
Attend to speech (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 27 | REALIST |
Others eclipsing heavyweight once, no dreamer he (7)
|
| REST (others) around (eclipsing) [Muhammad] ALI (heavyweight once) | ||
| 28 | STEADY |
Be careful, young man (6)
|
| Double definition, the first, as an admonition; the second, in the sense of “boyfriend” | ||
| 29 | SEVERELY |
Badly cut English lady’s clothing (8)
|
| SEVER (cut) + E (English) + outside letters of (clothing [of]) L[AD]Y | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | DEADLINE |
Why you couldn’t get an answer last time? (8)
|
| DEAD LINE (why you couldn’t get an answer, as on a telephone) | ||
| 2 | CROWN PRINCE |
Boast about new musician, one who will succeed (5,6)
|
| CROW (boast about) + N (new) + PRINCE [Rogers Nelson] (musician) | ||
| 3 | REINSTATE |
Restore Main Street, foolishly wasting millions (9)
|
| Anagram of (foolishly) {[M]AIN STREET} minus (wasting) M (millions) | ||
| 4 | THETA |
Letter from ambassador at heart of Times article (5)
|
| [HE (ambassador, i.e., His Excellency) inside (at heart of) {T + T} ([two] times)] + A (article), with a capitalization misdirection | ||
| 6 | ODIUM |
Hate old allegations coming back to bite one (5)
|
| O (old) + MUD (allegations) inverted (coming back) around (to bite) I (one) | ||
| 7 | POT |
Kitty weed in sink (3)
|
| Triple definition | ||
| 8 | ELEGY |
Requiem for one inhabiting cathedral city (5)
|
| E.G. (for one) inside (inhabiting) ELY (cathedral city) | ||
| 9 | REVEREND |
Clergyman beginning to rush, always on edge (8)
|
| First letter of (beginning to) R[USH] + EVER (always) + END (edge) | ||
| 14 | LANGOUSTINE |
Auntie longs to cook a bit of seafood (11)
|
| Anagram of (to cook) AUNTIE LONGS | ||
| 16 | SATIRISE |
Day I rebel results in ridicule (8)
|
| SAT. (day) + I + RISE (rebel) | ||
| 17 | PARSONAGE |
Call about crime in priest’s accommodation (9)
|
| PAGE (call) around (about) ARSON (crime) | ||
| 18 | TAPESTRY |
Record judge defending second hanging (8)
|
| {TAPE (record) + TRY (judge)} around (defending) S (second) | ||
| 21 | CRASS |
His Majesty on dope? That’s silly (5)
|
| CR (His Majesty) + ASS (dope) | ||
| 22 | PLEAD |
Beg Penny to go first (5)
|
| P (penny) + LEAD (to go first), with a capitalization misdirection | ||
| 24 | TERSE |
Blunt anxious after change of heart (5)
|
| TE[N]SE (anxious) changing the middle letter to R (after a change of heart) | ||
| 26 | DIE |
Pass festival on way north (3)
|
| EID (festival) inverted (on way north) |
One clue virtually identical to one in Maskarade’s in today’s Guardian, and even in the same position in the grid. What are the chances? It felt like déjà vu.