I smiled to myself a lot when solving this. Which is a Good Thing. There were no birds. Which is a Bad Thing.
Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) missing
definitions are underlined
Across
1 In spite of entanglement, spoken of with repute (15)
NOTWITHSTANDING
A charade of a homophone (‘spoken of’) of KNOT, WITH and STANDING.
9 Create revolution, following Egypt and the rest (2,6)
ET CETERA
A charade of ET for ‘Egypt’ and (CREATE)* with ‘revolution’ as the anagrind.
10 Becomes liable for fashionable dogs (6)
INCURS
A charade of IN and CURS.
11 Folk music genre encapsulating English language’s extremes (6)
PEOPLE
An insertion of E in POP followed by LE for the outside letters of ‘language’.
13 Lie with maid in grass, catching wild animal on return (8)
DEFLOWER
This made me laugh. It’s an insertion of WOLF in REED, all reversed. To ‘lie’ in this sense is an archaic usage, but often found in English folk songs (which have a lot of deflowering in them if you know where to look). This is from A Bold Young Farmer:
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
I wish I was a maid again
But a maid again, I ne’er can be
Since that young farmer lay with me
14 Meat provides end to rear game (10)
BACKGAMMON
A charade of BACK and GAMMON.
16 Heterosexual married couple embracing when clean? (4)
WASH
I specially liked this one as well. It’s an insertion of AS for ‘when’ in W and H for wife and husband.
18 Union bar closes early (4)
BLOC
BLOC[K]
19 Platoon is ordered to skirt one concerning location (10)
POSITIONAL
An insertion of I in (PLATOON IS)* You can choose which I to insert: it works either way.
21 He’s one of four siblings, possibly reading into child’s detachment (8)
SQUADRON
An insertion of QUAD and R for one of the three Rs (reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic) in SON.
23 Make fun of cheerful dummy (4-2)
MOCK-UP
A charade of MOCK and UP.
25 A number with disease caused by rich food in feast (3,3)
PIG OUT
PI for the irrational ‘number’ is followed by GOUT, allegedly caused by too much port.
26 Club tariff is steep (8)
MACERATE
A charade of MACE and RATE. Nice surface.
28 Formally attired in all clubs perhaps, then kicked out (6,3,6)
SUITED AND BOOTED
I can’t quite see this. If ‘then’ is AND and BOOTED is ‘kicked out’ (which it isn’t) then we’re left with SUITED for ‘all clubs’, which is to do with the card suit but I don’t see how. Happen I’m barking up the wrong tree.
Down
2 Dribbling on one’s toes? (2,3,4)
ON THE BALL
A slightly stretched dd.
3 Western Aid for 27 (5)
WHELP
A charade of W and HELP and a synonym of CUB.
4 To earth’s lowest end (3)
TOE
A charade of TO and E.
5 Like Weller and Geldof’s band, given up fame (7)
STARDOM
A bit of knowledge of the 80s’ music scene would have helped here; otherwise the helpful crossers would have got you there, I guess. The reversal indicator is ‘given up’, since it’s a down clue. A charade of MOD and RATS reversed. Paul Weller was known as ‘The Modfather’ and Bob Geldof’s band was The Boomtown Rats.
6 I’m unfit, and I exercised endlessly (2,9)
AD INFINITUM
(IM UNFIT AND I)* Great surface.
7 Realise how to produce popular TV show? (6,3)
DOCTOR WHO
A reverse anagram thingy. If you consider DOCTOR as the anagrind, then (WHO)* gives you ‘how’.
8 Spirit never mixed (5)
NERVE
(NEVER)*
12 Annoyed former lover (according to new date) (11)
EXASPERATED
A charade of EX, AS PER and (DATE)* with ‘new’ as the anagrind.
15 Thrill starting a fight in casual football game (9)
KICKABOUT
A charade of KICK and A BOUT.
17 Likeness of alien suppressed by legal order (9)
STATUETTE
An insertion of the setters’ fave ‘alien’, ET in STATUTE.
20 Sleep-inducing type of chants and mantras, without beginning or end (7)
SANDMAN
Hidden in chantS AND MANtras. The SANDMAN is an old folkloric character who is said to sprinkle sand into children’s eyes to help them sleep and dream sweetly. The ‘sleep’ in your eyes on waking is supposed to be the result of his work. In some traditions he is more sinister.
22 Witticism inscribed on university’s old recording equipment (5)
QUIPU
No, me neither. But with Q?I?U it couldn’t be anything else. A charade of QUIP and U.
24 Freight from Columbus’ first legendary ship (5)
CARGO
The first letter of ‘Columbus’ is followed by Jason’s legendary ship.
27 Country, short in youth (3)
CUB
CUB[A]
Many thanks to Loglady for the Sunday morning entertainment.
Yes, I liked this too. Number three from Loglady and just right for a Sunday.
Apparently (I’ve since looked it up) SUITED means ‘belonging to the same suit’ in poker. I didn’t have a problem with BOOTED for ‘kicked out’. I suppose you could say it should have been ‘booted out’, but if someone is given ‘the boot’, it means they’re ‘kicked out’. Sort of, anyway.
Don’t know too much about the 80’s music scene, so the ‘Weller’ reference passed me by and I’d forgotten about the Incan knots for 22d. I get the idea of the reverse anagram for 7d, but still can’t quite work out how (no cyclic reference intended!) it all works.
Agree about DEFLOWER and WASH. Disappointed there was no ‘Nina’ for 24d (only joking).
Thanks to Loglady and Pierre (presumably plaintively pining for a pewit).
Liked this even though some clues where a bit iffy, e.g. 2d. Personally, I think 7d would be a much better clue if ‘realise’ was removed.
Have no problem with 28a though. Definition 3 of ‘boot’ in Chambers (as a verb) is ‘dismiss’ and so is definition 2 of ‘kick out’. Didn’t know the poker meaning of ‘suited’, so thanks to Wordplodder. Also liked 6d and 16a.
Thanks to Loglady and Pierre.
Isn’t booted (28 across) another football clue. like kickabout (15 down) and on the ball (2 down) ?
An enjoyable Sunday solve. After getting ET CETERA and AD INFINITUM we wondered if there was going to be a theme of Latin expressions, but two entries don’t make a theme. A QUIPU (we looked it up) is/was a knotted cord used by the INCAS as a mnemonic – so could be a device helping to record something in your memory. We liked DEFLOWER and BACKGAMMON but favourite was PIG OUT – for us it was one of those clues where you know what the answer must be but can’t parse – and then the parsing is obvious the moment you write it in.
Thanks, Loglady and Pierre
You could certainly add BOOTED to the football references, Dom, but I don’t think it really constitutes a theme as such.
Thanks Pierre and commenters. There’s definitely a folk tinge to the ‘lie with maid’, deflower being a lyrical and slightly archaic word itself.
Pierre i can offer you a revised 1across:- In spite of red-faced bird, spoken of with repute (15)
And suited won’t be the last poker reference…