A largely straightforward puzzle from Bradman save for a few clues which expanded my vocabulary. Many thanks Don !!
FF: 8 DD: 8
| Across | ||
| 1 | PLANTS | Scheme to have street put back horticultural features (6) |
| PLAN (scheme) TS (street = ST, reversed) | ||
| 4 | SCOT FREE | An escapee from Barlinnie could be one suffering no harm (4-4) |
| cryptic clue, barlinnie is a prison in scotland. | ||
| 9 | REBUS | Puzzle concerning one of three coming after long wait? (5) |
| RE (concerning) BUS (one of three coming after long wait – refers to a London bus bunching problem). This parsing should be improved upon. | ||
| 10 | FANTASTIC | Amazing fan twitching. having crossed a street (9) |
| [ FAN TIC (twitching) ] around [ A ST(street) ] | ||
| 11 | PORTENT | Sign left at front of hospital department (7) |
| PORT (left) ENT (hospital department) | ||
| 12 | REAGENT | Hesitation about a fellow producing chemical (7) |
| RE (hesitation = ER, reversed) A GENT (fellow) | ||
| 13 | RATE | Assess amount charged per hour? (4) |
| double def | ||
| 14 | PROVISOS | Stipulations for and against one with urgent message (8) |
| PRO (for) V (against) I (one) SOS (urgent message) | ||
| 17 | MALAPERT | Vehicle occupied by English chum going backward and forward (8) |
| TRAM (vehicle) containing [ E (english) PAL (chum) ] , all reversed | ||
| 19 | DRAG | Slow movement in gear that mightn’t seem right? (4) |
| double def | ||
| 22 | ADVISOR | I give counsel – notice guest not accepting it (7) |
| AD (notice) VISitOR (guest, without ‘IT’) | ||
| 24 | INHABIT | Live inside, dressed as befits a monk (7) |
| cryptic clue – read as IN HABIT (a monk’s dress) | ||
| 25 | COCHINEAL | Firm with exceptional Chilean red (9) |
| CO (firm) + CHILEAN* | ||
| 26 | ALARM | Fear brought by imperial army (5) |
| hidden in “…imperiAL ARMy” | ||
| 27 | IRRIGATE | Water to annoy, but it’s good for a short time (8) |
| IRRItATE (annoy with G – good , replacing a T – time) | ||
| 28 | MENDER | Chaps looking embarrassed about someone doing a repair (6) |
| MEN (chaps) DER (embarrassed = RED, reversed) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | PERSPIRE | Salesperson climbing church feature to suffer in the heat? (8) |
| PER (salesperson = REP, reversed) SPIRE (church feature) | ||
| 2 | ARBORETUM | A right tedious type starts to tell us much in a site of botanical interest (9) |
| A R (right} BORE (tedious type) TUM (starting letters of “…Tell Us Much…” | ||
| 3 | TESTER | Old coin examiner (6) |
| double def; apparently means a sixpence (from chambers) | ||
| 5 | CONTROVERSIAL | Voltaire should be treated with scorn? That’s disputable (13) |
| VOLTAIRE SCORN* | ||
| 6 | TEA BAGS | Spooner’s insect labels – they may be kept in packet in kitchen (3,4) |
| spoonerism of BEE (insect) TAGS (labels) | ||
| 7 | RATHE | Blossoming early and somewhat deficient (5) |
| RATHEr (somewhat, deficient i.e. not complete) | ||
| 8 | EXCITE | Arouse old lover with view given a hearing (6) |
| EX (old lover) CITE (sounds like SIGHT, view) | ||
| 10 | FUTURE PERFECT | Tense, but offering message of utopian time ahead? (6,7) |
| cryptic clue | ||
| 15 | SCRUBLAND | Curs wandering over dull uncultivated area (9) |
| CURS* + BLAND (dull) | ||
| 16 | EGG TIMER | You may get cracking in the kitchen after using this (3,5) |
| cryptic clue | ||
| 18 | LASHING | Making a dash, Heather collects wood (7) |
| LING (heather) collects ASH (wood) | ||
| 20 | TAI CHI | Chinese system a bind, said Greek character (3,3) |
| TAI (sounds like TIE, bid) CHI (greek character) | ||
| 21 | PHRASE | A few words perhaps when leader goes off (6) |
| pERHAPS* (without leader i.e. first character) | ||
| 23 | VICAR | Minister, bigwig not wanting quiet vehicle (5) |
| VIp (bigwig – without ‘P’ for quiet) CAR (vehicle) | ||
*anagram
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
9ac: I think the parsing is as you have it, although the problem of bus bunching is by no means confined to London. There is sound mathematics behind the tendency for buses to form bunches, particularly on long routes with high frequency of service, but the question mark on the end of the clue in any case indicates that buses coming in threes is more reputation than fact.
Why is lashing making a dash, please?
Tenerife Miller@2 re 18dn:
Chambers 2008 gives “a violent striking” as the first meaning of dash¹ as a noun, and meanings of lash¹ as a verb include (transitive) “to dash against” and (intransitive) “to dash or rush”.
9ac. The clue is exactly right. When I commuted in London the expression was “You waited 20 minutes for a number [x] bus and three come along”. Perhaps it still is.
Thanks Bradman and Turbolegs
Was pretty straightforward for a Bradman – and probably one of my faster solves of his puzzles. Did have to look up Barlinnie to check that it was a Scottish prison … and there it was in Glasgow and did have to double check the LASHING / ‘making a dash’ equivalence.
Finished all over the grid – with RATHE, MALAPERT and DRAG the last few in.