Monday morning fun courtesy of CRUX…
A nice mix of clue types here, nothing too challenging, though 14d aint the commonest of words.
13a and 6d were probably the favourites.
Thanks CRUX!
Across
1 Some show interest in Napoleon’s Russian nemesis? (6)
WINTER
[sho]W INTER[est] (some)
4 Appear more excited, as your setter well might! (8)
BEWILDER
BE WILDER (appear more excited)
10 Tender feeling having it injected by IV (9)
SENSITIVE
SENSE (feeling) having (IT by IV) injected
11 Crew’s importance diminished without its leader (5)
EIGHT
[w]EIGHT (importance, without its leader)
12 Some trouble over a pupil (4)
STYE
Cryptic definition
13 Temperature endlessly upset old deaf aid (3,7)
EAR TRUMPET
(TEMPERATUR[e] (endlessly))* (*upset)
15 “Exit, exit”, Light Brigade’s fatal order, effectively (2,2,3)
DO OR DIE
DOOR (exit) + DIE (exit)
16 Catholics protect the High Priest’s remains (6)
RELICS
RCS (catholics, Roman Catholics) protect ELI (high priest)
19 The wicket is too hard (6)
STUMPS
Double definition
21 For provider of meals regularly chant “Hear, hear!” (7)
CATERER
C[h]A[n]T [h]E[a]R [h]E[a]R (regularly)
23 Bury arranges draw, say, and acts as umpire (10)
INTERCEDES
INTER (bury) + “SEEDS” (arranges draw, “say”)
25 A contrarian article rejected it (4)
ANTI
AN (article) + (IT)< (<rejected)
27 Frequent and popular meeting place (5)
HAUNT
Double definition
28 Mostly crooked gas- and oil- rich Russians? (9)
OLIGARCHS
(GAS OIL R[i]CH (mostly))* (*crooked) &lit
29 Works as junior journalist, in bed fully dressed! (8)
SUBEDITS
BED in SUITS (fully dressed)
30 A licence is invalid without one (6)
PATENT
PAT[i]ENT (invalid, without I (one))
Down
1 Famous story we associate with non-U studies surprisingly (4,4)
WEST SIDE
WE associate with (ST[u]DIES (non-U))* (*surprisingly)
2 She would choose best butter, presumably (5,4)
NANNY GOAT
Cryptic definition
3 Selection of recipes served up is most impressive (4)
EPIC
([re]CIPE[s] (selection of))< (<turned up)
5 One who chooses whether spades lead or not (7)
ELECTOR
ELECTOR or [s]ELECTOR (whether S (spades) leads or not)
6 Central Chinese feature good communists condemn (10)
INEQUALITY
[ch]INE[se] (central) + QUALITY (feature)
7 Find out which is mine (3,2)
DIG UP
Double definition
8 Take turns at interrupting usual procedure (6)
ROTATE
AT interrupting ROTE (usual procedure)
9 What pupils can do in unusual detail (6)
DILATE
(DETAIL)* (*unusual)
14 Outlined a judgment made about Mum (10)
ADUMBRATED
A + RATED (judgement) about DUMB (mum)
17 Record long-lasting dock member (9)
CHRONICLE
CHRONIC (long-lasting) + LE[g] (member, docked)
18 Teaches French and is a favourite with boys (5,3)
TRAIN SET
TRAINS (teaches) + ET (French and)
20 Hurry up? Reason for fall downstairs (4,3)
STEP OUT
Double definition
21 Believe in direct action (6)
CREDIT
(DIRECT)* (*action)
22 Silly things always shorter in summer (6)
NIGHTS
(THINGS)* (*silly)
24 A day with Doctor Tom? (5)
THUMB
THU (a day, Thursday) with MB (doctor)
26 Half of half doubled for a surprising boundary (2-2)
HA-HA
HA[lf] (half of) (doubled)
Thanks Teacow and Crux. Just right for a Monday.
Just a tiny quibble. The Light Brigade had to do and die, not do or die.
The misquotation though has become as common as that other wrong ‘un a ‘little knowledge is a dangerous thing.’
And talking about 15ac, Crux really missed a golden opportunity here, didn’t he (think Boris).
Yes, a typically enjoyable Crux crossword in which 12ac (STYE) was my LOI – never had a proper antenna for this setter’s cds.
In a couple of clues Crux juggled a bit with the indicator.
Like in 10ac where both ‘it’ and ‘IV’ have to be ‘injected’.
Unusually, the indicator is in the middle. It just about works.
In 28ac (OLIGARCHS) the anagram comes before handling ‘mostly’.
Therefore, it should be seen as: (GAS OIL RICH)* leading to OLIGARCHSI, which then ‘mostly’ is OLIGARCHS. That’s fine.
If you take a good look at 11ac (EIGHT), you might say that there are, strictly speaking, two (head) deletion indicators (‘diminished’ and ‘without its leader’).
But, true, you could see them as being just one.
Sometimes I am a guest member of the grammar police.
I would then criticise the use of ‘associate’ in 1d – should be [and could have been] ‘associated’.
Many thanks Teacow & Crux.
Re 29a One may be a subeditor but when a subeditor edits, he should edit, not subedit.
Agree with Rishi. I appreciate the problem in providing a decent clue but in all honesty there is no way any “sub-editor” is ever a “junior journalist”. Any notion that Niloci was ever “junior” when he was a sub is plain wrong. But a great clue in a very enjoyable crossie.
Thanks Crux and Teacow
Enjoyed this one with a good mix of clue devices and some interesting answers. Especially liked the regular letters to get CATERER – it wasn’t hard but a clever set and a neat surface. And agree with the other two favourites mentioned in the blog.
Was able to construct ADUMBRATED, the word was familiar but had to look it up to match it to the definition.
Finished in the NE corner with EIGHT (seen variations of that clue a couple of times but it still went in late), DIG IT (clever double definition) and BEWILDER as the last few in.
A patent isn’t a licence.
I also disliked the good old-fashioned ageism and sexism in 18 down.