The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29983.
A new compiler, and a welcome puzzle with a broad range of references. The top and bottom rows read “Today and tomorrow”.
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | ESPERANTO |
2 sat wagging tongue (9)
|
| An anagram (‘wagging’) of OPENER (‘2’ – the answer to 2D) plus ‘sat’. | ||
| 10 | NAIRA |
West African rhino has Unitarian retreating (5)
|
| A hidden (‘has’ with an unusual but possible word order) reversed (‘retreating’) answer in ‘UnitARIAN‘. ‘Rhino’ as money – it is the Nigerian currency. | ||
| 11 | DENIM |
Material taken from ground from the east (5)
|
| A reversal (‘from the east’ in an across light)of MINED (‘taken from the ground’). | ||
| 12 | EDELWEISS |
White flower displayed by Wise when playing with Leeds (9)
|
| An anagram (‘when playing’) of ‘Wise’ plus (‘with’) ‘Leeds’. | ||
| 13 | BAROQUE |
Extravagantly ornate vessel loaded with cargo at the back (7)
|
| An envelope (‘loaded with’) of O (‘cargO at the back’) in BARQUE (sailing ‘vessel’). | ||
| 14 | INSISTS |
Popular sibling without hesitation beginning to suggest demands (7)
|
| A charade of IN (‘popular’) plud SIST[er] (‘sibling’) minus ER (‘without hesitation’) plus S (‘beginning to Suggest’). | ||
| 17 | IMBUE |
Hat is miserable, lacking will ultimately to inspire (5)
|
| A charade of I’M (‘Hat is’) plus B[l]UE (‘miserable’) minus the L (‘lacking wilL ultimately’). | ||
| 19 | FEE |
Regularly offered payment (3)
|
| Alternate letters (‘regularly’) of ‘oFfErEd’. | ||
| 20 | EGYPT |
Torture admitted by alien nation (5)
|
| An envelope (‘admitted by’) of GYP (‘torture’ as extreme pain) in ET (‘alien’). | ||
| 21 | PIRANHA |
Quiet country hotel, first-class fish (7)
|
| A charade of P (piano, ‘quiet’) plus IRAN (‘country’) plus H (‘hotel’) plus A (‘first-class’). | ||
| 22 | CRUMBLE |
Last slice of Arctic roll for pud (7)
|
| A charade of C (‘last slice of arctiC‘) plus RUMBLE (‘roll’). | ||
| 24 | GREEN BEAN |
Inexperienced head that’s likely to get chopped (5,4)
|
| A charade of GREEN (‘inexperienced’) plus BEAN (‘head’). | ||
| 26 | ATLAS |
Broad-shouldered bloke getting time off finally (5)
|
| A subtraction: AT LAS[t] (‘finally’) minus the second T (‘getting tiem off’). | ||
| 28 | SOLAR |
Former garret, very large area, right? (5)
|
| A charade of So (‘very’) plus L (‘large’) plus A (‘area’) plus R (‘right’). | ||
| 29 | CHOCOLATE |
Teach cool new Topic? (9)
|
| An anagram (‘new’) of ‘teach cool’, with indication by example, Topic being a discontinued brand name of a chocolate bar. | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | TEND |
Watch over third of Penelope Cruz covers (4)
|
| An envelope (‘covers’) of N (‘third of PeNelope’) in TED (‘Cruz’, American politician). | ||
| 2 | OPENER |
Batter, work Frenchman over (6)
|
| A charade of OP (‘work’) plus ENER, a reversal (‘over’) of RENÉ (‘Frenchman’). | ||
| 3 | DRAMA QUEEN |
Run out of tent seized by darn crazy hysteric (5,5)
|
| An envelope (‘seized by’) of MA[r]QUEE (‘tent’) mnus the R (‘run out of’) in DRAN, an anagram (‘crazy’) of ‘darn’. | ||
| 4 | ANNEXE |
Military standard unveiled by East Wing (6)
|
| Over to you: I cannot see the wordplay. | ||
| 5 | YOSEMITE |
The Times: Oysters Turned Up Outside Sam’s Home (8)
|
| A hidden (‘outside’) reversed (‘turned up’) answer in ‘thE TIMES OYsters’. Yosemite Sam is a character in Loony Tunes cartoon films. | ||
| 6 | ANEW |
A congested city rises again (4)
|
| A charade of ‘a’ plus NEW, a reversal (‘rises’ in a down light) of WEN (‘congested city’ – London has been called The Great Wen). | ||
| 7 | NIJINSKY |
Judi exhausted, carried by terribly skinny chap in tights (8)
|
| An envelope (‘carried by’) of JI (‘JudI exhausted’) in NINSKY, an anagram (‘terribly’) of ‘skinny’., for the Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. | ||
| 8 | DAIS |
Welshman’s platform (4)
|
| DAI’S. | ||
| 13 | BLIMP |
Low character, Liberal, one probing British parliamentarian (5)
|
| An envelope (‘probing’) of L (‘Liberal’) plus I (‘one’) in B (‘British’) plus MP (‘parliamentarian’). The ‘Low character’ being Colonel Blimp, a cartoon character created by David Low. | ||
| 15 | SPECULATOR |
Vegas’s last crook gambler (10)
|
| A charade of S (‘VegaS‘s last’) plus PECULATOR (someone who steals entrusted funds, ‘crook’). | ||
| 16 | SATIE |
French barman posed, tied, naked (5)
|
| A charade of SAT (‘posed’) plus IE (‘tIEd naked’), for the French composer (‘barman’) Erik Satie. | ||
| 18 | BORDELLO |
Nick rolled over, rolled over topless in brothel (8)
|
| A charade of BOR, a reversal (the first ‘rolled over’) of ROB (‘nick’) plus DELLO, a reversal (‘over’) of ‘[r]olled’ minus its first letter (‘topless’). | ||
| 19 | FLAMENCO |
Corporal perhaps put on fine, shiny material for dance (8)
|
| A charade of F (‘fine’) plus LAMÉ (‘shiny material’) plus NCO (non-commissioned officer, ‘corporal perhaps’) | ||
| 22 | CONDOR |
Republican supporting Tory Party high flier (6)
|
| A charade of CON (‘Tory’) plus DO (‘party’) plus R (‘Republican’). | ||
| 23 | BILBAO |
£1 filled Chinese bun pintxos sold here (6)
|
| An envelope (‘filled’) of ILB (1lb ‘£1’ – although both are derived from the Latin libra, lb is usually used for the pound weight, whereas £ is the pound sterling) in BAO (‘Chinese bun’). Bilbao is a city in the Basque Autonomous Communuty, and ‘pintxos’ are bar snacks served in that area. | ||
| 24 | GUST |
Stomach punched by second blow (4)
|
| An envelope (‘punched by’) of S (‘second’) in GUT (‘stomach’). | ||
| 25 | NORM |
Average type, and not married (4)
|
| A charade of NOR (‘and not’) plus M (‘married’). | ||
| 27 | SMEW |
For starters, some marinated eel with duck (4)
|
| First letters (‘for startrs’) of Some Marinated Eel With’. |
Nice puzzle. Had to come here for the wordplay in TEND – should have seen it.
Liked CONDOR.
In BORDELLO, I think the logic is wrong. “rolled over topless” says you take “rolled”, turn it over, then take off the top – which is now the “d”, not the “r”. Or am I missing something?
Of course I missed the nina, which is cute, but what does it have to do with anything?
I read 4d as a charade of ANNE (an ‘unveiled’ banner (?)), X (‘by’) and E (‘East’). Not entirely sure about this, though. Happy to be corrected! As for the nina, will wait and see if the same setter appears in tomorrow’s prize puzzle.
Thx Pete. Ditto Mogwai @2 re 4d, it works fine. Nice puzzle, welcome Hat [I knew a Hat, short for Harriet, fond memories…] The nina helped with Yosemite and Bolbao. Dnk Blimp’s author, but no matter.
I came to find the parsing for ANNEXE, only to see it puzzled PeterO as well. I think Mogwai@2 has it right: well done. Everything else went in OK. Thanks, Hat for a fun crossie, and PeterO for an excellent blog.
Some nice clues but a few too many obscurities for my taste. Never heard of rhino for money, the topic bar, Colonel Blimp (or David Low, for that matter), smew, Naslav Vijinski or pintxos.
Thanks Hat for the entertainment. I enjoyed clues like NIJINSKY, SATIE, BORDELLO, and GUST. I failed with the nho NAIRA and couldn’t parse EGYPT but overall this slipped in easily. Thanks PeterO for the blog.
[ Happy Birthday AlanC for tomorrow , have a great day and get your kicks on the route to your prime . I have requisitioned a helicopter from the fire-fighting team on the moors , it will hover over your house when you have your cake , do not be alarmed .
By complete coincidence it is our Vinyl Wedding Anniversary tomorrow . ]