Well crafted, smooth clues from the Don
Across
1 SUBSCRIBER dd
6 CHUB fish H (hard) in CUB (young animal)
9 CORINNE girl INN (pub) in CORE (body)
10 AIRPORT potential smuggling site AIR (expose) PORT (drink)
12 EXCRESCENT superfluous EX (demolished) CRESCENT (curved street)
13 LEE shelter sounds like LEA (meadow)
15 POMADE ointment MAD (nutty) in POE (American author)
16 ALDERMAN bigwig ALDER (tree) MAN (island)
18 CORACLES craft ORACLE (wise person) in CS (Civil Service)
20 OFFERS presents [c]OFFERS (boxes unopened)
23 COO murmur COO[l] (unenthusiastic mostly)
24 IN THE FRAME dd
26 ALIENEE someone receiving property issues A LIE (a fib) NEE[d] poverty
27 TRIESTE Italian city TRIES (goes) [bus]T [brok]E (finally)
28 TASK something to do T (time) ASK (demand)
29 STREAMLETS tiny flowers (MATTER LESS)*
Down
1 SACK old wine SHACK (shed minus H)
2 BAR EXAM professional test BARE (nude) MAX< (man up)
3 CONTRADICTION denial DI (I had spun) in CONTRACTION (short form of words)
4 IN ESSE existing actually FINESSE (elegant skill minus first letter)
5 ELATEDLY showing great emotion (YELLED AT)*
7 HOODLUM ruffian HOOD (head cover) LUM (chimney Scottish)
8 BITTERNESS resentment BITTERN (bird) [m]ESS
11 RUTHERFORDIUM radioactive element I (one) in (FOURTH MURDER)*
14 SPACECRAFT dd
17 SENTIENT feeling SENT (ecstatic) IE (that is) N[o]T minus O (love)
19 ROOKIES trainees ROOK (castle) E (English) in IS
21 EN MASSE in a group (SEES MAN)*
22 CENTRE player hidden in [de]CENT RE[cord]
25 BEDS plots (Luton in Bedfordshire)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
Interesting day — nice comments on three puzzles on three sites (incl. Big D’s). On GU someone thought this one better than the Pasquale (where one brave soul even suggested that Ximeneans aren’t necessarily dull — whatever next?!). Well, I’m glad two people solved Bradman anyway!
Thanks Jed and Bradman. IN ESSE was new to me but eminently gettable, as were one or two others. That’s good clueing, imho.
Loved this one. A very good ending to a very entertaining week in the FT.