March begins with a PHSSTHPOK…
A first for me to blog this rarely-seen setter, and lots to enjoy here I thought. Some nifty bits of misdirection in the surfaces (7d (classic) and 19a), some great anagrams (1a and 5d in particular), and a few quirks (15a, and the boneless meat trick in 28a). Nothing massively tricky, but very satisfying to solve.
Thanks PHSSTHPOK!
ACROSS
1. Lay and consecrated ground excluding Noel Coward (7-3)
SCAREDY-CAT
([l]AY and C[on]S[e]CRATED)* (*ground, excluding NOEL)
7. Fruit drop lacks power (4)
SLOE
SLO[p]E (drop, lacks P (power))
9. Spies love an informal welcome (4)
CIAO
10. Stranger chord introduces rave (5,5)
THIRD PARTY
THIRD (chord) introduces PARTY (rave)
11. Delirious from hospital shock treatment and sick inside (6)
HECTIC
H (hospital) + ECT (shock treatment) and [s]IC[k] (inside)
12. Face old, unruly rioter (8)
EXTERIOR
EX (old) + (RIOTER)* (*unruly)
13. Coastal city beach that’s on journey (3,5)
SAN DIEGO
SAND (beach) + IE (that is) on GO (journey)
15. 6, but not 7, is 7 minus one (4)
EVEN
[s]EVEN (7, minus one (letter))
17. Mount before travelling west (4)
ETNA
(ANTE)< (before, <travelling west)
19. Oxford tie features small spade and spike (8)
SHOELACE
S (small) + HOE (spade) and LACE (spike)
22. Doctors abandon globe to dangerous insect (8)
MOSQUITO
MOS (doctors) + QUIT (abandon) + O (globe)
23. Sodium on tree is cause of fire in vegetation (6)
NAPALM
NA (sodium) on PALM (tree)
25. Meets to bury mushrooms contaminated with tritium (10)
INTERCEPTS
INTER (bury) + CEPS (mushrooms) contaminated with T (tritium)
26. Guard spins around to pull out weapon (4)
DRAW
(WARD)< (guard, <spins around)
27. Barren meadow faces north (4)
LEAN
LEA (meadow) faces N (north)
28. Cooked boneless meat in a new soy sauce (10)
MAYONNAISE
(MEA[t] (boneless, T-bone) IN A + N (new) + SOY)* (*cooked)
DOWN
2. Nightmare takes toll on soldiers (7)
CHIMERA
CHIME (toll) on RA (soldiers)
3. Sit on marsupial’s tummy opening (5)
ROOST
ROOS (marsupials) + T[ummy] (opening)
4. Indifferent, although cheated death unexpectedly (8)
DETACHED
(CHEATED + D (death))* (*unexpectedly)
5. Mayor’s deception goes wrong – not worth it? (5,4,3,3)
CRIME DOES NOT PAY
(MAYORS DECEPTION)* (*goes wrong) &lit
6. Take too much in gallery until now (2,4)
TO DATE
OD (take too much) in TATE (gallery)
7. Where flights go in move to get around a fine (9)
STAIRWELL
(STIR (move) to get round A) + WELL (fine)
8. Result to be disclosed in reverse order (7)
OUTCOME
COME OUT (to be disclosed, in reverse order)
14. Haul along Her Majesty to meet performer wearing dress (4,5)
DRAG QUEEN
DRAG (haul along) + QUEEN (Her Majesty)
16. Working boy’s misconduct (6-2)
GOINGS ON
GOING (working) + SON (boy)
18. Flog turkey by the sixteenth of a pound (7)
TROUNCE
TR (Turkey) by OUNCE (sixteenth of a pound)
20. Vendors heard where wine might be kept (7)
CELLARS
“sellers” (vendors, “heard”)
21. Technology company involved in kinky activity makes amusing viewing (6)
SITCOM
IT CO (technology company) involved in S&M (kinky activity)
24. Platforms erected in charity operation (5)
PODIA
(AID OP)< (charity operation, <erected)
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