Everything was straightforward, but spotting how it took some time to figure out. Thank you.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CODENAME | Handle false bit of tooth chipped off at the back (8) |
| COD (false) then ENAMEL (bit of tooth) missing last letter (chipped off at the back) | ||
| 5 | FILLIP | Consort said to give encouragement (6) |
| sounds like (said) “Phillip” (the Queen’s consort) | ||
| 10 | UPPER-CASE | Capital of Peru caps energy recycling (5-4) |
| anagram (recycling) of PERU CAPS and E (energy) | ||
| 11 | TOGAS | Scapegoat beaten after removal of cloak and clothing (5) |
| anagram (beaten) of ScapeGOAT after removing CAPE (cloak) | ||
| 12 | CIRCA | Witch cut and skinned cat roughly (5) |
| CIRCe (witch, cut) and cAt (skinned, no outside) | ||
| 13 | MISTRIAL | Bad hearing with one standing in the wind (8) |
| I (one) inside (standing in) MISTRAL (the wind) | ||
| 15 | MASAI | A language degree’s the best (5) |
| MA’S (degree’s) AI (A1, the best) | ||
| 16 | TO THE REAR | Shot of rum gets attention of female astern (2,3,4) |
| TOT (shot of rum) then HER EAR (attention of female) | ||
| 18 | COSMETICS | Slap delivered when lettuce quantities not right (9) |
| COS (lettuce) then METrICS (quantities) missing R (right) | ||
| 20 | See 23 Down | |
| 22 | PROBATED | Went on about naked hobo getting suspended sentence (8) |
| PRATED (went on) containing hOBo (naked, no outside) | ||
| 25 | STOMP | Son Mark absorbed by recollection of belly dance (5) |
| S (son) then M (mark) inside (absorbed by) POT (belly) reversed (recollection of) | ||
| 27 | OMEGA | Conclusion of awesome gameplay (5) |
| found inside (of) awesOME GAmeplay | ||
| 28 | BINGO HALL | Throw pig around entirely for two fat ladies here? (5,4) |
| BIN (throw) HOG (pig) reversed (around) then ALL (entirely) – “two fat ladies” is an example of a bingo call, for number 88 | ||
| 29 | SO LONG | Farewell piece about heartless Lothario (2,4) |
| SONG (piece) contains (about) LothariO (heartless) | ||
| 30 | SOMERSET | Part of UK having considerable border finally arranged (8) |
| SOME (considerable) then bordeR (finally) and SET (arranged) | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | CHURCH MICE | Poor creatures singer Charlotte found on highway outside of college (6,4) |
| CHURCH (singer Charlotte Church) on MI (M1, highway) and CollegE (outside letters of) | ||
| 2 | DEPORTS | Exiles bound together climbing road going north (7) |
| ROPED (bound together) reversed (climbing) with ST (street, road) reversed (climbing) all reversed (going north, upwards on a map) | ||
| 3 | NORMALISE | Loose morals in Spain become commonplace (9) |
| anagram (loose) of MORALS IN then E (Espana, Spain) | ||
| 4 | MIASM | Missing heads of senior military makes for nasty atmosphere (5) |
| MIA (missing in action) then first letters (heads) of Senior Military | ||
| 6 | INTER | ‘elper with clues in Bury (5) |
| hINTER (‘elper with clues) | ||
| 7 | LUGGAGE | Sawn-off shooter fitted with silencer in case? (7) |
| LUGEr (shooter, sawn-off) contains GAG (silencer) | ||
| 8 | PEST | Nuisance if clergyman loses grail regularly (4) |
| PriEST (clergyman) missing gRaIl (regularly, every other letter) | ||
| 9 | WEBSITES | Limits to where bloggers insert endless pages online (8) |
| outside letters (limits to) of WherE BloggerS InserT EndleS (pages online) | ||
| 14 | DRONE PILOT | Person with remote control turned on old tripe (5,5) |
| anagram (turned) of ON OLD TRIPE | ||
| 16 | TWIN-TUBS | Laundering machines relative put onto boats (4-4) |
| TWIN (relative) on TUBS (boats) | ||
| 17 | ENDOSCOPE | Unwelcome camera close, having zero range (9) |
| END (close) with O (zero) SCOPE (range) – a camera for internal examination of body parts | ||
| 19 | SURVEIL | Monitor Five within secure centre of facility (7) |
| V (five) inside SURE (secure) then facILity (centre of) | ||
| 21 | ANORAKS | One runs amongst the trees for protection (7) |
| AN (one) then R (runs) inside OAKS (trees) | ||
| 23/20 | BRAIN DRAIN | Emigration supporter popular with Democrat has a downfall (5,5) |
| BRA (something that supports) IN (popular) with D (democrats) then RAIN (a downfall) | ||
| 24 | DUNNO | I’m in the dark brown number (5) |
| DUN (brown) NO (number) | ||
| 26 | COPS | Police enclosures after duck stolen (4) |
| COoPS (enclosures) when O (duck, zero score) is missing (stolen) | ||
definitions are underlined
I write these posts to help people get started with cryptic crosswords. If there is something here you do not understand ask a question; there are probably others wondering the same thing.
Another great crossword. Seem to be saying that a lot recently not that I’m complaining.
Never seen miasma without the final A but it’s in Chambers.
Despite my ailurophilia, I did like the clue for CIRCA. COSMETICS was my LOI and was another favourite. I thought WEBSITES was a nicely constructed clue.
Thanks to Wire and PeeDee.
Like Hovis@1, I don’t remember seeing Miasm, nor Surveil in that form. On first reading I couldn’t do a single across clue, and afterwards wondered why, as everything was fair and the overall time was par for a Sunday. Thanks to Peedee and Wire
I thought this was excellent, my only very slight concern being the definition for 21d which seems a bit of a stretch.
9d was my favourite but I had a large number of other ticks all over my page.
Many thanks to Wire and to PeeDee.
Very nicely done with the only ‘umm’ going to 21d. Great to see another setter making the grade.
Thanks to Wire and to PeeDee for the blog.
Very good Sunday puzzle with plenty to keep the brain in gear. Uncommon forms of a couple of familiar words as noted by Hovis @1 and Paul A @2 added to the interest. I didn’t get the ‘two fat ladies’ reference at 28a. Favourites were BRAIN DRAIN and the misleading ‘Slap’ def for 18a.
I know what our setter means by the def for 17d, but if I had an actively bleeding peptic ulcer I wouldn’t find the instrument that may save my life to be so ‘Unwelcome’!
Thanks to Wire and PeeDee
WordPlodder, I can only imagine that you have been fortunate enough not to require the insertion of said camera – a couple of colonoscopies or gastroscopies would set you straight on that score!
I can speak from experience, Jane @6, although luckily not in the circumstances given in my example. As a signed up member of Wimps Anonymous, I made it very clear – no general anaesthetic, no ‘Unwelcome camera’!
No problems after that.
Thanks to PeeDee and Wire
I liked this but with some reservations:
16a What does OF RUM bring to the clue?
18a What an appalling image of a crop picker assaulted by a gang boss.
21d “Something with zips” would be a tighter definition of ANORAKS.
A race maintains right to elementary protection.
23/20 Is crying out for MEETS downfall.
24d on the other hand, is an pithy,exquisite example of a cryptic clue.
How unusual for Dansar to have (multiple) reservations.
Thought this was the most testing and brilliantly constructed IoS puzzle I’ve seen.
Thanks to Wire and PeeDee.
gwep@9
They were not multiple (as demonstrated by the differing nature of each), they were several.
And neither were they unusual either, come to think of it.
That said, do you have an answer for any of my reservations/queries?