An interesting challenge from Chalmie, where my last 3 clues took me more time than all the others preceding them. Thanks Chalmie , for a nearly easy workout.
FF: 9 DD: 7
| Across | ||
| 1 | WINCHESTER | City game doesn’t end during season (10) |
| CHESs (without end) in WINTER (season) | ||
| 6 | LEAD | Boy carries last of the metal (4) |
| LAD (boy) containing E (last of thE) | ||
| 9 | ARRIVAL | A Republican opponent’s appearance (7) |
| A R (republican) RIVAL (opponent) | ||
| 10 | TOLSTOY | Play about vaguely lost writer (7) |
| TOY (play) around LOST* | ||
| 12 | GUANTANAMO | Prison volunteers and staff back, covered in bird mess (10) |
| [ TA (volunteers, Territorial Army) NAM (staff = MAN, reversed) ] in GUANO (bird mess) | ||
| 13 | BOO | Show disapproval of unfinished literary work (3) |
| BOOk (literary work, unfinished) | ||
| 15 | BREATH | Inspiration for engineers in order (6) |
| RE (engineers) in BATH (order, ~order of the bath – british order of chivalry ) | ||
| 16 | STUFFERS | People packing street endure cycling (8) |
| ST (street) UFFERS (endure = SUFFER, cycling – first letter to the last) | ||
| 18 | RECEIVER | Eastern church has running water outside fence (8) |
| [E (eastern) CE (church) ] in RIVER (running water) | ||
| 20 | BROWSE | Arguments observed in live feed (6) |
| ROWS (arguments) in BE (live) | ||
| 23 | VIE | Compete against Italy and Spain (3) |
| V (against, versus) I (Italy) E (spain, Espana) | ||
| 24 | GREENGAGES | Government again hires plums (10) |
| G (government) RE (again) ENGAGES (hires) – new word for me and needed the internet to help with the solve | ||
| 26 | ARMENIA | Country song about people (7) |
| ARIA (song) around MEN (people) | ||
| 27 | AUDITOR | Car nonsense rejected by one checking accounts (7) |
| AUDI (car) TOR (nonsense = ROT, reversed) | ||
| 28 | ENDS | Finishes features of cricket grounds (4) |
| cryptic def; stumps on either side and usually used in the context of defining direction of the bowling attack (such as ‘..bowling from the pavilion end”). | ||
| 29 | PENSIONERS | Writer is backing poor Norse oldsters (10) |
| PEN (writer) SI (reverse of IS, backing) [NORSE]* | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | WHAT | Pardon weak bowler? (4) |
| W (weak) HAT (bowler) | ||
| 2 | NURTURE | Somehow turn over flower to care for (7) |
| [TURN]* URE (flower, river) | ||
| 3 | HAVE NOTHING ON | Keep clear diary in birthday suit (4,7,2) |
| double def; i think some might see this as a single def with cryptic word play (def: in birthday suit) | ||
| 4 | SULTAN | Ruler in hospital last month (6) |
| ULT (last month) in SAN (hospital) | ||
| 5 | EXTRACTS | Pulls out as minor players surround court (8) |
| EXTRAS (minor players) surrounding CT (court) | ||
| 7 | EATABLE | Food can be defeated – take the top off (7) |
| bEATABLE (can be defeated, without first letter) | ||
| 8 | DRY-ROASTED | Nuts like this are new – do try, dears! (3-7) |
| DO TRY DEARS* | ||
| 11 | LOOK FORWARD TO | Anticipate facilities at Ford work poorly (4,7,2) |
| LOO (facilities) [AT FORD WORK]* – shouldn’t it be ‘facility’ in the singular (that would make ‘works’ necessary which wont fit the anagram fodder)? | ||
| 14 | ABBREVIATE | Make shorter queen bees get up to fly around (10) |
| [ER (queen) BB (~bees), reversed] in AVIATE (fly) | ||
| 17 | SERENADE | Calm about Bill’s song (8) |
| SERENE (calm) around AD (bill) | ||
| 19 | CREAMED | Welsh politician’s central beliefs include getting smashed (7) |
| AM (welsh politician, Assembly Member) in CREED (beliefs) | ||
| 21 | WRESTLE | Fight with the French after nap (7) |
| W (with) REST (nap) LE (the, in french) | ||
| 22 | SNEAKS | Tells teacher energy level’s rising among moccasins? (6) |
| SNAKES (moccasins, with E moving in front) | ||
| 25 | ARMS | Hands out weapons when there’s room inside (4) |
| AS (when) containing RM (room) | ||
*anagram
Late in the day and no comments – ooh ‘er, Having spent a large part of today’s solving time wrestling with Vlad it was a real joy to hit this one from Chalmie. A very gentle workout although early run throughs had me scratching my head trying to remember what a Welsh politician might be.
Thanks to Chalmie and Turbolegs.
If I’m being euphemistic, I will ask if I can “use the facilities”, even though I only want to use one.
Anyway, thanks for the kind review.
Thanks to Chalmie and Turbolegs. Very enjoyable. I did know GREENGAGES and know SAN = hospital from previous puzzles but as usual I’m weak on cricket terms (here ENDS) and knew I was missing something (AM) in CREAMED.
Thank you Turbolegs & Chalmie. An enjoyable one to solve in the pub after work on a Friday evening.
Have never seen the term ‘cycling’ – so an old dog has learnt a new trick. Very enjoyable. Thank you Chalmie.
Thanks Chalmie and Turbolegs
Not as hard as he can be and answers steadily went in without any real hold ups.
Finished with STUFFERS (where it took much longer than it should to work out how to deal with ST and SUFFER to make it), CREAMED (having to look up the Welsh AM) and RECEIVER (where I was fixated on rain as the water for ages).