Independent on Sunday 1277 Kairos

[If you’re attending York S&B please see comments 32&33] - here

(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.)   Quite straightforward except for one or two bits. Thanks to Kairos. Definitions are underlined in the clues.

Across

1    Envoys coming from announcement of relay team’s composition (11)

FORERUNNERS : Homophone of(announcement of) “four runners”(composition of a relay team, in an event like “4 x100metres”).

7    Georgia’s natural resource (3)

GAS : GA(abbrev. for the US state of Georgia)‘S .

9    Clerk’s to trek with Bob touring suburbia (11,4)

STOCKBROKER BELT : Anagram of(… touring) [CLERK’S TO TREK plus(with) BOB].

Defn:  … outside eg. London, in which rich commuters, including stockbrokers, live.

10    Long story about leader of Egypt (5)

YEARN : YARN(a story) containing(about) the 1st letter of(leader of) “Egypt “.

Defn: … for;ache for.

11    Lead-free waste and rubbish containing Iodine and pigments (3,6)

OIL PAINTS : “soil”(waste, especially human excrement used as fertiliser – before modern sewage systems, there used to be night soil collectors) minus its 1st letter(Lead-free;without its leading character) plus(and)PANTS(British expression for nonsense;rubbish, as in “it wasn’t music, it was pants!) containing(containing) I(chemical symbol for the element, iodine).

13    Small part of Stuart in film? (6)

LITTLE : Double defn: 2nd: From the film, Stuart Little.

14    After next month a union may be so unscathed (4-4)

SCOT-FREE : Double defn: 1st: Reference to the referendum in September 2014 on whether Scotland should remain part of the United Kingdom.

17    Important person stops to welcome old insignificant people (8)

NOBODIES : [ NOB(important person of wealth or social standing) + DIES(stops;ceases to be) ] containing(to welcome) O(abbrev. for “old”).

19    Graduate engineer has cards to trim (6)

BEDECK : B.E.(a graduate engineer, with a Bachelor of Engineering) plus(has) DECK(a pack of playing cards).

22    Article in Le Monde describing British nuclear boffin returning without being observed (9)

UNBEKNOWN : UNE(an article in French grammar, as used in the newspaper Le Monde) containing(describing) B(abbrev. for “British”) + reversal of(… returning) [ N(abbrev. for “nuclear”) + WONK(one who is very clever and obsessed with a certain field) ].

24    Additional passage court dismissed (5)

EXTRA : “extract”(a passage taken from a larger text) minus(… dismissed) “ct”(abbrev. for a court of law).

26    Parenting repels distressed business associate (8,7)

SLEEPING PARTNER : Anagram of(… distressed) PARENTING REPELS.

28    Very special plea (3)

SOS : SO(very, as in “you’re so beautiful”) + S(abbrev. for “special”).

Defn: … for urgent help.

29    Commissioner imprisoned in royal vault for eternity (7,4)

KINGDOM COME : COM(abbrev. for “commissioner”) contained in(imprisoned in) [ KING(a royal personage) + DOME(a vault;a hemispherical roof).

Down

1    Busy minx, loud rather than hard (5)

FUSSY : “hussy”(a minx;a bold or shameless woman) with “f”(abbrev. for “forte”, the musical direction to play loudly) replacing(rather than) “h”(abbrev. for “hard”).

Defn. and Answer: Cluttered with too much detail.

2    What may be read after dictator loses his head and goes berserk (4,3)

RIOT ACT : Anagram of(… and goes berserk) “dictator ” minus its 1st letter(loses his head). A WIWD (wordplay intertwined with definition) clue, as what someone may be threatened with if he/she goes berserk.

3    Invigorated having been given a new tablet! (9)

REKINDLED : RE-KINDLE-D(cryptically, having been given a new Kindle, the electronic tablet for downloading and reading books).

4    Conservative hurried back to argue (6)

NARROW : Reversal of(… back) RAN(hurried;moved quickly) + ROW(to argue).

Defn. and Answer: … in views, say;not liberal.

5    Fraternal American entertained by brothel keeper (3)

ELK : Hidden in(entertained by) “brothel keeper “.

Answer: With a capital, a member of the American fraternal organisation, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks) that supports various charities. An amusing surface.

6    Head of school’s short test for band (5)

STRIA : The 1st letter of(Head of) “school” plus(…’s) “trial”(a test) minus its last letter(short …).

Defn: …;a thin streak, especially one of many running in parallel.

7    General transported a farm worker (7)

GLEANER : Anagram of(… transported) GENERAL.

Defn: … gathering grain left behind by reapers.

8    Drunk sailor’s had to provoke, as it were (2,2,5)

SO TO SPEAK : SOT(a drunkard) + O.S.(abbrev. for “ordinary seaman”;a sailor) plus(had) homophone of(…, as it were;so to speak – the defn. and answer doing double duty) “pique”(to provoke;to excite).

12    Taste speed (4)

LICK : Double defn: 1st: To taste by passing the tongue over; and 2nd: … ;rate of movement, as in “he was going at quite a lick when he crashed”.

13    “Translators maybe translating tussling”, I interposed (9)

LINGUISTS : Anagram of(translating) [TUSSLING co0(… interposed) I].

Answer: … may be translators as well.

15    Thence reference is included in an article on memory (9)

THEREFROM : REF(abbrev. for “reference”) contained in(is included in) [ THE(the definite article in grammar) placed above(on, in a down clue) ROM(abbrev. for “read only memory” in a computer system) ].

16    Start again after Catholic quits belief system (4)

REDO : “C”(abbrev. for “Catholic”) deleted from(quits) “credo”(a belief system).

18    Religious books about saint without a protective cover (7)

BIBLESS : BIBLES(religious books) containing(about) S(abbrev. for “saint”).

Defn: …, especially for babies while eating.

20    Etch English duck in a colour – quite the reverse (3,4)

EAT INTO : E(abbrev. for “English”) + O(letter signifying zero;duck in cricket) containing(in … – quite the reverse;therefore out of) TINT(a colour).

21    Camera accessory seen in college compartment (6)

UNIPOD : UNI(short for “university”;college) + POD(a suspended or detachable compartment for carrying people or instruments).

23    Car model’s right to incorporate a bit of plastic material (5)

KAPOK : [ KA(a Ford car model) + OK(right!;good!) ] containing(to incorporate) the 1st letter of(a bit of) “plastic “.

Defn: Silky fibre from the seeds of the tropical silk cotton or kapok tree.

 

25    Nest by a lake (5)

AERIE : A + ERIE(on the Great Lakes in North America).

Defn: … of a bird of prey, say, an eagle, built high on a mountain

27    Religious messenger is half-cut _(3)

NUN : “nuncio”(a religious messenger representing the Pope;a papal ambassador) minus its last 3 letters(is half-cut).

Defn: Blankspace;emptiness, as underlined – unless there’s something missing from the clue.

Answer: Term for “Nothing” when texting on your mobile. I hope my explanation’s correct.

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