Hoskins with a puzzle this weekend for those who like him in full-on drugs and schoolboy humour mode.
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 Old fart in Blur seen with Rear of the Year
FOGEY
A charade of FOG, E for the last letter of ‘the’ and Y.
4 Forum contributor drinking port is an arse
POSTERIOR
An insertion of RIO in POSTER. The insertion indicator is ‘drinking’.
9 Openly gay don pinching contrary soldier’s sweaters?
OUTERWEAR
An insertion of RE for Royal Engineer or ‘soldier’ reversed in OUT and WEAR. The insertion indicator is ‘pinching’.
10 A large member can create apprehension
ALARM
A charade of A, L and ARM.
11 Chat up American in drag at work
HIT ON
A charade of HIT and ON. HIT and ‘drag’ are synonymous in the world of drugs, which not everyone might know. Or want to know. More AmEng than BrEng, hence ‘American’.
12 I tug lout’s pants in fight for supremacy
SLUG IT OUT
(I TUG LOUTS)* with ‘pants’ as the anagrind.
13 Rubbish bit of drugs … just said no?
REFUSED
A charade of REFUSE and D for the first letter of drugs.
15 Star that’s hit Tanner?
SUNLAMP
A charade of SUN and LAMP.
17 365 days with knight essentially seems scarily longer!
YEARNER
A charade of YEAR, N and ER for the central letters of ‘seems’ and ‘scarily’.
20 V&A worker grabbing Greek’s bum
VAGRANT
An insertion of GR in VA and ANT. The insertion indicator is ‘grabbing’.
22 Cook trims duck and piece of chicken
DRUMSTICK
(TRIMS DUCK)*
23 City pub importing drop of Maltese spirit
NYMPH
An insertion of M for the initial letter of ‘Maltese’ in NY and PH. The insertion indicator is ‘importing’.
25 Resort in which you’ll find English relative
NIECE
An insertion of ‘E in NICE. The insertion indicator is ‘in which you’ll find’.
26 It’s seen in drunken brainiacs
EINSTEINS
(ITS SEEN IN)* with ‘drunken’ as the anagrind.
27 Uni crowds welcoming independent moderates
MITIGATES
An insertion of I in MIT for Massachusetts Institute of Technology and GATES. The insertion indicator is ‘welcoming’.
28 Some foul, at intervals, language
LATIN
Hidden in fouL AT INtervals.
Down
1 Fellow criminal hoary and old as Hoskins?
FOOLHARDY
A charade of F and (HOARY OLD)* with ‘criminal’ as the anagrind. Is Hoskins FOOLHARDY? Only he knows, I guess.
2 German drug rubbish? Bother!
GET AT
A charade of G, E and TAT.
3 Those providing cover for some privates?
Y-FRONTS
A cd.
4 Contract to appear in Palladium tickled Pink
PLEASED
An insertion of LEASE in PD. The insertion indicator is ‘to appear in’.
5 Jets circling seventh of offshore wind generators?
SPROUTS
An insertion of R for the seventh letter of ‘offshore’ in SPOUTS. The insertion indicator is ‘circling’.
6 Family member removing top in high spirits
ELATION
[R]ELATION
7 It messes around with a man or a lover
INAMORATA
(IT A MAN OR A)* with ‘messes around with’ as the anagrind.
8 Gas constant? Age going up? Relax!
REMIT
A charade of R and TIME reversed. R is the universal gas constant, and has a value of 8.31446261815324 joules per kelvin per mole, since you ask.
14 Dead fast to skirt round unionist emitting gas
FLATULENT
An insertion of U in FLAT and LENT. The insertion indicator is ‘to skirt round’.
16 Getting high? Spice hit at noon helps!
PITCHES IN
A charade of (SPICE HIT)* and N. The anagrind is ‘high’.
18 Rhino saved for the next generation?
NEST EGG
A cd.
19 Old clothes split without intention
RAIMENT
An insertion of AIM in RENT. The insertion indicator is ‘without’.
20 Six royals and two Norsemen?
VIKINGS
A charade of VI and KINGS.
21 Guy with gangster stealing one of the crown jewels?
GENITAL
An insertion of I in GENT and AL. The insertion indicator is ‘stealing’.
22 Dunces primarily sent up Hoskins’s often blue material?
DENIM
A charade of D and MINE reversed.
24 Oscar-winning film is a bit wet
MOIST
An insertion of O in MIST. The insertion indicator is ‘-winning’
Many thanks to Hoskins for this Sunday’s puzzle.
Great fun. Needed the blog for the parsing of HIT ON. In 8d, I assume you meant 8.31446261815324 approximately 😀
Thanks both. Off to watch some rain/cricket so this was ideal in that it did not consume too much time. HIT ON also defeated me in the parsing, but I did like the inventiveness of MOIST. Not a great fan of FOOLHARDY for its imprecision, but I realise it is very much this setter’s style. SUNLAMP took much longer than it should, and I’m not sure why the clue isn’t just ‘Star hit Tanner’ as having ‘that’s’ included was taking me towards i.e.
TFO – I was trying to follow SUN with an anagram of ‘that’ to create a solution! I do feel the word sits very awkwardly in the clue and is potentially misleading filler. Otherwise, yes, very much a Hoskins Sunday romp as per. A cruciverbal Keith Richards. FOGEY, DRUMSTICK and PLEASED are my podium.
Thanks Hoskins and Pierre
Hoskins in typical good form. I was looking for a star ending in either Elsie or vid for SUNLAMP. MOIST was my favourite.
Hoskins always brings a smile, or a series of them, and today didn’t disappoint. Great fun! Thanks to Pierre, though sadly no obligatory Pierre bird link, but next time I’m sure. Sad how long it took me to see MIT since it happened to be my uni…
Fun crossword today, Thanks Hoskina and Pierre.
Definitely a full-blown Harry on display today with the occasional answer making him appear rather 1d, but the editor let him get away with it so peace reigns!
Tops for me were POSTERIOR, NEST EGG & MOIST.
Thanks to Hoskins and to Pierre sans birdies.