A pseudonym that I do not recall seeing before. A pleasing puzzle that I found was very easy by Indy standards, solving time, 13 mins.
* = anagram
ACROSS
1 SPECTRES hidden
9 IN ACTION
10 DEAN A in DEN A = musical note, these run from A to G
11 SURVEILLANCE (incurs a level)* Good surface reading
13 PORRIDGE Double definition, time = prison sentence
15 PICK LE
16 D A TA (volunteers)
17 ASHEN hidden
18 MESS Double definition
20 WRAITH I(yours truly) in WRATH
21 SETTLERS 1st letter of Rhodesia in SETTLES
23 TAPE (record) MEASURES (quantities)
26 HIKE Double definition, March given the false capital that crossword convention allows
27 REGIMENT Double definition
28 EXPEDITE ditto
DOWN
2 PLETHORA THOR in PLEA
3 CONSERVATIVE (Veronica vets)*
4 REARED RE (engineers) in READ
5 S (son) IRE (anger)
6 TAILS P IN
7 LION NIL (reversed) around O (0ld)
8 INTEGERS (steering)* Whole numbers
12 ACCOMPLISHED Double definition
14 ETHOS (those)*
16 DOWN (unhappy) TURN (performer)
17 ACHIEVED (a vice he’d)*
19 S (small) P(R)OCKET r = rex = king
22 TURN-UP Double definition
24 PAGE breach of continuity = gap (reversed) E = earl
25 SITE IT in SE (London area)
Thanks nmsindy for the blog, and thanks to Poins (new to the Indy perhaps? But not to xwordland) for a relaxing start to the week.
All quite straightforward. Favourite clues were 13A PORRIDGE, very concise, 6D TAILSPIN, and 19D SPROCKET.
I too found this very easy. I thought there might be some sort of theme with the downturn and turn up in the bottom part of the grid, but perhaps that’s just coincidence. The only clue which made me hesitate was expedite, but I suppose it must be the obsolete adjectival meaning that’s intended.
Well scchua knows something we don’t! Thios was an okay puzzle, but a bit like an ‘Indy Quiptic’.
Exceptionally for me, I did this puzzle just after midnight. Can’t disagree much with anything that’s been said so far. Quite enjoyed it, nothing too tricky, altogether pretty sound. Yes, come on, scchua, spill the legumes about who it is.
I think congratulations may be in order – a very warm welcome to a new Indy setter. The name was familiar to me; Poins has three guest puzzles on Neil Shepherd’s website, all of them on this page: http://www.alberichcrosswords.com/pages/id242.html
Nice to welcome a new setter, Poins, but please make it a bit harder next time!
Welcome to Poins. Nice gentle start to the week, must have some stinkers on their way…
I wanted to redress the balance a little after a pretty tough week that included Scorpion and Nestor, but flashling can look forward to Nimrod and the Bann man soon.
Now that it’s confirmed (I wasn’t sure before) welcome to the latest Indy setter, Poins. And if I may, and at walruss and KD’s request (sorry to disappoint you guys, I didn’t say I knew who he/she is, just that I’m familiar with the name) here is the link to Poins’ own website.
http://www.poinscrosswords.com/weekly_puzzles.html
Thanks for the link, scchua, which explains the pseudonym, to an extent anyway. I think from Alberich’s site you can delete the ‘she’ from the options.
Enjoyable and straightforward