The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29983.
A new compiler, and a welcome puzzle with a broad range of references. The top and bottom rows read “Today and tomorrow”.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | ESPERANTO |
2 sat wagging tongue (9)
|
| An anagram (‘wagging’) of OPENER (‘2’ – the answer to 2D) plus ‘sat’. | ||
| 10 | NAIRA |
West African rhino has Unitarian retreating (5)
|
| A hidden (‘has’ with an unusual but possible word order) reversed (‘retreating’) answer in ‘UnitARIAN‘. ‘Rhino’ as money – it is the Nigerian currency. | ||
| 11 | DENIM |
Material taken from ground from the east (5)
|
| A reversal (‘from the east’ in an across light)of MINED (‘taken from the ground’). | ||
| 12 | EDELWEISS |
White flower displayed by Wise when playing with Leeds (9)
|
| An anagram (‘when playing’) of ‘Wise’ plus (‘with’) ‘Leeds’. | ||
| 13 | BAROQUE |
Extravagantly ornate vessel loaded with cargo at the back (7)
|
| An envelope (‘loaded with’) of O (‘cargO at the back’) in BARQUE (sailing ‘vessel’). | ||
| 14 | INSISTS |
Popular sibling without hesitation beginning to suggest demands (7)
|
| A charade of IN (‘popular’) plud SIST[er] (‘sibling’) minus ER (‘without hesitation’) plus S (‘beginning to Suggest’). | ||
| 17 | IMBUE |
Hat is miserable, lacking will ultimately to inspire (5)
|
| A charade of I’M (‘Hat is’) plus B[l]UE (‘miserable’) minus the L (‘lacking wilL ultimately’). | ||
| 19 | FEE |
Regularly offered payment (3)
|
| Alternate letters (‘regularly’) of ‘oFfErEd’. | ||
| 20 | EGYPT |
Torture admitted by alien nation (5)
|
| An envelope (‘admitted by’) of GYP (‘torture’ as extreme pain) in ET (‘alien’). | ||
| 21 | PIRANHA |
Quiet country hotel, first-class fish (7)
|
| A charade of P (piano, ‘quiet’) plus IRAN (‘country’) plus H (‘hotel’) plus A (‘first-class’). | ||
| 22 | CRUMBLE |
Last slice of Arctic roll for pud (7)
|
| A charade of C (‘last slice of arctiC‘) plus RUMBLE (‘roll’). | ||
| 24 | GREEN BEAN |
Inexperienced head that’s likely to get chopped (5,4)
|
| A charade of GREEN (‘inexperienced’) plus BEAN (‘head’). | ||
| 26 | ATLAS |
Broad-shouldered bloke getting time off finally (5)
|
| A subtraction: AT LAS[t] (‘finally’) minus the second T (‘getting tiem off’). | ||
| 28 | SOLAR |
Former garret, very large area, right? (5)
|
| A charade of So (‘very’) plus L (‘large’) plus A (‘area’) plus R (‘right’). | ||
| 29 | CHOCOLATE |
Teach cool new Topic? (9)
|
| An anagram (‘new’) of ‘teach cool’, with indication by example, Topic being a discontinued brand name of a chocolate bar. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | TEND |
Watch over third of Penelope Cruz covers (4)
|
| An envelope (‘covers’) of N (‘third of PeNelope’) in TED (‘Cruz’, American politician). | ||
| 2 | OPENER |
Batter, work Frenchman over (6)
|
| A charade of OP (‘work’) plus ENER, a reversal (‘over’) of RENÉ (‘Frenchman’). | ||
| 3 | DRAMA QUEEN |
Run out of tent seized by darn crazy hysteric (5,5)
|
| An envelope (‘seized by’) of MA[r]QUEE (‘tent’) mnus the R (‘run out of’) in DRAN, an anagram (‘crazy’) of ‘darn’. | ||
| 4 | ANNEXE |
Military standard unveiled by East Wing (6)
|
| Over to you: I cannot see the wordplay. | ||
| 5 | YOSEMITE |
The Times: Oysters Turned Up Outside Sam’s Home (8)
|
| A hidden (‘outside’) reversed (‘turned up’) answer in ‘thE TIMES OYsters’. Yosemite Sam is a character in Loony Tunes cartoon films. | ||
| 6 | ANEW |
A congested city rises again (4)
|
| A charade of ‘a’ plus NEW, a reversal (‘rises’ in a down light) of WEN (‘congested city’ – London has been called The Great Wen). | ||
| 7 | NIJINSKY |
Judi exhausted, carried by terribly skinny chap in tights (8)
|
| An envelope (‘carried by’) of JI (‘JudI exhausted’) in NINSKY, an anagram (‘terribly’) of ‘skinny’., for the Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. | ||
| 8 | DAIS |
Welshman’s platform (4)
|
| DAI’S. | ||
| 13 | BLIMP |
Low character, Liberal, one probing British parliamentarian (5)
|
| An envelope (‘probing’) of L (‘Liberal’) plus I (‘one’) in B (‘British’) plus MP (‘parliamentarian’). The ‘Low character’ being Colonel Blimp, a cartoon character created by David Low. | ||
| 15 | SPECULATOR |
Vegas’s last crook gambler (10)
|
| A charade of S (‘VegaS‘s last’) plus PECULATOR (someone who steals entrusted funds, ‘crook’). | ||
| 16 | SATIE |
French barman posed, tied, naked (5)
|
| A charade of SAT (‘posed’) plus IE (‘tIEd naked’), for the French composer (‘barman’) Erik Satie. | ||
| 18 | BORDELLO |
Nick rolled over, rolled over topless in brothel (8)
|
| A charade of BOR, a reversal (the first ‘rolled over’) of ROB (‘nick’) plus DELLO, a reversal (‘over’) of ‘[r]olled’ minus its first letter (‘topless’). | ||
| 19 | FLAMENCO |
Corporal perhaps put on fine, shiny material for dance (8)
|
| A charade of F (‘fine’) plus LAMÉ (‘shiny material’) plus NCO (non-commissioned officer, ‘corporal perhaps’) | ||
| 22 | CONDOR |
Republican supporting Tory Party high flier (6)
|
| A charade of CON (‘Tory’) plus DO (‘party’) plus R (‘Republican’). | ||
| 23 | BILBAO |
£1 filled Chinese bun pintxos sold here (6)
|
| An envelope (‘filled’) of ILB (1lb ‘£1’ – although both are derived from the Latin libra, lb is usually used for the pound weight, whereas £ is the pound sterling) in BAO (‘Chinese bun’). Bilbao is a city in the Basque Autonomous Communuty, and ‘pintxos’ are bar snacks served in that area. | ||
| 24 | GUST |
Stomach punched by second blow (4)
|
| An envelope (‘punched by’) of S (‘second’) in GUT (‘stomach’). | ||
| 25 | NORM |
Average type, and not married (4)
|
| A charade of NOR (‘and not’) plus M (‘married’). | ||
| 27 | SMEW |
For starters, some marinated eel with duck (4)
|
| First letters (‘for startrs’) of Some Marinated Eel With’. |
Nice puzzle. Had to come here for the wordplay in TEND – should have seen it.
Liked CONDOR.
In BORDELLO, I think the logic is wrong. “rolled over topless” says you take “rolled”, turn it over, then take off the top – which is now the “d”, not the “r”. Or am I missing something?
Of course I missed the nina, which is cute, but what does it have to do with anything?