Apologies for the late posting – we simply got carried away and forgot!
A gentle start to the week as usual from Armonie. Neat clueing, some clever anagrams. FOI was HOLD UP with a simple double definition. LOI was STRIPE as we had assumed it would be a place we hadn’t heard of! But the clue was cleverer than we gave it credit for. Many thanks to Armonie! And a happy New Year to all!
Across
1 Cynical about operations for illness (6)
DROPSY
DRY (cynical) about OPS (operations)
4 Combination lock on bicycle (8)
CROSSBAR
CROSS (combination) + BAR (lock)
10 Meet Nell, a reformed primitive (9)
ELEMENTAL
(MEET NELL A)* (*reformed)
11 Staple diet for rhino (5)
BREAD
Double definition
Rhino is a slang word for money, as is bread
12 Fate keeps old Bob at sea (4)
LOST
LOT (fate) kepps S (old Bob, shilling)
13 Having complaints about the place irritates (10)
DISPLEASES
DISEASES (complaints) about PL (the place)
15 Novel hero – one with vehicle to cultivate the earth (7)
IVANHOE
I (one) with VAN (vehicle) + HOE (to cultivate the earth)
16 Clasp and fondle naughtily (6)
ENFOLD
(FONDLE)* (*naughtily)
19 River perpetually split partners (6)
SEVERN
EVER (perpetually) split S + N (partners, as in Bridge)
21 More manageable boat (7)
LIGHTER
Double definition
23 Obvious successor holds a broadcast (4,3,3)
OVER THE AIR
OVERT (obvious) HEIR (successor) holds A
25 Keen little prince (4)
WEEP
WEE (little) + P (prince)
27 Detective has a drink to start eating (3,2)
DIG IN
DI (detective) has GIN (a drink)
28 The French remove clothing that’s cleaner (9)
LAUNDRESS
LA (the, French) + UNDRESS (remove clothing)
29 Heaven is represented in pageant (8)
PARADISE
IS represented in PARADE (pageant)
30 Ridicule setter ultimately for puzzle (6)
TEASER
TEASE (ridicule) + [sette]R (ultimately)
Down
1 I pleaded insanity – that’s carefully worked out (8)
DEEPLAID
(I PLEADED)* (*insanity)
2 Exaggerate deliveries to gallery (9)
OVERSTATE
OVERS (deliveries) to TATE (gallery)
3 Stop and shoot (4)
STEM
Double definition
5 Unexpected deterioration makes Romeo slip away (7)
RELAPSE
R (Romeo) + ELAPSE (slip away)
6 Deception begs future involvement (10)
SUBTERFUGE
(BEGS FUTURE)* (*involvement)
7 Wish happiness to queen protecting liberal (5)
BLESS
BESS (queen) protecting L (liberal)
8 Vegetable recipe’s a beauty (6)
RADISH
R (recipe) + A DISH (a beauty)
9 A band’s outing in Kent (6)
STRIPE
TRIP (outing) in SE (Kent, in South East England)
14 Yarn about Lawrence having opponents browbeaten (10)
THREATENED
THREAD (yarn) about TE (Lawrence, of Arabia) + NE (opponents, another Bridge reference)
17 Grace ignited man’s cape (9)
LITHENESS
LIT (ignited) + HE (man) + NESS (cape)
18 Advocate in favour of model (8)
PROPOSER
PRO (in favour of) + POSER (model)
20 Require the French to produce sewers (7)
NEEDLES
NEED (require) + LES (the, French)
21 Injured student has help at university (4,2)
LAID UP
L (student) has AID (help) + UP (at university)
22 Survive a robbery (4,2)
HOLD UP
Double definition
24 The Apostles’ writer is of regal disposition (5)
ELGAR
(REGAL)* (*disposition)
26 Waste one’s time in insipid lethargy (4)
IDLE
[insip]ID LE[etheragy] (in)
*anagram
Thanks to Armonie and Teacow. Enjoyable puzzle from one of my favorite setters. I did not have trouble with STRIPE but I did struggle with DEEPLAID because I was looking for a de–ed word. My LOI was CROSSBAR where I took a while linking “bar” and “lock.”
Straighforward Monday fare. FOI 10a, LOI 23a. Thanks setter and Teacow. Happy new year to you all from me on Nairobi.
* in
Thanks Armonie and Teacow
Nice easing out of 2018 where it looks like I solved similarly to Chadwick@3 and in contrast to Teacow where HOLD UP was my second to last in.
Always appreciate the subtlety that Armonie brings with clues like DEEPLAID and STRIPE where an early assumption can lead one away from the true answer.
Belated seasons greetings from down under where it has been a busy Christmas / New Year period.