Thank you to Brummie. Again apologies for the late blog. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8. Disk installed in finished comprehensive (8)
THOROUGH : O(letter representing a circular object/disc) contained in(installed in) THROUGH(finished/done with,, as in “I’m through with you!”).
9. Hum – to set trap (5)
MOUTH : Anagram of(… set) HUM – TO.
Defn: For which “trap” is a slang of.
10. Horse led by Earl? (4)
GREY : That which placed after(led by) “Earl” yields the name of a flavoured China tea.
Defn: A type of … named after its colouring.
11. Came near to rewriting ad hoc paper (10)
APPROACHED : Anagram of(rewriting) AD HOC PAPER.
12. Very faint-hearted, not quite returning salvo (6)
VOLLEY : V(abbrev. for “very”) + reversal of(… returning) [ “yellow”(cowardly/faint-hearted) minus its last letter(not quite …)].
14. One American in multinational company gives a hand (8)
APPLAUSE : [ A(grammatical article for a single quantity/one) + US(abbrev. for the United States, describing things American) ] contained in(in) APPLE(the giant multinational technology company).
16. Irresponsible, filthy cracks about gang leader (7)
FLIGHTY : Anagram of(… cracks) FILTHY containing(about) 1st letter of(… leader) “gang”.
18. Cheer gamer’s device (7)
CONSOLE : Double defn: 1st: To …/comfort someone.
21. One of the Trumps hiding small toe-curling secret (8)
ESOTERIC : ERIC(one of Donald Trump’s children) containing(hiding) [ S(abbrev. for “small”) + anagram of(…-curling) TOE].
23. Order of fish provided by end of day (6)
CODIFY : COD(a food fish) + IF(in case of/provided) plus(by) last letter of(end of) “day”.
Defn: …/To arrange according to a plan or system.
24. House safeguard that makes for heavy going? (4-6)
DAMP-COURSE : [DAMP COURSE](how one might call a heavy going/a wet and muddy racetrack).
Defn: A layer of waterproof material at the bottom of the wall of a house as a safeguard against rising moisture.
26. Mean-sounding voice (4)
BASS : Homophone of(…-sounding) “base”(mean/foul).
Defn: A male singing ….
27. Near the boundless land (5)
EARTH : 1st and last letters deleted from(… boundless) “Near the”.
28. Centaurs cast out of a pre-Roman state (8)
ETRUSCAN : Anagram of(… cast out) CENTAURS.
Defn: Relating to Etruria, a pre-Roman state.
Down
1. What drawers might hold: chain, bow and ring on a length (8)
CHARCOAL : CH(abbrev. for “chain”) + ARC(a curved line/a bow) + O(letter representing a ring shape) placed above(on, in a down clue) A + L(abbrev. for “length”).
Defn: …, drawers of pictures, that is.
2. Harsh sound of underwear rubbing against somebody’s rear (4)
BRAY : BRA(or brassiere, feminine underwear) plus(rubbing against) last letter of(…’s rear) “somebody”.
3. Player supporting the Guardian, perversely, is sweet? (6)
SUGARY : GARY(Player, legendary golfer) placed below(supporting, in a down clue) reversal of(…, perversely) US(self-referential pronoun for the Guardian, the publishers of this crossword).
4. Cat saying ‘tree cutter’? (7)
WHIPSAW : WHIP(a strip of leather or cord with a handle used to inflict a beating/a cat) +SAW(a wise saying).
5. Brief shots of mother, topless doing a twirl (4)
AMMO : Reversal of(… doing a twirl) [“momma”(an American term for one’s mother) minus its 1st letter(topless, in a down clue)].
Defn: Short form of/brief for “ammunition”/shots, ie. bullets and shells for weaponry.
6. Student group in exposed surroundings put in the shade (10)
OUTCLASSED : CLASS(student group in a school) contained in(in … surroundings) OUTED(exposed/made public).
Defn: Surpassed/outshone/….
7. Car is revolutionary (6)
WHEELS : “Wheels”, collectively, are revolutionary things/things that go round.
Defn: An informal term for a ….
(A similar clue construction to 10 across.)
13. Elgar too hip, perhaps, to drop round for this type of work (5,5)
LIGHT OPERA : Anagram of(…, perhaps) “Elgar too hip” minus(to drop) “o”(letter denoting a round shape).
Defn: …, musical work, that is.
And, indeed, Elgar did not compose any operas, light or not.
15. Hapless Republican’s abandoned passed motion (3)
POO : “poor”(hapless/unfortunate) minus(…’s abandoned) R(abbrev. for a member of the Republican Party).
Defn: Motion/stool that has been passed/defecated.
17. Hill’s tale uncovered (3)
TOR : “story”(tale) minus its 1st and last letters(uncovered).
19. Duration of biography’s going to pot (8)
LIFESPAN : LIFE(a biography/life story)’S plus(going to) PAN(a cooking vessel/pot).
20. Mark for each bolt (7)
SCARPER : SCAR(a mark left on something showing where damage was done) + PER(for each, as in “$ per person”).
Defn: To run away/bolt.
22. Foreign alcoholic drinks poured over Henry’s cold drinks (6)
SHAKES : SAKES(to some, foreign, in this case, Japanese alcoholic drinks) containing(poured over) H(in physics, abbrev. for “henry”, unit of electrical inductance.
Answer: Short for “milkshakes”, cold drinks of milk and flavouring.
23. Cold? Here’s fishy toast (6)
CHEERS : C(abbrev. for “cold”) + anagram of(… fishy) HERE’S.
Defn: A …, expressing good wishes before drinking.
25. Player’s behind this aspect of polo cheating? (4)
OCHE : Hidden in(aspect of) “polo cheating”.
Defn: Line behind which darts players stand to make their throws.
26. Police work that often gets support (4)
BUST : Double defn: 1st: …, in this case, a raid or search of premises; and 2nd: …, support in the form of brassieres.
Another excellent puzzle from Brummie with a few words that link nicely like VOLLEY of APPLAUSE and CHEERS, CHARCOAL GREY and after watching last night’s launch, FLIGHT(Y) CONSOLE. Lots of favourites, including DAMP COURSE, ESOTERIC, AMMO, OUTCLASSED and LIGHT OPERA.
Ta Brummie & scchua
Someone is probably typing a list of fish (again) so I won’t.
Another puzzle that seemed impenetrable and was far simpler than it first appeared. I liked it.
I liked CHARCOAL, SHAKES and LIFESPAN.
Thanks Brummie and scchua
WHEELS
I think ‘is revolutionary’=WHEELS, considering WHEEL as a verb.
Thanks Brummie and scchua
More fish: RAY, SOLE, BASS, COD. Apologies if I overlap with others.
Very fishy indeed.
Usual high standard from Brummie, nothing controversial.
Thanks Brummie and scchua
ERIC Trump has passed me by – am I fortunate? Apart from that, fairly straightforward. Favourite Elgar’s reluctance to compose LIGHT OPERA.
CHAR & GAR
Very straightforward.
NHO of DAMP-COURSE and OCHE, pleased to expand my vocabulary. 🙂
I reluctantly put in busy for 26 as last one in. Have to admit bust is better
More fish:-HAKE, EEL, CARP & TOPE.
I remembered (the then NHO) oche from Saturday’s quick cryptic. It still took me a while to see the hidden word… I have been impatienty waiting for this blog, as I needed it to parse a few clues (the saw in whipsaw, ammo). I had also not seen who the drawers are in 1d. Never heard of Gary Player, despite working in the Home of Golf… Thanks, Brummie and scchua
[muffin @6 OMG, Eric Trump had passed you by? You are fortunate. Here is what he wrote this week apropos his father’s unveiling of his – ahem – ‘controversial’ plans for a Trump Presidential Library in Miami: “This landmark on the water in Miami, Florida will stand as a lasting testament to an amazing man, an amazing developer, and the greatest President our Nation has ever known,”]
Delightful puzzle, thanks Brummie. I worked from the bottom up, slowed down by several misdirections, enjoying the humour along the way. Last in SUGARY, very nice. Some amusing surfaces eg the toe-curling ESOTERIC, the talking cat in WHIPSAW, the too hip Elgar in LIGHT OPERA -a lovely anagram. Ticks also for the misleading DAMP COURSE and SCARPER.
I hadn’t noticed the fish theme until mentioned by someone on the G thread. Now I see an aquarium full.
Thanks to scchua for the superb illustrated blog.
Nakamova@9. OCHE is a word I have only met in crossword land, having never played Darts.
Very pleasant as usual from Brummie. My favourite was LIGHT OPERA for the lovely surface with Elgar being too hip for this type of work. The fish totally passed me by.
24a I’ve always known as a damp-proof course. Is DAMP-COURSE an alternative?
BUST inevitably brought to mind the scene in one of the Naked Gun films where they raid a sex shop. The shop assistant is a young woman in a low-cut top:
Drebin (showing badge): “Lieutenant Frank Drebin, Police Squad, and this is my Captain, Ed Hocken.”
Shop Assistant: “Is this some kind of bust?”
Drebin: “Yes it’s very impressive miss, but we need to ask you a few questions.”
Many thanks Brummie and scchua.
Many thanks to Brummie and scchua. Another fish: ROACH.
I thought of BUST as the sculptural kind, often supported by a plinth.
Are there extra points for high-mindedness? 🙂
Muffin @6: here in the US, Eric is known as “the stupid one”. I will leave it to your imagination to consider how dumb somebody must be to achieve that sobriquet among the Trump progeny.
Favourite: POO.
Least favourite: ESOTERIC for its reference to a Trump family member. I would prefer my crosswords to be totally Trump-free 😉
New for me: DAMP-COURSE.
After yesterdays fools, are these poissond d’avril?
Earl Grey Tea is named after Earl Charles Grey, British prime minister from 1830 to 1834 and the PM who carried through the Great Reform Act.
Strongly disliked 15d, which nearly put me off my toast. I’d have thought it beyond even Pauline standards.
Couldn’t parse AMMO, though it had to be that. Are we just to assume unsignalled American usage from now on?
A Number Two at Fifteen today seems to be making regular appearances in cryptic crosswordland at the moment. Just thought I’d mention it…
But it was the DAMP COURSE (though in horseracing terms if the course was merely damp, then the going would probably not be described as Heavy), that held me up the longest, with the surprising discovery that I hadn’t until then spotted the two hidden words in that SW segment, EARTH and OCHE.
Enjoyed this, many thanks Brummie and Scchua…
Thank you Brummie and scchua.
I’d like to give a nod of appreciation for the clue for EARTH (27 across). Beautifully simple and almost poetic.
Enjoyable (apart from 15d). I didn’t know OCHE, DAMP-COURSE, SCARPER or GARY but they were guessable. Couldn’t parse AMMO. I particularly liked WHEELS (agree with KVa@3), OUTCLASSED, WHIPSAW and ESOTERIC. Thanks Brummie and scchua!
OCHE will be familiar to those of us who watched darts on TV in its 1980s heyday, especially when Scots player John Thomas Wilson stepped up to throw. Commentator Sid Waddell would invariably say “It’s Jocky at the Oche”.
poc @ 23
Yes, unfortunately the Guardian loves america, publishes loads of articles in american, writes headlines in american, even when totally unnecessary. They even wrote an article about it, just to rub our noses in it. A thoroughly despicable newspaper.
I don’t expect this posting will last long …
PoC @23. Ammo is common UK usage – or at least it was among the Tommies who appeared in WWII-set British comics I read as a 1970s child.
I made heavy going of this; perhaps post-prandial lethargy? I liked Elgar’s LIGHT OPERA, Henry’s drinks for SHAKES, and the well-hidden OCHE.
Thanks Brummie and scchua.
Thanks to the ever-consistent Brummie for a typically entertaining puzzle. Loads of goodies, but if pushed my favourites were LIGHT OPERA, OCHE and DAMP COURSE. I always appreciate a proper (one word) anagram, so ETRUSCAN received a tick as well.
Less keen on the POO left by a Republican, plus ERIC the toe-curling Trump: I am a long time Guardian reader, but how can anyone stand them?
WHIPSAW was an educated guess, so thanks scchua for the illustration, and the rest of the blog.
I know we’re all adults but I do get a bit tired of the regular references to bras, breasts, supporters, busts, etc. Twice in this puzzle. (And all the sex, it, sa, tropes). Smacks of nudge-nudge schoolboy humour which was funny when I was a schoolboy. 60 years ago. I wish setters could be a bit more creative.
Davey @29. I suspect the Americanism that poc refers to is MOMMA rather than AMMO.
For a long time I wondered what role “mother” was playing in 5d. I saw the ensuing comma, decapitated and reversed it, to get the same answer!
I enjoyed this puzzle, but like some other posters, thought MOMMA deserved some kind of indicator. I was going to say the same about Earl, but then I got it right away so maybe not.
I am not troubled by any “lavatorial” or “schoolboy” humor – I think all body parts and functions should be treated equally, to the extent that they work well in the clues. Furthermore, we usually see such usages described in the comments as “pauline”. Well, the fact that nowadays so many setters other than Paul are playing along, suggests that a different adjective, if any, is required.
Another DNF. Not a great week so far for me. Like mark@10, I had BUSY at 26d, which almost works (Busy/policeman, busy work/getting support?).
Otherwise, pretty straightforward. I liked the Elgar dig. Missed the fishes. Angling not my game it seems.
Thanks, Brummie and scchua.
A very enjoyable challenge that took a couple of sittings. Top half first, then the bottom. 12a VOLLEY was remarkable for the subtraction of half a letter — surprised no one’s commented on that. Lots of other favourites, 23a CODIFY (great surface), 27a EARTH (container that took a while to spot), 13d LIGHT OPERA (good anagram and surface). Sorry, but I also enjoyed the “naughty” ones, 1d CHARCOAL (“What drawers might hold”), 2d BRAY (eww!), 15d POO (“passed motion”), 26d BUST. I also usually prefer a T***P-free crossword, but 21a ESOTERIC did have a really great political surface that was hard not to like
Of course, I didn’t catch any fish! Thanks both
Just brilliant and a son of the great city I was born in. Cemented his place as my favourite solver when I was starting to edge towards Vlad or Fed.
I’m with Dr. WhatsOn @ 37 about comments describing clues such as those for POO and BUST as ”pauline”. It’s true that many other setters clue similar words, and IMO often better than Paul, clever and subtle. I find describing them as ”pauline” is not giving those setters their due.
I liked ayeaye’s take on BUST @ 18. Top marks ayeaye for your ”highmindedness”! (That’s how I parsed it and then saw the other. Wonder which was Brummie’s intention? Both maybe, just to catch us out, and make us laugh.)
Me@38 re 12a VOLLEY, I see I missed the “Very” part of the clue, which accounts for the V (not half a W). Too bad. The clue would have worked brilliantly without the first word
Paddymelon #40 I quite agree. There is too much reverence around Paul. Brummy as Cyclops is equally ‘naughty’ but much more amusing.
To be unhappy about body functions and parts smacks of Victorians covering table legs ! This is 2026 not 1866
Another to quibble 24a. I’ve only ever heard of a DAMP proof COURSE / DPC in my years in construction.
If anyone’s awake, can you tell me if there will be a ”Good Friday” edition of the Guardian today?
The saw bit of whipsaw was last to surface. Here we call them cross-cut saws. [In the pigeon-speaking islands to the north, where ginf snr fought, they’re called pullemecome pushemego ackus]
Pdm @45, don’t know, but the footy is on. [An old mate of ginf snr used to say Only two holidays for business — the day He was born and the day He died. Now, for pro sports anyway, it’s only the former …]
gif @ 46. LOL Was it your Dad that brought you here? I love to hear Tok Pisin.
(It might have been spell-checker, but it’s pidgin. 🙂 )
Not sure whether to boast high-mindedness or rue it … we had PRO rather than POO, parsing it as PO’ (= US dialect form of poor) plus R for Republican and abandoned as an anagram indicator. Seemed legit. Enjoyed it, thanks Brummie and sschua.
As for AMMO, I agree that it’s about the “Americanism,” but MOMMA is something that with a lifetime of reading and hearing American speech I’ve never met. Mama yes, MOMMA no way.