The usual impeccable Everyman…
A bit harder to complete in places than usual for me though
Thanks Everyman
Across
1 Perfect demon, last of cattle caught by rope (10)
IMPECCABLE
IMP – demon & last of (cattl)E & C(aught) & CABLE – rope
6 Practise boxing in yard? (4)
SPAR
Double def, the yard one is nautical
10 Correct to skirt likely trap (7)
CAPTURE
APT – likely inside CURE – correct
11 Heart? Inquiry’s opening with account relating to it (7)
CARDIAC
So we have CARD for Heart say & opening of I(nquiry) & AC(count)
12 Revolutionary flag millions value (5)
MERIT
A reversal of TIRE – to flag, wilt & M(illions)
13 Outlaw group with odd bits of easy money (9)
BANKNOTES
BAN – outlaw & KNOT – group & odd bits of EaSy
14 Typical routine by retired father, absorbed by map, in charge (14)
CHARACTERISTIC
[ACT – routine & SIRE – father reversed] in CHART – map & I(n) C(harge)
17 Prickly feeling almost excessive after pressure in desert? (4,3,7)
PINS AND NEEDLES
P(ressure) & IN & SAND – desert & most of NEEDLES(s)
21 Hesitant number, four, entering art institution (9)
TENTATIVE
TEN & IV – four inside the TATE museum
23 Half of test covering fringe subject (5)
THEME
HEM – fringe in half of TE(st)
24 Evil one with constant appeal against the law (7)
ILLICIT
ILL- evil & 1 & C for constant & IT – sex appeal
25 Loving stir, mostly, seizing moment (7)
AMOROUS
MO(ment) in AROUS(e)
26 Ruler essential to work in geometry (4)
KING
Hidden answer
27 Power in tree men treated as supreme (3-7)
PRE-EMINENT
P(ower) & [IN TREE MEN]* treated
Down
1 Money earned from popular approach (6)
INCOME
The IN thing & COME – approach
2 Annoyance about place in Australia being insubstantial (5-4)
PAPER THIN
PERTH inside PAIN
3 Make up for hesitation in matter and rest (14)
COUNTERBALANCE
ER in COUNT – mater & BALANCE – rest
4 Sharp and brilliant, playing crib (7)
ACERBIC
ACE – brilliant & playing CRIB*
5 Parasites formerly having no love for authority (7)
LICENCE
LICE – parasites & O removed from (o)NCE
7 Purpose in detail (5)
POINT
double def, don’t really like it when two DDs 6a and 7d cross like this
8 Question scoundrel raised with crook, missing contents in bag (8)
RUCKSACK
ASK and CUR reversed & an empty C(roo)K
9 Take on fit rider trained to be jockey (7,7)
FRANKIE DETTORI
[TAKE ON FIT RIDER]* trained. Nice anagram spot.
15 Time and energy occupied by breed of cattle, endlessly so (9)
THEREFORE
T(ime) & E(nergy) in most of HEREFOR(d) – cattle breed
16 See potency in penalty (4,4)
SPOT KICK
SPOT – see & KICK – potency
18 One with unsettled life blushing, upset about estrangement (7)
DRIFTER
RIFT in RED reversed
19 Raise tax in free-for-all, ignoring leader (7)
ELEVATE
V.A.T. in a leaderless (m)ELEE
20 Accommodation with debt is complicated (6)
BEDSIT
[DEBT IS]* complicated
22 Only broadcast new material (5)
NYLON
ONLY* broadcast & N(ew
Thank you Everyman and flashling.
A pleasant crossword, but I failed to get the crossing answers SPAR and POINT and had to google to find Frankie Dettori, my jockey knowledge stops with Lester Piggott…
Favourite clues were those for BANKNOTES, ILLICIT, LICENCE and THEREFORE.
A little trickier than par here too, with the longer answers in particular causing difficulty. Last in 10ac and 3D.
Never heard of the jockey either. Some nice twists on word meanings today.
11 and 12A were nice.
I thought the Tate was a gallery rather than a museum? Mind you, I did leave the uk in 1980, it could have changed.
Thanks Everyman and Flashling. Not many comments today, odd?
Somehow the jockey’s name came to me from the back of my mind although I didn’t know he was a jockey. Didn’t get Spot kick. What is that? We have Spot Fines.
Lots of long complicated clues again so this was one where I had to guess the answer without being able to parse it.
A spot kick is a penalty kick in soccer, Audrey. There is a round blob of white paint in front of each goal called a ‘spot’ and the penalty kick is taken from there. There isn’t enough soccer played in NZ for that to become part of the lexicon, notwithstanding today’s game in Wellington.
I NEVER would have got 19d if I didnt have letters to fill in. Thought that was a weird clue
Liked 1ac
For once was able to start well in top left corner. I never usually have much early luck with 1ac or 1d.
Also it didnt help that I spelt 5d Licence as License so I couldnt work out why the answer was the answer, but wrote it in anyway and justified later… common format for me with this setter
Enjoyable and not too difficult. I’d only ever heard of two jockeys, Lance O’Sullivan and Frankie Dettori so yeah. 🙂
I didn’t like the KNOT for GROUP in 13a.
Well we got it and parsed it all – eventually; though with quite a lot of electronic help. Our knowledge too of jockeys started and stopped with Lester Piggott and spot kick needed Googling to see that is
actually a penalty kick in some lesser game than rugby.
Found this more difficult today…..never heard of Frankie Detorri either ….or spot kick. Guess my education needs updating a little!