Jason is this morning's setter.
A reasonably straightforward puzzle with nothing overly difficult in the clues or solutions. The clues for SUMMITS and PERSONA NON GRATA each had a word that wasn't necessary for the parsing, but in the case of the latter, added a subtle nuance to the surface.
Thanks, Jason.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CARELESS |
Unconcerned about English lacking vehicle (8)
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CARLESS ("lacking vehicle") about E (English) |
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| 5 | APPLES |
Fruit drinks with postage & packaging added in (6)
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ALES ("drinks") with P&P (postage and packaging) added in |
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| 10 | ADIEU |
Macron’s valediction fail in a university (5)
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DIE ("fall") in A + U (University) |
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| 11 | MODERATOR |
Who keeps an eye on unsettled dear in estate? (9)
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*(dear) [anag:unsettled] in MOTOR ("estate?") For non-UK solvers, an estate car is what the Americans call a station wagon. |
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| 12 | HYSTERICS |
Fits of laughter as dodgy lawyer in charge succeeded changing sides (9)
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(s)HYSTER ("dodgly lawyer") + IC (in charge) with S (succeeded) changing sides (i.e. moving from the left of the word, to the right, becomes (HYSTER)IC(s) |
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| 13 | OVERT |
Apparent excess beginning from this (5)
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OVER ("excess") + [beginning from] T(his) |
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| 14 | FARCES |
Ticket prices stuck by clubs producing comedies (6)
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FARES ("ticket prices") stuck by C (clubs) |
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| 15 | PLAYPEN |
Jug for the innocent to revel in (7)
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Cryptic definition, pen and jug both being jails and "the innocent" referring to infants. |
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| 18 | ALL TOLD |
Everything mentioned in total (3,4)
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ALL ("everything") + TOLD ("mentioned") |
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| 20 | SLOPPY |
Slapdash hack drawn in by agent (6)
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LOP ("kack") drawn in by SPY ("agent") |
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| 22 | SCI-FI |
Such as Frankenstein — namely one following another one (3-2)
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Sc. ("namely") + I (one) F (following) another I (one) |
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| 24 | EVERGREEN |
Always fresh bit of work on filling flat (9)
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ERG ("bit of work") + RE ("on") filling EVEN ("flat") |
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| 25 | CABRIOLET |
Convertible taxi, great success including French article (9)
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CAB ("taxi") + RIOT ("great success") including LE ("French article") |
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| 26 | AVOID |
Give a wide berth to a gap (5)
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A + VOID ("gap") |
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| 27 | ELDERS |
Those who join without wife could be oldies? (6)
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(w)ELDERS ("those who join") without W (wife) |
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| 28 | SEDATIVE |
Heartlessly advertise new tranquilliser (8)
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*(advetise) [anag:new] where ADVETISE is [heartlessly] ADVE(r)TISE |
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| DOWN | ||
| 1 | CHA-CHA |
Repeated tea dance (3-3)
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[repeated] CHA ("tea") |
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| 2 | REINSTALL |
Set up again controls on giant (9)
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REINS ("controls") on TALL ("giant") |
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| 3 | LAURENCE OLIVIER |
A star of the stage I partnered with Laurel over nice dancing (8,7)
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*(i laurel over nice) [anag:dancing] |
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| 4 | SUMMITS |
Maiden and male in perhaps costumes and crowns (7)
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M (maiden, in cricket) + M (male) in SUITS ("perhaps costumes") The "perhaps" in the clue isn't necessary, in my opinion. |
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| 6 | PERSONA NON GRATA |
Absurdly arrogant ones pan Caesar’s unwelcome sort (7,3,5)
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*(arrogant ones pan) [anag:absurdly] "Caesar's" in the clue is unnecessary, but is included to indicate that the phrase is Latin |
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| 7 | LATTE |
Run out of recent drink (5)
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R (run) out of LATTE(r) ("recent") |
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| 8 | SCRUTINY |
Investigation possibly turns icy (8)
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*(turns icy) [anag:possibly] |
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| 9 | ADDS UP |
Go on to say drink makes sense (4,2)
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ADD ("go on to say") + SUP ("drink") |
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| 16 | PEPPERONI |
Dot over ‘i’ — this is what you see in deli, say (9)
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PEPPER ("dot") + ON ("over") + I |
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| 17 | MASSACRE |
Butcher’s service? Superb, King admitted (8)
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MASS ("service") + ACE ("superb") with R (Rex, so "king") included |
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| 19 | DWELLS |
Germany, “We will start to shorten stays” (6)
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D (International Vehicle Registration code for "Germany") + WE'LL ("we will") + [start to] S(horten) |
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| 20 | SPECTRE |
Releasing secret surrounding power gives a worrying image (7)
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*(secret) [anag:releasing] surrounding P (power) |
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| 21 | ON EDGE |
Nervous about form (2,4)
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ON ("about") + EDGE ("form") At first I couldn't think of a situation where EDGE and FORM are synonymous, but I suppose if you form an edge on something, you EDGE it. |
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| 23 | IN BUD |
Voguish chum is developing (2,3)
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IN ("voguish") + BUD ("chum") |
Straightforward, but a very enjoyable solve. Thanks Jason!
I often struggle to see equivalence of meanings in Jason’s crosswords. For EDGE, I wondered about “their batting ability lacked edge/form”?
Yes an ego salve after recent exertions. Liked scrutiny and sedative. Thx both.
What is the difference between a cha cha and a cha cha cha?
Why is Sc “namely”? AI didn’t know.
I also can’t fathom form/edge. Nice try, Loonapick. Your explanation, Hovis, is a little more plausible, but I’m still nonplussed.
All else pretty straightforward and enjoyable.
Ah, scilicet. AI did know, after I’d roughed it up a bit. Must work on my Latin.
I agree this was a fairly straight-forward puzzle which I enjoyed for the most part.
PEPPERONI and SCRUTINY were my favourites.
I couldn’t find an equivalence between ‘form’ and ‘edge’ but I think Hovis has probably edged it.
The newspaper/online version of 10a has ‘fail’ where the blog has ‘fall’. Either way, ‘die’ didn’t immediately spring to mind though the answer was clear.
I had a false start with 1a, writing in CAREFREE which works just as well, I think, but clearly, it didn’t chime with that old thesp in 3d so that needed a second go.
Thanks Jason and Loonapick.
James @3. CHA.
Yes GDU@5. Not to be confused with the more widely found SIC (sic erat scriptum )used to indicate a misspelling which is quoted uncorrected.
I did need the blog for some of the parsing . Btw A CABRIOLET in French is a light two wheeled horse drawn vehicle with a movable top, often encountered in nineteenth French novels eg Balzac.
Thanks Jason and loonapick.