No flowery prose from me today: in the middle of a house move, so technically now ex-LeedsClimber!
Thank you, Umpire for the grid
Across
1 Referee’s aid wrong to overturn Honda’s opener for Japan? (7)
VARNISH
Referee’s aid [VAR] wrong [SIN] to overturn [backwards] Honda’s opener [H]
5 Frame leader of cabal while relative smuggles heroin (7)
CHASSIS
Leader of cabal [C] while [AS] relative [SIS] smuggles [around] heroin [H]
9 Ground nest emu covers in sand – there’s no other choice (5,4)
NEEDS MUST
Anag. [“Ground”] NEST EMU covers in sand [S + D]
10 Combustible material around radiator’s beginning to become orangey-pink (5)
CORAL
Combustible material [COAL] around radiator’s beginning [R]
11 Rocket scientists run around cape for sport (6)
NASCAR
Rocket scientists [NASA] run [R] around cape [C]
12 Violet bruise, extremely kinky? (4,4)
LOVE BITE
Anag [“kinky”] VIOLET + extremeties of BRUISE
14 Decreases in wine sales wiping out bodega in the end (10)
REDUCTIONS
Wine [RED] sales [AUCTIONS] wiping out bodega in the end [-A]
16 Cloud over coliseum is troubling crowds (4)
MIST
Hidden word [“crowds”] coliseuM IS Troubling
18 Crowd pleaser right not to get involved in outrageous comedy (4)
FACE
Right [R] not to get involved in [removed from] outrageous comedy [FARCE]
19 Astrologer working with government welcomed by PM (10)
STARMONGER
Working [ON] with government [G] welcomed by [around] PM [STARMER]
22 Hot and dry river lacking locks? (8)
INSECURE
Hot [IN] and dry [SEC] river [URE]
23 Grounds for educating about politician in Australia (6)
CAMPUS
About [C] politician [MP] in Australia [AUS]
26 Term for twenty-five pounds is pony? (5)
EQUID
Term [last letter] for twenty-five [E] pounds [QUID]
27 Submissiveness in bed liked regularly when edging (9)
OBEDIENCE
Bed liked regularly [even letters = E I E] when [ONCE] edging [around]
28 Censors bloody shows (7)
REDACTS
Bloody [RED] shows [ACTS]
29 Wrestling gear itches with skirt the wrong way round (7)
SINGLET
Itches [TINGLES] with skirt [first and last letters] the wrong way round
Down
1 Very deep bottles start to tempt one into wine (7)
VINTNER
Very [V] deep [INNER] bottles around] start to tempt [T]
2 Rocks fish is found under, right? (5)
REELS
Fish [EELS] is found under, right [R]
3 Example of an insect on the rocks (8)
INSTANCE
Anag [“on the rocks”] AN INSECT
4 Transport goods in adverse weather, imports primarily going to university (4)
HAUL
Adverse weather [HAIL], imports primarily [I] going to [changing for] university [U]
5 Lacking time, reconstruct carelessly? (3,7)
CUT CORNERS
Anag [“reconstruct”] RECONSTRUCT lacking time [without “T”]
6 More playful shot (6)
ARCHER
Double def
7 Stone coming down and breaking your back (9)
STRAINING
Stone [ST] coming down [RAINING]
8 Directed to take in boxer striking (7)
SALIENT
Directed [SENT] to take in [around] boxer [ALI]
13 At the end, on top of hill, boarding fell (10)
VICTORIOUS
Of hill [TOR], boarding [inside] fell [VICIOUS]
15 Canine companion to deliberately avoid being cuddled by father (9)
DACHSHUND
Companion [CH] to deliberately avoid [SHUN] being cuddled by [inside] father [DAD]
17 System of symbols not helping – translator ultimately let go (8)
NOTATION
Not [NOT] helping [RATION] – translator ultimately [R] let go
18 Hairdresser to stand up cutting hair (7)
FRISEUR
To stand up [RISE] cutting [inside] hair [FUR]
20 I admire that muscle clenched by others (7)
RESPECT
Muscle [PEC] clenched by [inside] others [REST]
21 Bitter ale in cellar initially probed by detectives (6)
ACIDIC
Ale in cellar initially [A I C] probed by [around] detectives [CID]
24 Parking on raised road constituting a fine (5)
PENAL
Parking [P] on raised road [LANE backwards]
25 Shorter exercise needing no working (4)
LESS
Exercise [LESSON] needing no working [ON removed]
I took 12a & 5d as &lit clues. There’s a minor error in blog for 27a, should say I E not E I E.
A couple of jorums (jora ?) for me in STARMONGER & FRISEUR.
A nice bit of head-scratching made for an enjoyable solve. This week I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever complete a crossword again 🙂 so it was nice to complete this one.
I agree with Hovis ref the two &lits, both of which are very good. A nice puzzle for a Saturday morning. I particularly liked the surface for DACHSHUND; not so sure about the one for OBEDIENCE …
Thanks Umpire and on-the-way-to-being-ex Leedsclimber
Thanks both. Enjoyed this, and it felt at just the right level. VICTORIOUS was good but tough, and I researched synonyms for crowd-pleaser to justify my answer, however I didn’t see FACE listed.
FACE is (according to Chambers) a wrestler with a crowd-pleasing persona, as opposed to “heel”.
Thanks for the blog Leedsclimber, I hope the house move goes well.
Thanks to the commenters for the kind words, and I am pleased to restore some confidence in Hovis @1!
I was pleased to complete the grid. Loi VICTORIOUS. I couldn’t understand ‘boarding fell’ for the life of me, but I can now thanks to the blog. I kind of knew it, but it wouldn’t come to mind. ‘One fell swoop’, yes. I’m not familiar with ‘shot’ meaning ARCHER either, but I guess it’s like a ‘good shot’. FACE was similarly difficult for me to understand but kudos to the setter. Thanks LC once and Umpire.
Another of those days I’m afraid in which I couldn’t get started.