I struggled a bit with this, never quite feeling that I was on the setter’s wavelength.
I don’t think it’s a particularly tough puzzle, but there are a few solutions here that somehow don’t seem to sit right. Corrections and clarifications are, as ever, welcome. Thank-you, Jason.
| Across | ||
| 9 | IMPASSIVE | Unflappable Independent with money resigned (9) |
| I [Independent] m [money] passive [resigned] | ||
| 10 | RHINO | Thick-skinned beast with money no more (5) |
| Double definition (does ‘no more’ refer to the fact that the word in its latter sense is now seldom used?) | ||
| 11 | TANKARD | Before dark mischieviously hide mug (7) |
| Tan [hide] anagram of dark | ||
| 12 | CLAPPED | Acclaimed Scandinavian in restricted transfer of power (7) |
| Lapp [Scandinavian] within ced(e) [transfer of power] | ||
| 13 | ONE | Only I can mean this (3) |
| Cryptic definition | ||
| 14 | OLIVE BRANCH | Peace symbol round active department (5,6) |
| O [round] live [active] branch [department] | ||
| 17 | GUSTO | Blow over relish (5) |
| Gust [blow] o [over] | ||
| 18 | PAL | Bud sends back drink (3) |
| Reversal of lap [drink] | ||
| 19 | WOUND | Slight injury should be wrapped (5) |
| Triple definition | ||
| 21 | SILLY SEASON | When journo jokes about soft multitudes primarily (5,6) |
| Silly [soft] + seas [multitudes] + on [primarily???] | ||
| 23 | DIP | Duck with sauce (3) |
| Double definition | ||
| 25 | ERITREA | African country after it reassured hosts (7) |
| Hidden in aftER IT REAssured | ||
| 27 | CABARET | Dancing act closed strip club (7) |
| Bare [strip] within anagram of act | ||
| 28 | DREAD | Get cold feet about fourth-rate book? (5) |
| D [fourth-rate] read [book] | ||
| 29 | IMITATION | False curb on budget the left and right blocked (9) |
| (L)imitation(s) [curb on budget] | ||
| Down | ||
| 1 | BISTRO | Writer circling street finds a little restaurant (6) |
| St [street] within biro [writer] | ||
| 2 | SPANNERS | Bridges built with these tools? (8) |
| Double definition | ||
| 3 | ESCAPOLOGY | The art of getting free drugs – Charlie? Travesty (10) |
| Es [ecstasy, drugs] c [charlie] apology [travesty] | ||
| 4 | BIND | Dump date causing a difficulty (4) |
| Bin [dump] d [date] | ||
| 5 | SEYCHELLES | Deliver bombs, as reported, for island group (10) |
| Sounds like say [deliver] shells [bombs] | ||
| 6 | ARIA | Rastafarian sustains song (4) |
| Hidden in rastafARIAn | ||
| 7 | PIPPIN | Apple’s sound security device (6) |
| Pip [sound] pin [security device] | ||
| 8 | WOODSHED | Golf club got rid of private practice (8) |
| Wood [golf club] shed [got rid of] | ||
| 15 | IMPRESARIO | I raise Prom after a fashion (10) |
| Anagram of I raise prom | ||
| 16 | ROWING BOAT | Craft fighting with swell when line’s adrift (6,4) |
| Rowing [fighting] bloat [swell] minus L [line] | ||
| 17 | GO STEADY | Date aged toys some other way (2,6) |
| Anagram of aged toys | ||
| 20 | UNDERPIN | Where shoe is worn, possibly, gets support (8) |
| Double definition – pin here means ‘leg’ |
||
| 22 | LOITER | Hang about! Eliot composed rhymes in the first instance (6) |
| Anagram of Eliot r(hymes) | ||
| 24 | PATENT | It’s obvious I ignored tender (6) |
| Patient [tender] minus I | ||
| 26 | RIDE | To control spin lift pedal (4) |
| Triple definition, I think | ||
| 27 | COIL | Cold lubricant for spring (4) |
| C [cold] oil [spring] | ||
Thanks Ringo
I had an alternative parsing for 29ac: [l]IMIT (curb – L) [r]ATION (budget – R)
You seem to have missed out an explanation for 21ac. I was hoping you were going to be able to throw some light on the “about soft multitudes primarily”.
Hi Gaufrid. Ah, of course – much better, I wasn’t at all happy with my version. As for 21ac, I’ve had a go (seas = multitudes), but as you can see I’m still stumped by the “on”. I’m sure someone will come along soon to put us out of our misery.
When journo jokes = def
about = on
silly seas = soft multitudes
primarily = positional indicator
I had 13 ac as a double definition – only (that is the one thing I hate) + I (as in “One doesn’t wish to presume…”
Ah, thank-you Muffyword! And I’m sure you’re right about 13ac, too.
Hi Ringo
That is as far as I got with 21ac and I too couldn’t see primarily=ON.
Could RIDE be a quadruple?
Thanks, Ringo.
ONE
I read this as only or one (single) and 1 as the numeral.
RIDE
I read this as a triple definition: To control a spin (driving a car, say)/
a lift (in a vehicle, say)/ to pedal (a bike, say)
Muffyword and mike04: I wondered about a possible quadruple, but couldn’t quite make it work. Spin=ride? And I have doubts about ride=control (one can ride a storm or river).
Hi Ringo
You can go for a spin/ride on a bike or in a car so definitely a quadruple def.
Oh of COURSE. Very dim this morning, apologies.
Well, I managed to get all the right answers in the right places but had to read blog to find out how a lot of them worked, e.g. 9a, 12ac, 21ac and how is ‘wood shed’ private practice and what is the definition for 15d?
Not my idea of a satisfactory puzzle, I’m afraid.
almw3 @11
To woodshed is a term very common in the jazz world (at least) for temporarily disappearing from the public eye in order to do some serious private practice.
Woodshed is to practice in private ( esp a musical instrument )
Thanks guys. Never heard of it. Another term committed to the memory banks!