Guardian Quiptic N° 645, by Nutmeg

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Nutmeg fulfills the Quiptic brief very well.

Across
1. Legalist holding back food for livestock (6)
SILAGE A reversed hidden answer (‘holding back’) in lEGALISt.
4. Possibly trump one on account of heart (7)
CARDIAC A charade of CARD (‘possibly trump’) + I (‘one’) + AC (‘account’).
9. Right function for Othello, say (5,4)
TITLE ROLE A charade of TITLE (‘right’) + ROLE (‘function’).
10. African country‘s troubled reign (5)
NIGER An anagram (‘troubled’) of ‘reign’.
11. Sleeping place for bounder on street (5)
ROOST A charade of ROO (kanga, ‘bounder’) + ST (‘street’).
12. Beginning (or ending) imitation (6,3)
TAKING OFF Triple definition.
13. Within Institute there’s money to burn (7)
CREMATE An envelope (‘within’) of M (‘money’) in CREATE (‘institute’, verb; the capital letter is to confuse you).
15. Father’s thirty, oddly affected by advancing years (4,2)
PAST IT A charade of PA’S (‘fathers’) + TIT (‘ThIrTy oddly’).
17. Turn informer, finding queen in clinch (6)
SQUEAL An envelope (‘finding … in’) of QU (‘queen’) in SEAL (‘clinch’).
19. Baronet interrupted by unrefined bore (7)
BROUGHT An envelope (‘interrupted by’) of ROUGH (‘unrefined’) in BT (‘baronet’).
22. He causes dreadful irritation right away (9)
INITIATOR An anagram (‘dreadful’) of ‘i[r]ritation’ with an r removed (‘right away’).
24. Standard well below par (5)
EAGLE Double definition.
26. Armies primarily approve of uniform (5)
ALIKE A charade of A (‘Armies primarily’) + LIKE (‘approve’).
27. Judge taking long time about final polls (9)
REFERENDA A charade of REF (‘judge’) + an envelope (‘about’) of END (‘final’) in ERA (‘long time’).
28. Great effort to conceal old hatred (7)
BIGOTRY An envelope (‘to conceal’) of O (‘old’) in BIG TRY (‘great effort’).
29. Continuous decline left Paris reeling (6)
SPIRAL n anagram (‘reeling’) of L (‘left’) + ‘Paris’.
Down
1. Caustic Rita’s back in charge (7)
SATIRIC A charade of SATIR, a reversal (‘back’) of ‘ritas’ + IC (‘in charge’).
2. Release constructive toy — about time! (3,2)
LET GO An envelope (‘about’) of T (‘time’) in LEGO (‘constructive toy’).
3. Hans Christian Andersen‘s dog? (5,4)
GREAT DANE Double definition.  … and Franz von Suppé was a Dalmatian.
4. Medical man from Prague heard on high (5-2)
CHECK-UP A charade of CHECK, a homophone (‘heard’) of Czech (‘man from Prague’) + UP (‘high’).
5. Argument to continue at home (3-2)
RUN-IN A charade of RUN (‘continue’) + IN (‘at home’).
6,20. In going to war, Neil developed foot problem (9,7)
INGROWING TOENAIL An anagram (‘developed’) of ‘in going to war neil’.
7. Vessel for wine from a service in church (6)
CARAFE An envelope (‘in’) of ‘a’ + RAF (Royal Air Force, ‘service’) in CE (‘church’ of England). Fine surface.
8. Foolish chap with extremely effeminate beard (6)
GOATEE A charade of GOAT (‘foolish fellow’) + EE (‘extremely EffeminatE‘).
14. Curious men short of money, requiring first couple to leave (9)
ENQUIRING A charade of EN, ‘[m]en’, with the m removed (‘short of money’) + QUIRING, ‘[re]quiring’ with the first two letters removed (‘first couple to leave’). A less common wordplay device, used twice.
16. Maybe Ruby’s cut flower (9)
STONECROP A charade of STONE (‘maybe ruby’, indication by example, clearly stated) + CROP (‘cut’).
18. During vague illness, appeal for regular form of service (7)
LITURGY An envelope (‘during’) of ‘IT (sex ‘appeal’) in LURGY (‘vague illness’. The word was popularised by, and maybe invented for The Goon Show, where it was spelled lurgi).
19. Deprived fellow in flat cap (6)
BEREFT An envelope (‘in’) of F (‘fellow’) in BERET (‘flat cap’).
20. See 6
– See 6
21. One caught in sting gets something to calm the stomach (6)
BICARB An envelope (‘in’) of I (‘one’) + C (‘caught’) in BARB (‘sting’).
23. Turn up missing volume, showing no reaction (5)
INERT IN[v]ERT (‘turn up’) witn the v removed (‘missing volume’).
25. Individual stabs King George — he’s had it (5)
GONER An envelope (‘stabs’ to the heart?) of ONE (‘individual’) in GR (Georgius Rex, ‘King George’).

4 comments on “Guardian Quiptic N° 645, by Nutmeg”

  1. Thanks, PeterO, but surely “bigotry” and “hatred” are not synonymous? Wouldn’t “intolerance” have been a better definition?

  2. crosser – it’s good to hear from someone! I think you are right – the definition was so obviously in the right general area that I did not question it.

  3. I found this on the tough side for one of these. Not entirely sure why in retrospect though.

    Hah. I was about to mutter about brought=bore when I finally remembered a usage I don’t use!

  4. Thanks Peter O. I found the SW as tough or tougher than most of the regular cryptics. Couldn’t see 18 at all before coming here – why ‘regular’ anyway ? Overall very neat (TY Nutmeg), but in terms of the Quiptic brief I doubt if many beginners or those in a hurry completed it …

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