It’s been a while since we had a Falcon puzzle on a Monday. Very enjoyable. Thanks to Falcon!
ACROSS
5, 1. Nun awkwardly embracing knight and duke in busy tree-lined Berlin thoroughfare (5,3,6)
UNTER DEN LINDEN
(NUN)* (*awkwardly) embracing N (knight) and D (duke) in (TREE-LINED)* (*busy)
9. Left on account of ground snake (8)
FORSAKEN
FOR (on account of) + (SNAKE)* (*ground)
10. Mean to ring poorly supporter (6)
PILLAR
PAR (mean) to ring ILL (poorly)
11. Responsible for running late (6)
BEHIND
12. Hold back remainder ahead of wet weather (8)
RESTRAIN
REST (remainder) + RAIN (wet weather)
14. Show’s supervisor and a celebrity returning in shock (5,7)
STAGE MANAGER
A NAME< (a celebrity, <returning) in STAGGER (shock)
18. Water flows freely, swamping evacuated Torquay hotel – Basil’s place? (6,6)
FAWLTY TOWERS
(WATER FLOWS)* (*freely) swamping T[orqua]Y (evacuated)
22. Leave shortly, heading for India on holiday (8)
VACATION
VACAT[e] (leave, shortly) + I[ndia] (heading for) + ON
25. A farmer finally fit, fit for ploughing (6)
ARABLE
A + [farme]R (finally) + ABLE (fit)
26. Cocktail made by male in waistcoat (6)
GIMLET
M (male) in GILET (waistcoat)
27. Rotten time to engage in banter (8)
BADINAGE
BAD (rotten) + AGE (time) to engage IN
28. Make random choices in lottery? Many! (4,4)
DRAW LOTS
DRAW (lottery) + LOTS (many)
29. Fish seen round river – it’s something that doesn’t happen often (6)
RARITY
RAY (fish) seen around (R (river) + IT)
DOWN
2. King’s daughter in play – I turn up surrounded by soldiers (6)
IMOGEN
I + GO< (turn, <up) surrounded by MEN (soldiers)
Shakespeare’s play: Cymbeline
3. Notice second girl wearing ring (9)
DISMISSAL
S (second) + MISS (girl) wearing DIAL (ring)
4. Exposed, youth with unknown pink orchid (5,4)
NAKED LADY
NAKED (exposed) + LAD (youth) + Y (unknown)
5. Intimidate a Parisian with bottle (7)
UNNERVE
UN (a, Parisian) with NERVE (bottle)
6. Bugs round a sort of bar in Alicante? (5)
TAPAS
7. Chief measure (5)
RULER
8. Inspector, formerly a collier (8)
EXAMINER
EX (formerly) + A + MINER (collier)
13. Can, given time, and elected (3)
TIN
15. Boy band’s leader on record (9)
ALEXANDER
16. Non-drinker, perhaps, ordered teas in bar (9)
ABSTAINER
(TEAS IN BAR)* (*ordered)
17. Knight in clear, via broadcast (8)
CAVALIER
(CLEAR VIA)* (*broadcast)
19. Briefly carry young child (3)
TOT
20. Old married writer on American passenger vehicle (7)
OMNIBUS
O (old) + M (married) + NIB (writer) + US (American)
21. Journey by plane – quarrel about length (6)
FLIGHT
FIGHT (quarrel) about L (length)
23. Permit inexperienced leader to drop out (5)
ALLOW
[c]ALLOW (inexperienced, leader to drop out)
24. Opening bars from main trombonist (5)
INTRO
[ma]IN TRO[mbonist] (from)
I generally enjoy a Falcon grid and yes, Teacow, it’s been a while. Nice and gentle for a Monday. 1/5a were good but my favourite had to be 18a.
I always used to look forward to the beginning of that programme to spot the mispelt hotel sign; farty towels never failing to raise a chuckle.
Thanks Falcon and Teacow.
“Nice and gentle” for the most part but I had no idea who the ‘King’s daughter in play’ at 2d was referring to and couldn’t parse ALEXANDER beyond the ‘Boy’ bit. A few other words including both the ‘Cocktail’ and ‘waistcoat’ at 26a also took a bit of trawling to bring to the surface.
In my book all the better for having these not so simple bits.
Thanks to Falcon and Teacow
Thanks Falcon and Teacow
Although they are one of the quickest solves from the FT stable of setters, Falcon’s puzzles never fail to be an enjoyable experience.
Had Alexander only as a double definition = the boy and a reference to the Irving Berlin song “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”. GIMLET was a new name to what has been probably my go-to drink over the past year or two – GILET was also a new term for that sleeveless quilted vest that I’ve seen worn occasionally. That was the last clue in, preceded by DRAW LOTS.
Thanks for the blog, like Diane always good to be reminded of Fawlty Towers , I do not think they ever had a full anagram at the start.
I too puzzled over Alexander and I now see that Bruce@3 has solved the mystery.
The episode of Fawlty Towers where the sign red ‘Flowery Twats’ had a complete anagram.
Thanks Falcon, I thought FORSAKEN, VACATION, and ABSTAINER had good, natural surfaces so the very clunky surface for PILLAR was a bit jarring. Overall this was an enjoyable solve though I needed outside help for IMOGEN and UNTER DEN LINDEN, both unknowns to me. Thanks Teacow for the blog.
Thanks ??? and Falcon. ALEXANDER was my loi and I don’t understand why “on record” is needed in the clue. What am I missing?
That was meant to be “Thanks Teacow,” apologies.
A gentle stroll, so to speak, to start the week. Most enjoyable. Thanks, Falcon and Teacow.
Verbose@7 – Bruce @3 has explained about the song which would have been released at some stage as a record . Long after it was written I would imagine,