Brunel starts the crosswording week in the Independent.
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 Break into most of Burgundy, say, procured by barman?
BREACH
An insertion of RE[D] in BACH. The insertion indicator is ‘procured by’ and you can have your choice of JS, JC, CPE …
4 Chatted and reportedly drank after game
GOSSIPED
A charade of GO, the board game, and aural wordplay for SIPPED.
10 Pass time, after hospital discharge, taking in lake’s magnificence
SPLENDOUR
An insertion of L in SPEND [H]OUR. The insertion indicator is ‘taking in’.
11 Prepared to smoke under the influence
LIT UP
A dd.
12 Dirty story-writing brothers to erase writing during get-together
BEGRIME
An insertion of GRIM in BEE, I think. BEE for a ‘get-together’ works perfectly, as does ‘during’ as the insertion indicator; but that leaves GRIM as the insertion fodder, and removing R for ‘writing’ from the GRIMM brothers leaves us with GIMM. So I am confused.
Edit: PostMark has kindly lifted the scales from my eyes. Removing MS for ‘writing’ from GRIMMS gives us the necessary anagram fodder. Thank you to him.
14 Claimed to be distinguished
MADE OUT
A dd.
15 Bar manager’s initially done some cooking – hot pub grub, typically
BANGERS AND MASH
I want this to be (BAR MANAGERS DS)* plus H for ‘hot’ with ‘cooking’ as the anagrind. But the anagram fodder doesn’t give us that exactly, so I need some help here with the parsing, please.
Edit: Thanks to KVa for that help. It’s a charade of BAN for ‘bar’, (MANAGERS DS)* and H.
18 Current position is broadcast, after employees took over by force internally
STATE OF AFFAIRS
A charade of ATE for ‘took’, O for ‘over’ and F for ‘force’ inserted into STAFF, and AIRS. The insertion indicator is ‘internally’.
22 Load of stuff, finally, to send away
PACK OFF
A charade of PACK, OF and F for the final letter of ‘stuff’.
24 Giggle about W being X’s predecessor
TWITTER
An insertion of W in TITTER. The insertion indicator is ‘about’. At least broadcasters have stopped saying ‘X, formerly Twitter’.
25 Circles and discs circling rings
LOOPS
An insertion of OO for two ‘rings’ in LPS. The insertion indicator is ‘circling’.
26 Great number missing at disastrous rallies here
NUREMBERG
(GRE[AT]NUMBER)* with ‘disastrous’ as the anagrind.
28 Brutally taser mad Leo, first, and wild Olive
OLEASTER
A charade of (LEO)* and (TASER)* The two anagrinds are ‘mad’ and ‘brutally’.
29 Brunel meets Virginia in pub, but fruitlessly
IN VAIN
An insertion of VA and I in INN. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
Down
1 Primate‘s pet project suppressed by President
BUSHBABY
A charade of BUSH and BABY. ‘The refurbishment project was all Anna’s baby.’ As with BACH in 1ac, you have more than one choice for the President.
2 Maybe ‘electric’ encapsulates it
EEL
Hidden in MaybE ELectric. A cad.
3 Happy to exchange one drop of Tabasco for thick sauce?
CONDIMENT
Brunel is inviting you to replace T, the first letter of ‘Tabasco’ in CONTENT with DIM.
5 Guy using blade decapitated pigs, lots having tail removed
OARSMAN
A charade of [B]OARS and MAN[Y].
6 Healthy food‘s down around a pound
SALAD
An insertion of A and L in SAD. The insertion indicator is ‘around’.
7 Strap-on kinky Tina smeared in supposed protective agent
PATRON SAINT
The solution might have found its way into the Church Times, but probs not the surface reading. Another double anagram: of (STRAP ON)* and (TINA)* with ‘kinky’ and ‘smeared’ as the anagrinds.
8 Stand-in‘s responsibility to keep record
DEPUTY
An insertion of EP in DUTY. The insertion indicator is ‘to keep’.
9 South African’s taking on ten fighters
BOXERS
An insertion of X in BOERS. The insertion indicator is ‘taking on’.
13 It’s blueprinted in us all: a mix of conceit and greed – not right!
GENETIC CODE
(CONCEIT G[R]EED)* with ‘a mix of’ as the anagrind.
16 Mistake comic actor once for one from Drury Lane?
MUFFIN MAN
A charade of MUFF and INMAN. John INMAN played Mr Humphries in Are You Being Served? Mrs Slocombe’s pussy featured heavily, for those that can remember the series. The reference is to the children’s nursery rhyme:
Do you know the muffin man?
The muffin man, the muffin man.
Do you know the muffin man
Who lives in Drury Lane?
17 Strange Oriental leader, unstable Vladimir’s mate
ESTRAGON
(STRANGE O)* with ‘unstable’ as the anagrind. Vladimir and Estragon are the two protagonists in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.
19 Criminal’s crime?
OFFENCE
A dd. Read the first part as OF FENCE, with a FENCE being a type of criminal.
20 Vehicle driver heading off to board Yankee vessel
ARTERY
A charade of [c]ARTER and Y. ‘To board’ works because it’s a down clue.
21 Unendingly obey a power above, a god
APOLLO
A charade of A, P and [F]OLLO[W]. ‘Above’ works because it’s a down clue.
23 Periodically nomad seeks these sources of relief
OASES
The even letters of nOmAd SeEkS. You could read the clue as a cad as well.
27 She‘s in the van
EVA
Hidden in thE VAn.
Many thanks to Brunel for this Monday’s puzzle.
Could the brothers be the GRIM(ms) from which MS = manuscript = writing is removed?
That’s how I parsed it, PostMark.
Lots of lovely clues, such as TWITTER, NUREMBERG & CONDIMENT made up for the gaffe in 15a. I feel pretty sure Pierre has the intended parsing but it has 2 R’s and 1 N, not vice versa.
BANGERS AND MASH
Bar=BAN
The rest anagram.
GRIM(ms): Had the same parsing as the above two posters.
Thanks, all, for your help. Blog amended.
KVa @3. Of course! Apologies to Brunel.