Filbert is very much a regular feature in the Indy these days, and a setter who is capable of ratcheting the difficulty level up and down. This one, as befits a Monday, was towards the easier end of the scale, I think, and contained some characteristically elegant surfaces.
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 Time and motive required for crime
TREASON
A charade of T and REASON.
5 Cuckoo saw tree top
SWEATER
(SAW TREE)* with ‘cuckoo’ as the anagrind.
9 Suffer at home with bad dog
INCUR
A charade of IN and CUR.
10 Non-stop aces badly restricting Seles
CEASELESS
An insertion of SELES in (ACES)* The insertion indicator is ‘restricting’ and the anagrind is ‘badly’. The reference is to tennis, of course, and former player Monica SELES.
11 Long leases unusual in city
LOS ANGELES
(LONG LEASES)* with ‘unusual’ as the anagrind.
12 Attractive stone circle seen with friend
OPAL
A charade of O and PAL.
14 Biden and Trump, say, sounding like excessively croaky people
TWO-HORSE RACE
Aural wordplay (‘sounding like’) of TOO HOARSE RACE. And a race too frightening to think about, frankly.
18 Maxim used by SAS, as her windows smashed
WHO DARES WINS
(AS HER WINDOWS)* with ‘smashed’ as the anagrind.
21 A little mansion in Eaton Square
NINE
Hidden in mansioN IN Eaton. Lovely surface. 9=3².
22 Officer’s given cold beer, getting notes in order
MAJOR SCALE
A charade of MAJORS, C and ALE. The notes of the tonic sol-fa containing a major third: for example, the white notes of the piano from one C to the next C.
25 I would clean it out, just the same
IDENTICAL
A charade of I’D and (CLEAN IT)* with ‘out’ as the anagrind.
26 Island that’s a ring
ATOLL
A charade of A and TOLL.
27 French composer emptied tray, being full
SATIETY
A charade of [Erik] SATIE and T[RA]Y.
28 Tango separately, date having claws
TALONED
A charade of T for the phonetic alphabet ‘Tango’, ALONE and D.
Down
1 Right to put in bananas I felt for this pudding
TRIFLE
An insertion of R in (I FELT)* The insertion indicator is ‘to put in’; the anagrind is ‘bananas’.
2 Former copper starts to set everyone free
EXCUSE
A charade of EX, CU and SE for the initial letters of ‘set’ and ‘everyone’.
3 Psychiatrist women blame in film
SHRINKWRAP
A charade of SHRINK, W and RAP. The ‘film’ is not of the cinematic variety, but of (usually) low density polyethylene.
4 Pleasant embracing husband in appropriate place
NICHE
An insertion of H in NICE. The insertion indicator is ’embracing’.
5 Dummy on farm runs in silly cow races
SCARECROW
An insertion of R in (COW RACES)* The insertion indicator is ‘in’ and the anagrind is ‘silly’.
6 Animal’s lair beneath end of the garden
EDEN
A charade of E for the final letter of ‘the’ and DEN.
7 Clothes pianist packs for the theatre
THESPIAN
Hidden in CloTHES PIANist.
8 Victor and loser set up, journalist decided
RESOLVED
A charade of V and LOSER reversed and ED.
13 Bouncer you hit to get in?
TENNIS BALL
A cd.
15 Hits down by 50% affected archery ranking
HIERARCHY
A charade of HI[TS] and (ARCHERY)* The anagrind is ‘affected’.
16 A decade passed in chains
TWENTIES
An insertion of WENT in TIES. The insertion indicator is ‘in’.
17 Not very encouraging sign from conductor
DOWNBEAT
A dd.
19 Pool in 11? I don’t believe it
LAGOON
A charade of LA for Los Angeles and GO ON.
20 Number one went first without kit on
PEELED
A charade of PEE and LED.
23 Chick knotted towel
OWLET
(TOWEL)* with ‘knotted’ as the anagrind. I have tried to find a picture of an owlet that isn’t impossibly cute, and have failed miserably, so this obligatory Pierre bird link is the outcome. They are barn owl chicks.
24 Spot Liberal out of fashion
STYE
STY[L]E
Many thanks to Filbert for the start to the Independent crosswording week.
That was a gentle romp through this one, great fun with lovely surfaces, nothing much holding me up.
Thank you to Pierre and Filbert.
I agree with our blogger: Filbert is able to produce a nice range of puzzles and this was very well suited to a Monday. Possibly the most accessible Filbert yet. CEASELESS, LOS ANGELES, TWO-HORSE RACE, NINE, IDENTICAL, TALONED, SHRINKWRAP, THESPIAN and TWENTIES is my (rather long) list of favourites.
Thanks Filbert and Pierre
And there was me thinking I’d finally got on Filbert’s wavelength, only to find out everyone says he was just taking it easy on us as we slide into the working week.
It was definitely at the easier end of his scale, in fact I would agree with PostMark @2, probably the most lenient one we’ve seen from him. Didn’t stop the enjoyment though.
Some very good surfaces and one or two interesting definitions meant it definitely wasn’t a simple write in for me at least.
Thanks to Filbert and to Pierre for his usual high standard of blogging.
Agree with all the above, though I wish setters would give the journalist = ed a rest. Thanks Filbert and Pierre.
Tatrasman @4; unfortunately, ED provides very little else in the way of succinct reference opportunity without using SLI’s. Chambers gives:
ed.
abbrev
1. Edited
2. Edition
3. Editor
4. Educated
5. Education
and I suspect setters would be given a hard time if they used the last two. ED is such a regularly appearing combo, I suspect you’ll be seeing the journo for a fair while to come.
We could try ward Woodward.
TWO-HORSE RACE
(a very minor observation-more of a technicality than an alternative parse)
Sounding like TOO HOARSE+ RACE (people)
Liked TENNIS BALL
Thanks both
Was surprised to discover this was Filbert, but I’d be equally surprised if the next offering is not a lot more challenging… I did like TOO HOARSE RACE, along with many others.. agree with Pierre on the viability of such a mutant species…
Thanks Filbert and Pierre
I did this without checking the Puzzle Info, so I, too, was surprised to see it was Filbert. I think I might have seen an eland on vacation standing in for the editor as well as he would if he were a Cockney.
Thanks both. DOWNBEAT and SATIETY took by far the longest to solve, partly as I did not know the composer in the latter. TENNIS BALL went in without entire certainty – I wonder should the clue say ‘to try to get in’ as just hitting it could take it out or into the net, certainty when I play?
paul b@6 😉