As ever, Armonie delivers a very enjoyable puzzle this morning.
Dependably good fun with witty clues and lots of thinking involved in solving. I was held up by assuming “OPEN TABLE” for 15d, and also trying to work out how “NASTIEST” could be the solution for 18d. Otherwise all fairly smooth going. A few sporting terms (which I only know from practising cryptics) – not my forte – but all solvable. Many thanks to Armonie!
Across
1 Public notice in which president put down police (8)
PLAYBILL
P (president) + LAY (put down) + BILL (police)
5 A penny included in rent for shower (6)
SPLASH
P (a penny) included in SLASH (rent)
9 Obstruction to appear in road? You can bet on it! (8)
ROULETTE
LET (obstruction, tennis definition) to appear in ROUTE (road)
10 Girl with a Latin prayer book (6)
MISSAL
MISS (girl) with A + L (Latin)
12 Stop partner signalling end of engagement on board (9)
CHECKMATE
CHECK (stop) + MATE (partner)
13 Cancel the validity of yearbook that’s not first class (5)
ANNUL
ANNU[a]L (yearbook, not “A” (first class))
14 Dismiss blackbird? (4)
BOWL
B (black) + OWL (bird) Cricketing term
16 Help on with clothing (7)
REDRESS
RE (on) + DRESS (clothing)
19 Romeo earned beaten backside (4-3)
REAR-END
(R (Romeo) + EARNED)* (*beaten)
21 Oscar tucked into overcooked fish (4)
DORY
O (Oscar) tucked into DRY (overcooked)
24 The importance of receiving Tory manifesto (5)
PITCH
Double definition Cricketing definition
25 Minion finds a bowman in place (9)
SATELLITE
A TELL (a bowman) in SITE (place) As in William Tell
27 Girl new to riding shows balance (4,2)
EVEN UP
EVE (girl) + N (new) + UP (riding)
28 Villain broadcast on the air (8)
ANTIHERO
(ON THE AIR)* (*broadcast)
29 Director eats the stew (6)
DITHER
DIR (director) eats THE
30 Woman set about Rex after information from cop (8)
GENDARME
DAME (woman) set about R (Rex) after GEN (information)
Down
1 Stealing makes relationship entertaining (6)
PIRACY
PI (relationship, mathematical) + RACY (entertaining)
2 Copper has the last word about judgment (6)
ACUMEN
CU (copper) has AMEN (the last word) about
3 Wretched bishop’s disclosure (5)
BLEAK
B (bishop’s) + LEAK (disclosure)
4 Dicky left everyone to drop without rescue (3,4)
LET FALL
(LEFT)* (*dicky) + ALL (everyone)
6 Prince and his queen play around (9)
PHILANDER
PHIL (prince) + AND + ER (his queen)
7 One agreeing to make fool join (8)
ASSENTER
ASS (fool) + ENTER (join)
8 Unable to manage he spells badly (8)
HELPLESS
(HE SPELLS)* (*badly)
11 Illicit drugs found in storage area (4)
GEAR
[stora]GE AR[ea] (found in)
15 Frank’s business providing hospitality for all (4,5)
OPEN HOUSE
OPEN (frank) + HOUSE (business)
17 Churchman about to cut cost for medical treatment (8)
DRIPFEED
DD (churchman) about RIP (to cut) + FEE (cost)
18 Burglar lashes Tory leader! That’s most malicious! (8)
CATTIEST
CAT (burglar) + TIES (lashes) + T[ory] (leader)
20 One second inside current record (4)
DISC
I + S (one + second) inside DC (current)
21 An easing of tension after river engulfs marquee (7)
DETENTE
DEE (river) engulfs TENT (marquee)
22 Prevaricator keeps opponents on the straight and narrow (6)
LINEAR
LIAR (prevaricator) keeps N + E (opponents, in Bridge)
23 Slumber for girl holding record (6)
REPOSE
ROSE (girl) holding EP (record)
26 Landowner died after retreat (5)
LAIRD
D (died) after LAIR (retreat)
Didn’t care so much for this. Just couldn’t get on the right wavelength. Probably just me.
I parsed PITCH as PITH about C. Not sure about Pith for “the importance” though. It’s more “the essential/important part”. Rarely get cricket terms.
Another Monday puzzle which provided a few roadblocks. ‘Nastiest’ seemed like a write-in until it defied all efforts at parsing, before ‘cat’ for ‘Burglar’ came to mind. DRIPFEED a ‘medical treatment’? I suppose so. I think we may have had it before, but I still liked PHILANDER.
Same as Hovis@1, I parsed 24a as PITH (The importance of) – maybe a bit loose I agree – receiving C (Tory), with ‘manifesto’ as the def.
Thanks to Armonie and Teacow.
Thanks Armonie and Teacow
Another one with PITH, which I too found a bit tenuous, around C.
Thanks to Armonie and Teacow. Started this when it was posted Sunday evening and just getting up to finish now. DRIPFEED I guess would be an IV drip? I also parsed PIT(C)H; maybe it’s a triple clue of sorts? Didn’t get BOWL; still learning cricket terms.
Just to add to my comment on PITCH. In my Chambers thesaurus app, “importance” is listed for “pith” (but not vice versa).
Thanks Armonie and Teacow
Am another who went for the PIT – C – H approach to 24a. It and several other clues seemed to have oblique definitions – 16a (‘help’ – REDRESS), 21A (DRY, ‘overcooked’) and 25a (‘minion’ – SATELLITE). Can’t believe that I missed the anagram for ANTIHERO.
Lots to like in many of the other clues such as PLAYBILL, CHECKMATE, DITHER (so obvious but took ages to see), BLEAK, OPEN HOUSE, and my last one in DRIP-FEED.
Bruce @6. Personally, I would add that I don’t consider an antihero as a villain. I also thought “dither” for “stew” a little oblique but acceptable.
Hi Hovis
Agree ..
I agree with Hovis’s comments. I’d also question whether ‘cat’ is an acceptable abbreviation of ‘cat burglar’. That apart, there were some good clues…
I found much of this oblique, even when I got the answer, I wasn’t happy about the parsing. also, how many slang words are there for “drugs” – gear was new to me.