Gurney is today’s setter.
Possibly because I am doing this in the wee small hours and possibly because my brain is fried due to a new work placement, I found this tougher than I should have. There is nothing overly difficult in the puzzle – no obscure words, nothing impossible to parse – and yet this took over an hour to complete, blogging as I went to be fair, but I’m sure if I was doing this with the benefit of a night’s sleep it would have taken less time.
Thanks, Gurney
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | CLOAK-AND-DAGGER |
Mysterious cover with pointed feature? (5-3-6)
|
| CLOAK (“cover”) + AND (“with”) + DAGGER (“pointed feature”) | ||
| 10 | LIBRA |
Sign where books may be borrowed couple at rear missed out (5)
|
| LIBRA(ry) (“where books may be borrowed”) with a couple (of letters) at rear missed | ||
| 11 | OMISSIONS |
They’re left out as a result of going back to take care of special task (9)
|
| <=SO (“as a result of”, going back) to take care of MISSION (“special task”) | ||
| 12 | CHICAGO |
City, ultimately historic, here once in Rome in the past (7)
|
| [ultimately] (histori)C + HIC (Latin for “here”, hence “here once in Rome”) + AGO (“in the past”) | ||
| 13 | TROTTER |
Horse, second in stalls, backed by disreputable fellow (7)
|
| [second (letter) in] (s)T(alls) backed by ROTTER (“disreputable fellow”) | ||
| 14 | DWARF |
Conflict between daughter and female star (5)
|
| WAR (“conflict”) between D (daughter) and F (female) | ||
| 16 | IMMEDIATE |
Time to ignore outsiders — try to resolve differences without delay (9)
|
| (t)IM(e) [ignoring outsiders] + MEDIATE (“try to resolve differences”) | ||
| 19 | ANTARCTIC |
Playful trick involving working cart in cold area (9)
|
| ANTIC (“playful trick”) involving *(cart) [anag:working] | ||
| 20 | RAMPS |
Charges over mass swindles (5)
|
| RAPS (“charges”) over M (mass) | ||
| 22 | HERETIC |
Disbelieving quote about hotel taken the wrong way (7)
|
| <=(CITE (“quote”) + RE (“about”) + H (hotel), taken the wrong way) | ||
| 25 | OVERDUE |
Late, because of wet, reportedly (7)
|
| OVER (“because of”) + homophone/pun/aural wordplay [reportedly] of DEW (“wet”) | ||
| 27 | IMBROGLIO |
Complicated situation in new oil rig blew one’s mind originally (9)
|
| *(oil rig bom) [anag:new] where BOM is B(lew) O(ne’s) M(ind) [originally] | ||
| 28 | INLET |
Sound home lease (5)
|
| IN (“home”) + LET (“lease”) | ||
| 29 | MISINFORMATION |
At heart promise is favoured arrangement? Don’t believe it! (14)
|
| [at heart] (pro)M(ise) + IS + IN (“favoured”) + FORMATION (“arrangement”) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | LUBRICANT |
This may aid smooth movement in rent tribunal Charlie is involved in (9)
|
| C (Charlie, in the NATO phonetic alphabet) involved in *(tribunal) [anag:rent] | ||
| 3 | AQABA |
American heading for quiet dayboat regularly seen in Jordan port (5)
|
| A (American) + [heading for] Q(uiet) + (d)A(y)B(o)A(t) [regualrly] | ||
| 4 | APOLOGIST |
One championing first-class game point (9)
|
| A (“first-class” as in A-list) + POLO (“match”) + GIST (“point”) | ||
| 5 | DRIFT |
Indecision days before break (5)
|
| D (days) before RIFT (“break”) | ||
| 6 | ABSCONDER |
Sailor, unfortunately second on river — one jumping ship? (9)
|
| AB (able-bodied seaman, so “sailor”) + *(second) [anag:unfortunately] on R (river) | ||
| 7 | GLOAT |
Greatest of all time, primarily, crushing loser at the outset — rub it in? (5)
|
| GOAT (“greatest of all time”, primarily) crushing L(oser) [at the outset] | ||
| 8 | RESERVE |
Set aside book (7)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | PLACID |
Even-tempered Conservative wearing material with check design (6)
|
| C (Conservative) wearing PLAID (“material with check design”) | ||
| 15 | FIRST-BORN |
Maybe describing air in broadcast? (5-4)
|
| In broadcast, “heir” (FIRST-BORN) becomes “air” | ||
| 17 | MICROCOSM |
Miniature feature in room extremely comic, so odd (9)
|
| *(rm comic so) [anag:odd] where RM is R(oo)M [extremely] | ||
| 18 | ARMADILLO |
Native of America recollected a mill road (9)
|
| *(a mill road) [anag:recollected] | ||
| 19 | ATHEISM |
Statement of belief in articles is mild initially (7)
|
| A + THE (“articles”) + IS + M(ild) [initially]
As an atheist myself, I see atheism as a lack of belief, rather than a statement of belief. |
||
| 21 | SLEETY |
Cold and wet, shelter in farm building (6)
|
| LEE (“shelter”) in STY (“farm building”) | ||
| 23 | REBUS |
Note transport puzzle (5)
|
| RE (“note”) + BUS (“transport”) | ||
| 24 | CELLO |
What could provide pleasing sound in small room, love (5)
|
| CELL (“small room”) + O (love, in tennis) | ||
| 26 | EDICT |
Order media person is criticising thoroughly at first (5)
|
| Ed. (editor, so “media person”) + I(s) C(riticising) T(horoughly) [at first] |
Good fun. The Latin hic and the British use of RAMPS were my only head scratchers.
There was plenty to like, and I ticked INLET (succinct), ANTARCTIC (nice surface), IMBROGLIO (great surface), OVERDUE (succinct), and CELLO (made me smile). It was also nice to see “greatest of all time” was not ALI. But I found it a bit uneven, with a few clues that felt over-designed.
I threw in FIRST BORN as it was all I could think of to fit the crossers, but had no understanding of the clue. Thanks for the parsing and showing me the obvious.
Thanks Gurney and loonapick