Once again, as we have come to expect on a Wednesday, an excellently constructed puzzle from Dac with the usual smooth surfaces.
We solved this with a friend (‘Joyce II’) – and we completed it more quickly than usual, but it was no less enjoyable for that!
| Across | ||
| 1 | Guide for driver reversing vehicle at end of test | |
| SATNAV | VAN (vehicle) reversed after SAT (test – Standard Assessment Test) | |
| 4 | Put forward on behalf of poet | |
| PROPOUND | PRO (on behalf of) + POUND (poet – Ezra Pound) | |
| 9 | Trader supplying venison, not quite all for consumption | |
| DEALER | DEER (venison) around, or ‘consuming’ AL |
|
| 10 | So-called gangster rarely spotted without female on arm, for a start | |
| SCARFACE | SCARCE (rarely spotted) around F (female) A (first letter, or ‘start’ of arm) | |
| 11 | Letter card | |
| CHARACTER | Double definition | |
| 13 | Challenging piece for orchestra | |
| HALLE | Hidden in, or a ‘piece’ of cHALLEnging | |
| 14 | Reconvenes rebel masses after revolution | |
| REASSEMBLES | An anagram of REBEL MASSES – anagrind is ‘after revolution’ | |
| 18 | A Liberal returned to House of Commons, elected PM | |
| CHAMBERLAIN | A L (Liberal) reversed or ‘returned’ after CHAMBER (House of Commons) + IN (elected) – reference to Neville ‘Peace for our time’ Chamberlain, Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940 | |
| 21 | Fish consumed after request to skip starter | |
| SKATE | ATE (consumed) after |
|
| 22 | Surprisingly not like a river boat | |
| OIL TANKER | An anagram of NOT LIKE A (anagrind is ‘surprisingly’) + R (river) – although as Saga Noren from ‘The Bridge’ would probably point out – an oil tanker is more likely to be a ship than a boat! | |
| 24 | Fashionable blue retro little numbers now available | |
| IN SEASON | IN (fashionable) + SEA (blue) + NOS (‘little’ numbers) reversed | |
| 25 | Objected to daughter wearing denim pants | |
| MINDED | D (daughter) in, or ‘wearing’ an anagram of DENIM (anagrind is ‘pants’) | |
| 26 | A lawyer ultimately interrupts hearing, using delaying tactics? | |
| TARRYING | A R (last or ‘ultimate’ letter of lawyer) in, or ‘interrupting’ TRYING (hearing, as in a law suit) | |
| 27 | About noon, like having giant drink | |
| EGGNOG | N (noon) in EG (like) GOG (giant) | |
| Down | ||
| 1 | On board ship, I hurried over for cocktails | |
| SIDECARS | I + RACED (hurried) reversed, or ‘over’ in, or ‘on board’ SS (ship) | |
| 2 | Might I stir up trouble after a drink? Yes | |
| TEARAWAY | Cryptic definition – WAR (trouble) reversed, or ‘stirred up’ after TEA (drink) + AY (yes) | |
| 3 | Regularly carried near stadium | |
| ARENA | Alternate or ‘regular’ letters of cArRiEd NeAr | |
| 5 | Feel dizzy, holding rope attached to dog having name on disc | |
| RECORD LABEL | REEL (feel dizzy) around, or ‘holding’ CORD (rope) and LAB (dog – short for Labrador) | |
| 6 | Customer turned up before ‘Archers’ broadcast | |
| PURCHASER | UP reversed, or ‘turned up’ + an anagram of ARCHERS (anagrind is ‘broadcast’) | |
| 7 | Not vain, presumably, in posh fur | |
| USABLE | U (posh) + SABLE (fur) – we weren’t sure about the definition here, but ‘vain’ can be synonymous with ‘useless’, and Dac has included ‘presumably’ clue, so this seems perfectly acceptable | |
| 8 | Put off entertaining one person unlikely to eat much | |
| DIETER | DETER (put off) around, or ‘entertaining’ I (one) | |
| 12 | Youngster tapes American hit on particular 5 | |
| TAMLA MOTOWN | TOT (youngster) around, or ‘taping’ AM (American) LAM (hit) + OWN (particular) – a reference to the solution to 5d | |
| 15 | PA getting confidential note from Mr Barlow | |
| SECRETARY | SECRET (confidential) + |
|
| 16 | Stopped at home after announcement of treaty | |
| PACKED IN | IN (at home) after a homonym (‘announcement’) of PACT | |
| 17 | In French a barbed comment is demeaning | |
| INFRA DIG | IN + FR (French) + A + DIG (barbed comment) | |
| 19 | In class, is teacher providing help? | |
| ASSIST | Hidden in clASS IS Teacher | |
| 20 | Frightful scare about a ruler | |
| CAESAR | An anagram of SCARE (anagrind is ‘frightful’) around A | |
| 23 | Getting on, and coping without man | |
| AGING | ||
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