A crossword as splendid as the fine frosty morning outside my office window. Not too testing a challenge, but inventive and for the most part old-chestnut-free – and a dash of old-school Hollywood sparkle, to boot. Thank-you, Redshank.
ACROSS
1. A DAY AT THE RACES Ada + H [hotel] within yatter [guff, idle chitchat] + ace [superb] + s [service]
10. MURAL Reversal of rum [strange] + (w)al(l)
11. OBJET D’ART O [old] + b [book] + jet [black] + dart [arrow]
12. ARC LAMP Reversal of RA [Royal Academy, artist] + clamp [vice]
13. BRISTLE Bristol [port] minus o [zero, nothing] + E [Espana, Spain]
14. EVENS Hidden in stEVEN Spielberg
16. HYSTERICS Shyster + ic [in charge], with the initial s transposed to the end
19. IMPROMPTU I’m + prom [concert] + anagram of put
20. SATYR T [time] within say [typically] + r(ed)
22. BLUE TIT Odd letters of LoUdEsT within bit [part]
25. WAGERED W [white] + age [mature] + red [claret]
27. IN THE CLUB Anagram of hint + E [English] + club [driver, golf club]
28. MAIZE I [one] + z [algebraic unknown] within Mae [West]
29. FORD MADOX BROWN Ford [crossing] + mad ox [BSE (mad cow disease) host] + brow [top] + n [new]
DOWN
2. DIRT CHEAP Anagram of pitch dear
3. YALTA Al(l) [everyone] within anagram of tay
4. TROOPSHIP O [old] + anagram of shop within trip [outing]
5. HIJAB Initial letters of Hides In Jordan And Bahrain
6. RETAILERS R [rare] + ail [trouble] within anagram of trees
7. CHART Ch [child] + art [painting]
8. SETTERS Anagram of street + s [small]
9. IMPALE I [one] + p [piano, quiet] within male [man]
15. SHORT-TERM Rt [right] within anagram of mothers
17. SQUAWK BOX Qu [queen] within saw [noticed] + k [king] + box [TV]
18. INTERVIEW Inter [bury] + vie [contest] + w [with]
19. IN BRIEF Brie [cheese] within in + F [France]
21. RUDDER (He)r(eford) + udder [milk supplier]
23. UTTER Butter [dairy product] minus B [British]
24. TILED Hidden in texTILE Designers
26. GAMER Lovely double definition
Thanks Redshank for a very enjoyable puzzle and Ringo for the blog. Favourite clue must be the beautifully apposite anagram at 2dn, but I also particularly liked the neat construction of 25ac and 18dn. I completed the pangram with the letter P, which I first wrote on the grid at 19ac.
A minor oddity of no real significance: quite a few clues contain the word “in”, but I do not think it is an inclusion indicator in any of them.
For 1a I thought that aces came from ‘superb services’ ie winning serves in tennis etc.
Thanks for the blog, Ringo.