A workmanlike puzzle, lacking, for me, any stand-out clues, but then I’m no fan of improbable Spoonerisms.
Most of the definitions given are from Chambers 12th Edition. Most of the standard abbreviations used in the wordplay are shown with the unused letters in brackets e.g. T(ime). Definitions are underlined in the clue and only included in explanations where further information is given.
Across
1a Spooner’s to overfill seaman’s transport (7)
TRAMCAR – would the Rev Spooner have actually said CRAM (overfill) TAR (seaman)?
5a Theatrical base where you’re prone to take it easy? (4,3)
CAMP BED – an adjective meaning theatrical followed by a base
9a Corner provincial revolutionary? (5)
NICHE – split as (2,3) this could be a Northern Irish (provincial) CHE (revolutionary)
10a Hospital employee who takes care of post, we hear (4,5)
MALE NURSE – sounds like (we hear) someone taking care of the mail (post)
11a Strong feature that makes the face light up? (7,3)
LANTERN JAW – a cryptic definition of this facial feature
12a Endless row over nothing (3)
NIL – reverse (over) most of a row
14a Isn’t sadder as lunatic keeps uniform (12)
STANDARDISES – an anagram (lunatic) of ISN’T SADDER AS
18a Popular type of film, with rocket going up in smoke (12)
INCINERATING – a charade of a two-letter word meaning popular, a type of film and a rocket or reprimand
21a Deceit admitted by client (3)
LIE – hidden (admitted by) inside the clue
22a Radio range picked up by spiritualist? (6,4)
MEDIUM WAVE – a cryptic definition of what might be picked up by a spiritualist (medium)
25a Plain folk, those arriving around beginning of week (9)
COMMONERS – put those who are arriving around the abbreviation of the first day of the working week
26a Is more relaxed when there’s no time for kids (5)
EASES – drop the T(ime) from a verb meaning kids or makes fun of
27a Learner undoes loose knots, small ones (7)
NODULES – an anagram (loose) of L(earner) UNDOES
28a Survived with son, not daughter, safely delivered (7)
ENSURED – start with a verb meaning survived and replace the D(aughter) with a S(on)
Down
1d Confusion no good in narrative (6)
TANGLE – put the abbreviation of No Good inside a narrative
2d Esoteric artist put up with punishment when young (6)
ARCANE – reverse (put up in a down clue) the usual two-letter artist and follow him with the kind of punishment that used to be meted out to the young
3d Miner’s daughter providing fruit (10)
CLEMENTINE – the name of the daughter of the miner, forty-niner, from the song is also a fruit
4d Old Italian soldiers turned up on island (5)
ROMAN – some Other Ranks soldiers reversed (turned up in a down clue ) followed by an island in the Irish Sea
5d Stop a lobby rising in California ahead of time (4,1,4)
CALL A HALT – the A from the clue and a lobby reversed (rising) inside CAL(ifornia) and followed by T(ime)
6d Skimpy skirt attendant can’t get on (4)
MINI – drop (can’t get) the ON from an attendant
7d Nudity unusually seen in pubs (8)
BARENESS – an anagram (unusually) of SEEN inside some pubs
8d Honourable combatant expected on s-schedule (8)
DUELLIST – a word meaning expected followed by a schedule with its initial letter repeated
13d Peculiar characters appearing on right-hand pages? (3,7)
ODD NUMBERS – these almost invariably appear on the right-hand pages
15d Cool novel Verne’s written about the French (9)
NERVELESS – an anagram (novel) of VERNE’S around the French plural word for “the”
16d Cook callin’ by to get cooking pot (8)
BILLYCAN – an anagram (Cook) of CALLIN’ BY
17d Son having best parts removed yelled in anguish (8)
SCREAMED – S(on) followed by a verb meaning having the best parts (of milk) removed
19d Ancient ruler‘s reportedly a grasper (6)
CAESAR – sounds like (reportedly) a seizer (grasper)
20d Skilled lovers, educated to some extent (6)
VERSED – hidden (to some extent) inside the clue
23d Problem children (5)
ISSUE – two definitions
24d Posh car loses second wheel (4)
ROLL – drop the final S(econd) from a colloquial word for a make of posh car
Comments from solvers who are new to cryptic puzzles are more than welcome – and that doesn’t mean the usual suspects can’t add their thoughts as well!
I did this straight after the Rufus and it took me a couple of minutes to adjust to Nutmeg’s style, but once I was on her wavelength it was a fun solve that didn’t take too long.
I knew the “miner’s daughter” reference in 3dn but even if I hadn’t the clue would have been solvable enough from the definition alone. ROLL was my LOI and it was only after I had entered it with a shake of the head wondering how “er” could related to “second” that I remembered that the car can be referred to as a “Rolls” as well as a “Roller”. D’oh!
Largely good as a Quiptic.
Thanks BD; I agree that the nonsensical Spoonerism was not very good. Could have used Mo ran instead?
I like Nutmeg’s puzzles, and this one is no exception. I am reluctant to nitpick, but I was unhappy with the clue for 26a, and felt that simply ‘Relaxes’ instead of ‘Is more relaxed’ would be more grammatical. As worded, the clue would seem to lead to ‘easier’ or ‘eased’.
Being fairly green, I’ve never seen the double-letter of 8d clued like that before. How often does this device appear? Can it only be used for first letters of clue-words?