This Monday morning begins with a FALCON…
A fairly swift solve this morning, though I was held up a little by the parsing of 10d.
A solid and enjoyable crossword.
Thanks FALCON!
ACROSS
1. Ahead, area in the opponent’s half of the pitch? (7)
UPFIELD
Double definition
UP (ahead) + FIELD (area)
(Thanks to Cineraria@3)
5. In lab of Finnish scientist (6)
BOFFIN
8. Actor Alain gripping whip hard in sports event (9)
DECATHLON
DELON (actor Alain) gripping (CAT (whip) + H (hard))
9. Start working in front of group (5)
ONSET
ON (working) in front of SET (group)
11. Heath returned having joined foremost of yachts, very spacious (5)
ROOMY
(MOOR)< (heath, <returned) having joined Y[achts] (foremost of)
12. Justify being very mean (9)
VINDICATE
V (very) + INDICATE (mean)
13. Plays followed by blue film (3,5)
TOY STORY
TOYS (plays) followed by TORY (blue)
15. Hospital within reach in shantytown (6)
GHETTO
H (hospital) within GET TO (reach)
17. Delicious drink at hand outside court (6)
NECTAR
NEAR (at hand) outside CT (court)
19. Accept members carry weapons (4,4)
BEAR ARMS
BEAR (accept) + ARMS (members)
22. The very same dialect in broadcast (9)
IDENTICAL
(DIALECT IN)* (*broadcast)
23. Snake by hollowed-out evergreen tree (5)
ASPEN
ASP (snake) by E[vergree]N (hollowed out)
24. One beyond saving in gripping one- reeler (5)
GONER
[grippin]G ONE R[eeler] (in)
25. Building valuers in general (9)
UNIVERSAL
(VALUERS IN)* (*building)
26. Sophisticated town close to Nice (6)
URBANE
URBAN (town) + [Nic]E (close to)
27. Very violent radical (7)
EXTREME
Double definition (or maybe triple)
DOWN
1. Arrangement subject to rank (13)
UNDERSTANDING
UNDER (subject to) + STANDING (rank)
2. Works with fine performer on tragedy’s ending (7)
FACTORY
F (fine) + ACTOR (performer) on [traged]Y (ending)
3. Guard scratching head in lobby (5)
ENTRY
[s]ENTRY (guard, scratching head)
4. Supply food store especially (8)
DELIVERY
DELI (food store) + VERY (especially)
5. Fruit and nuts, mostly (6)
BANANA
6. Angler, man knocked out when about to steal from British explorer (9)
FROBISHER
FISHER[man] (angler, man knocked out) about ROB (to steal)
Martin Frobisher
7. Second pressing (7)
INSTANT
10. Law enforcers, with it, shone by buckling down (3,4,2,4)
THE BOYS IN BLUE
(IT SHONE BY)* (*buckling) + BLUE (down)
14. First-rate crumble and pastry dish served up in restaurant (9)
TRATTORIA
(AI (first rate) + ROT (crumble) and TART (pastry dish))< (<served up)
16. Some menial reverentially rising for French poet (8)
VERLAINE
([m]ENIAL REV[erentially])< (some, <rising)
18. Daily in Canada, originally thinner (7)
CLEANER
C[anada] (originally) + LEANER (thinner)
20. Witty reply about securing current job (7)
RIPOSTE
RE (about) securing (I (current) + POST (job))
21. Point the finger at copper in corrupt case (6)
ACCUSE
CU (copper) in (CASE)* (*corrupt)
23. Old prince losing book causes alarm (5)
ALERT
AL[b]ERT (old prince, losing B (book))
I agree that this was on the easy side. I didn’t time myself but it was completed before Terri Clark had finished singing three songs on Spotify.
I filled in 10D by the definition and cross letters and then parsed it. Thanks for the blog, Teacow.
The only one I couldn’t parse was ALERT, not twigging to Albert as an old prince. My general knowledge didn’t extend to Alain Delon, Frobisher and Verlaine, but I guess it does now. There were plenty of smiles, and I particularly liked VINDICATE & GHETTO. And I rejoiced at not getting stuck on any Britishisms … there weren’t any, not one! Thank you, Falcon. And Teacow for the blog.
I parsed 1A as UP (ahead [as in a sports score]) + FIELD (area), with the rest as the definition (or perhaps all &lit), although your DD is also plausible. Thanks, Teacow and FALCON.
HI Geoff, Albert was the husband of Queen Vic. They named the Royal Albert Hall in London after him. He was married to a queen but couldn’t be called a king.
It’s just above Kensington Gardens if my memory is correct. I was lucky enough to attend The Everly Brothers “reunion concert” there late in 1983. The great Albert Lee – just a co-incidence of names – he was/still is a great guitarist.
26A could have been clued as “Keith and the close to his wife” but then I’m a country music tragic!
Yes, Peter, have visited said hall and nearby monument. I just didn’t make the connection at the appropriate juncture today.
Thanks Cineraria@3 – I prefer your parsing so have amended accordingly.
Thanks for the blog, neat and tidy clues.
FROBISHER was clever and I liked the use of buckling for THE BOYS IN BLUE.
Thanks Falcon for a pleasant romp. Top choices were VINDICATE, TOY STORY, and RIPOSTE. BOFFIN and FROBISHER were new to me but obvious from the wordplay. Thanks Teacow for the blog.
I took angler as Fisher, and wondered what the man had to do with it.
For 5d I initially had ANANAS, which parses equally well, fruit being both singular and plural. This delayed solving 12a VINDICATED, which was my clue of the day for the wonderful and deceptive surface.
I like clues that play with the division between words, and so 13a TOY STORY was another favourite.
Thanks, Falcon for the fun and Teacow for the help with parsing 10d THE BOYS IN BLUE (which I couldn’t see but was obvious once you explained it).