Thanks to FALCON for a solid puzzle.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | ESTATE CAR |
Vehicle’s condition in speed trial, having flipped over (6,3)
|
| STATE (condition) inside (in) RACE (speed trial) reversed (having flipped over), or what I would call a “station wagon” | ||
| 10 | LILAC |
Ring back about island shrub (5)
|
| CALL (ring) reversed (back) around (about) I (island) | ||
| 11 | RAMADAN |
Managed to eat nuts before a period of fasting (7)
|
| RAN (managed) around (to eat) MAD (nuts) + A | ||
| 12 | SHOTGUN |
The sort of wedding the bride must be expecting to have? (7)
|
| Cryptic definition, i.e., “expecting” as in “pregnant” | ||
| 13 | EVE |
The girl in Blue Velvet (3)
|
| Hidden in BluE VElvet. Speaking of David Lynch, Laura Dern is dazzling in Inland Empire. | ||
| 14 | BEAN COUNTER |
Embargo involving everyone, initially, bar accountant (4,7)
|
| BAN (embargo) around (involving) E[veryone] (“initially”) + COUNTER (bar) | ||
| 17 | BREAK |
Better holiday (5)
|
| Double definition, with “break/better” as in a sports record | ||
| 18 | LOT |
Confused losing son’s share (3)
|
| LO[S]T (confused minus [losing] “s” for “son”) | ||
| 19 | COMBO |
Search round for small jazz band (5)
|
| COMB (search) + O (round) | ||
| 21 | COVER CHARGE |
Clubs ask too much for an entrance fee? (5,6)
|
| C (clubs) + OVERCHARGE (ask too much) I am not sure why this needs a “?”. | ||
| 23 | DOG |
Closely follow boxer, perhaps (3)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | SURPLUS |
Remainder almost certainly having advantage (7)
|
| SUR[E] (certainly, “almost”) + PLUS (advantage) | ||
| 27 | FRAGILE |
Brittle paper inside dossier (7)
|
| RAG (paper) inside FILE (dossier) | ||
| 28 | INGOT |
At one’s office, bought gold bar? (5)
|
| IN (at one’s office) + GOT (bought), of which a gold bar might be an example | ||
| 29 | MONEYBAGS |
Rich person with the necessary reserves (9)
|
| MONEY (the necessary, slang) + BAGS (reserves) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | HEARSE |
Has news of European vehicle (6)
|
| HEARS (has news of) + E (European) | ||
| 2 | STAMPEDE |
Ready for posting? Private, at the end, in a mad rush (8)
|
| STAMPED (ready for posting, perhaps) + [privat]E (i.e., “at the end”) | ||
| 3 | STUDEBAKER |
Car manufacturer – short report on English on making Rolls? (10)
|
| STUD[Y] (report, “short”) + E (English) + BAKER (someone making bread rolls?) I do not follow the wordplay here, unless “manufacturer” plays into it somehow? See a plausible explanation, Roz@1 in the Comments.
|
||
| 4 | ICON |
Superstar’s current disadvantage (4)
|
| I (current) + CON (disadvantage) | ||
| 5 | PROSECUTOR |
DA quietly got up, and confused court (10)
|
| P (quietly, in music) + ROSE (got up) + anagram of (confused) COURT | ||
| 6 | ALSO |
A length, therefore, could be further (4)
|
| A + L (length) + SO (therefore) | ||
| 7 | SLIGHT |
Small insignificant snub (6)
|
| S (small) + LIGHT (insignificant) | ||
| 8 | SCENARIO |
So, Racine changed storyline (8)
|
| anagram of (changed) SO RACINE | ||
| 15 | ALL THE SAME |
Clones are, anyway (3,3,4)
|
| Double and cryptic definition | ||
| 16 | UNCLE VANYA |
Any clue put out about lead in play? (5,5)
|
| Anagram of (put out) ANY CLUE around (about) VAN (lead). Anton Chekhov drama | ||
| 17 | BUCKSKIN |
Family after dollars for suede leather (8)
|
| BUCKS (dollars) + KIN (family) | ||
| 20 | MADRIGAL |
Song produced by very enthusiastic Rhode Island girl (8)
|
| MAD (very enthusiastic) + RI (Rhode Island) + GAL (girl) | ||
| 22 | VIRAGO |
House harbouring a harridan (6)
|
| VIRGO (house, i.e., astrological) around (harbouring) A | ||
| 24 | GREASE |
Oil from Greek facility (6)
|
| GR (Greek) + EASE (facility) | ||
| 26 | LATE |
Had a meal after all, ultimately long delayed (4)
|
| [AL]L (“ultimately”) + ATE (had a meal) | ||
| 27 | FUND |
Enjoyment shown by daughter in pool (4)
|
| FUN (enjoyment) + D (daughter) |
Thanks for the blog, perhaps 3D is a slight misprint ? ONE making Rolls = baker , also it reads slightly better.
Quite enjoyable, and nothing too taxing. I didn’t understand the clue for SHOTGUN until I came here, whereupon I had a bit of a chuckle. Nor did I understand how break equals better. A bit obscure, methinks.
Yes, I’d say you’re right, Roz.
Geoff@2 I also wondered about BREAK=Better, happier now I have read the blog with the sporting idea, they can both mean improve upon. I did like the clues today, generally very neat and concise.
I don’t wish to sound like I am bragging but I think that this is the first time that I have ever completed a cryptic crossword in under five minutes.
Geoff, I had the same pause as you equating “break” to “better” but if one “breaks” someone down, one beats them. That’s sort of the same as “betters” them. Did you really not know the expression “shotgun wedding”?
I concur with Roz re 2D: “making rolls” should be “baking”. I look forward to someone “eruditer” (yes, I know!) than I am giving a better explanation.
RE 24D – is “grease” really a synonym for “oil”? One is thicker than the other and the first one is a stage play and a movie with Olivia Newton John. We shall miss her.
Yes, Peter, of course I’d heard of shotgun weddings! Indeed I was the cause of one. Until I came here I was tricked by the clever wording of the clue.
Glad I wasn’t alone in having trouble seeing how ‘Better’ = BREAK as it seems so clear after the explanation above. I also couldn’t see IN for ‘At one’s office’ at 28a, but again perfectly reasonable and not too hard in retrospect.
I didn’t notice at the time that the parsing didn’t quite work, but my favourite was STUDEBAKER, reminding me of an old green “Studie” pickup style truck owned by my Dad many years ago.
Thanks to Falcon and Cineraria
Geoff, lucky you as the cause of a shotgun wedding. I had to wait until it was legally signed off. No wonder I’m regretting my whole life…
The best thought I could come up with for BREAK was eg “break four minutes for the mile”.
Thanks falcon and Quirister
Peter @ 5: I think you can see ‘grease’ and ‘oil’ as synonyms if you consider them both as verbs meaning ‘lubricate’.
Very enjoyable and not too taxing. My thanks to Falcon and Cineraria.
Am very impressed Peter – I thought my 35 minutes was breaking the four minute mile, but clearly not!
I really enjoyed this despite the utterly dreadful money = ‘the necessary’ and lead = ‘van’ and ‘grease’ = ‘oil’.
Thanks Falon and Cineraria
Unlike Doreen@12, I thought that all three of the examples quoted were perfectly reasonable, especially defining GREASE by “oil” (verbs, as noted by Simon@10).