Moo has an effortless style that makes these puzzles a pleasure to write up.
I was about to describe this solve as “smooth sailing,” but I found the solutions gradually getting harder as I worked my way through.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | TRESPASS |
Amorous advance on Nancy’s very wrong (8)
|
| TRÈS (very, of Nancy, France, i.e., in French) + PASS (amorous advance) | ||
| 6 | STASIS |
Sitting back in MI6? Things here just the same (6)
|
| SAT (sitting) reversed (back) and inside (in) SIS (MI6) | ||
| 9 | UNSEAT |
Chuck out Austen novel (6)
|
| Anagram of (novel) AUSTEN | ||
| 10 | ANECDOTE |
Amusing tale one acted out (8)
|
| Anagram of (out) ONE ACTED | ||
| 11 | MEET |
Get together with Moo, an otherworldly figure (4)
|
| ME (Moo) + ET (an otherwordly figure) | ||
| 12 | MEDITATION |
Thought and time going into peacemaking attempt? (10)
|
| T (time) inside (going into) MEDIATION (peacemaking attempt) | ||
| 14 | EDUCATOR |
Trainer of English soldiers concealing old coin (8)
|
| {E (English) + OR (soldiers)} around (concealing) DUCAT (old coin) | ||
| 16 | OMEN |
Sign captain’s on way back (4)
|
| NEMO (captain) reversed (on way back) | ||
| 18 | EL AL |
Articles in Libération about Middle Eastern carrier (2,2)
|
| {LE + LA} (articles in Libération, i.e., in French) all reversed (about) | ||
| 19 | ELONGATE |
Draw out Musk scandal? (8)
|
| Double/cryptic definition | ||
| 21 | OVERWEIGHT |
Fat old vicar returned with cardinal (10)
|
| O (old) + REV. (vicar) reversed (returned) + W (with) + EIGHT (cardinal [number]) | ||
| 22 | TO-DO |
Half of Tory party makes a fuss (2-2)
|
| [First] half of TO[RY] + DO (party) | ||
| 24 | FRASCATI |
White Fiat car’s broken down (8)
|
| Anagram of (broken down) FIAT CAR’S, referring to the white wine | ||
| 26 | EXEUNT |
They go out theatrically (6)
|
| Cryptic definition. This is a straight definition that is susceptible to a cryptic reading. | ||
| 27 | ADHERE |
Mad heretic carrying stick (6)
|
| Hidden in (carrying) [M]AD HERE[TIC] | ||
| 28 | HARASSED |
Under pressure, ran to grab dope (8)
|
| HARED (ran) around (to grab) ASS (dope) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | RINSE |
Get up around noon and wash (5)
|
| RISE (get up) around N (noon) | ||
| 3 | SPECTACULAR |
Magnificent carpet Lucas designed (11)
|
| Anagram of (designed) CARPET LUCAS | ||
| 4 | AUTOMATE |
China supporting vehicle manufacture using robotics (8)
|
| AUTO (vehicle) + MATE (China) | ||
| 5 | STANDARD ENGLISH |
Flag The King’s Speech as model of its kind? (8,7)
|
| STANDARD (flag) + ENGLISH (the king’s speech, i.e., the language spoken by the king), being “the form of English . . . used . . . by the majority of educated English-speakers,” according to Chambers | ||
| 6 | SIESTA |
Some Aussies taking a nap (6)
|
| Hidden in (some) [AUS]SIES TA[KING] | ||
| 7 | ADD |
Cockney’s deceived count (3)
|
| Unaspirated (Cockney’s) homophone of ‘AD (deceived) | ||
| 8 | INTROVERT |
Shy person’s opening mostly very tense (9)
|
| INTRO (opening) + VER[Y] minus last letter (mostly) + T (tense) | ||
| 13 | THOUGHTLESS |
What Socrates maybe did in his declining years? It’s inconsiderate (11)
|
| Cryptically THOUGHT LESS (What Socrates maybe did in his declining years?) | ||
| 15 | DELIVERED |
Rescued, as Hannibal Lecter victim might have been? (9)
|
| Cryptically DE-LIVERED (as Hannibal Lecter victim might have been), referring to the cannibalistic serial killer character | ||
| 17 | FOOTWEAR |
A wet roof, slippery in wellies? (8)
|
| Anagram of (slippery) A WET ROOF | ||
| 20 | FEMALE |
One who’s unlike Iron Man? (6)
|
| &lit and FE (iron) + MALE (man) | ||
| 23 | DANTE |
Poet departs on steamer, heading north (5)
|
| D (departs) + [Mount] ETNA (steamer) inverted (heading north) | ||
| 25 | SUE |
Short fat girl (3)
|
| SUE[T] (fat) minus last letter (short) |
Cineraria summed up the experience nicely for me. I really enjoyed this puzzle, and ticked UNSEAT, SIESTA, FOOTWEAR,, ADHERE, and MEDITATION. I bet I am not the only one who groaned at DELIVERED and STANDARD ENGLISH.
All parsed, but I do have a couple of questions. Does AUTOMATE really equate to manufacture using robotics? I do not automate a car if I manufacture it using robotics. I also wondered about the equivalence of SAT and sitting in STASIS. I am sure someone can find the appropriate examples to show their equivalence.
Thanks Moo and Cineraria
Martyn@1: The process of automation reduces human involvement, for example, by replacing people with robots. I think “sitting,” “sat,” and “seated” are basically equivalent, in the right context.
Yes, I agree with Cineraria’s experience; Martyn’s picks – FOOTWEAR and UNSEAT – along with OMEN, FRASCATI and RINSE all made this a typically light and breezy solve from Moo.
As regards ‘sat’/’sitting’, some English dialects do use phrases like ‘I was sat there minding my own business’ in lieu of ‘sitting’, in speech, anyway.
Short and sweet but nonetheless enjoyable. Thanks Moo and Cineraria.
Thanks both