Independent on Sunday 1,749/Tees

A tractable puzzle from one of the Indy‘s most prolific setters, with as always a good range of reference material and carefully composed clues throughout.

Abbreviations
cd cryptic definition
dd double definition
cad clue as definition
(xxxx)* anagram
anagrind = anagram indicator
[x] letter(s) removed

definitions are underlined

Across

1/14 So many drunk with cricket group
ARCTIC MONKEYS
(SO MANY CRICKET)* with ‘drunk’ as the anagrind gives you the rock band originally from Sheffield.

4 One to monitor seeing work artist announced
OPTICIAN
A charade of OP and aural wordplay for TITIAN.

10 French knight‘s endless sound in fanfare
CHEVALIER
An insertion of VALI[D] in CHEER. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.

11 Writer‘s answer: put question the wrong way
AESOP
A charade of A and POSE reversed.

12 In sound, flood rescue vessel reveals bow
ARC
Aural wordplay for ARK, Noah’s vessel.

13 Test pilot’s emergency propeller?
EJECTOR SEAT
A cd.

16 American falls: under the influence, I rang AA
NIAGARA
(I RANG AA)* with ‘under the influence’ as an anagrind.

18 Pirate almost snatching gold to add to small coins
FLORINS
An insertion of OR for ‘gold’ in FLIN[T] followed by S. Captain FLINT was a character in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island; the insertion indicator is ‘snatching’; and many readers won’t have been around when British FLORINS, the equivalent of two shillings, started to be removed from circulation in this country in the early 1970s. That’d now be the 10p coin.

20 Oklahoma! Perhaps found by American going via two other states?
MUSICAL
An insertion of US in MI, for Michigan, and CAL for California. Tees is always a careful setter, so the exclamation mark is there for a reason: it’s part of the title of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical.

22 Family round fireplace finding fruit
BLOOD ORANGE
A charade of BLOOD, O and RANGE.

25 Roman historian no end of social climber?
IVY
Tees is inviting you to remove L for the last letter of ‘social’ from LIVY.

26 Irish with a question: one for Arab
IRAQI
A charade of IR, A, Q and I.

27 Power shown by exotic arboreal creature in 1ac
POLAR BEAR
A charade of P and (ARBOREAL)* with ‘exotic’ as the anagrind. POLAR BEAR and ARCTIC MONKEYS in the same grid is about as much of a theme as you’ll ever get with this setter.

28 Fire is set in Greene novel
ENERGISE
An insertion of IS in (GREENE)* with ‘novel’ as the anagrind. The insertion indicator is ‘set in’ and the surface reference is to the writer of Brighton Rock, The Third Man and much else. Today’s factoid: his mother was Robert Louis Stevenson’s cousin.

29 Said condition beginning to deteriorate
STATED
A charade of STATE and D for the initial letter of ‘deteriorate’.

Down

1 Applaud account — one saying little about India
ACCLAIM
A charade of AC and I for the phonetic alphabet ‘India’ inserted into CLAM. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.

2 Time to leave street party that’s climactic
CRESCENDO
A charade of CRESCEN[T] and DO.

3 Absurd how harangue ends
INANE
‘Harangue’ ends ‘in an E’, does it not?

5 Double entendre about woman with strict morals?
PURITAN
An insertion of RITA in PUN. The insertion indicator is ‘about’.

6 Revolutionary princess rises up behind
IN ARREARS
A charade of RANI reversed and REARS.

8 Horse kept by Pathan represented fiery mixture
NAPHTHA
An insertion of H in (PATHAN)* The insertion indicator is ‘kept by’, the anagrind is ‘represented’ and you can have H for ‘horse’ either from its drug abbreviation or from race cards. Pathan is a British term for Pashtun, apparently.

9 Giant mushrooms no good for muscle
BICEPS
BI[G] CEPS

15 Be up to murder Greens’ leader? It’s wrong!
EVILDOING
A charade of LIVE reversed (‘up’, since it’s a down clue), DO IN and G for the initial letter of ‘Greens’.

17 Wren for one in the 1A flying
ARCHITECT
An insertion of I in (THE ARCTIC)* The anagrind is ‘flying’ and the insertion indicator is ‘in’.  Christopher Wren, of course.

18 Anger seen after second month with fever
FEBRILE
A charade of FEB and RILE.

19 Scuffles: unpleasant behaviour with English aboard ship
SCRAPES
‘Aboard ship’ is crosswordspeak for insertion something in SS. Here it’s CRAP and E.

20 Bloke breaking leg in crush
MANGLE
A charade of MAN and (LEG)* with ‘breaking’ as the anagrind.

21 Like some cakes put before gourmand finally
LAYERED
A charade of LAY, ERE and D for the final letter of ‘gourmand’.

23 Judas, in Old English, to hold forth
ORATE
An insertion of RAT in OE. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.

24 No starter for Ruth whose preference is for fish?
EGRET
[R]EGRET. ‘Ruth’ is an archaic word for ‘pity’ or ‘regret’ that you only see in modern English in the word ‘ruthless’. More importantly, the obligatory Pierre bird link shows you that the setter knows a bit about bird behaviour as well. Thank you to him for this Sunday’s puzzle.