Beelzebub 1,275

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Quite a challenge this week, I thought. I made steady progress through the week, but eventually had to resort to all kinds of cheating to finish, particularly for some of the longer, rarer words.

I’ve been unable to explain 11 across, so any help there is welcome.

*=anagram, []=dropped, <=reversed.

Across
1 UNLADE – (A + L)< in UNDÉ.
5 TOPICS – PIC in SOT<.
9 KATABOTHRON – KA +((A BOTH[e]R) in TON).
10 LECANORA – ACORN*.
13 BLOTS – two definitions: unprotected pieces in backgammon, and of course stains.
14 SARABAND – (RA + BAN) in SAD.
15 STYLET – STY + LET.
16 AEROBE – (BORE in EA)<.
17 DOMETT – DO + ME + TT.
19 BIOMES – OME[n] in BIS.
22 CHAMPART – AMP in CHART.
23 THROB – [sleu]TH ROB[ust].
25 BROUGHAM – ROUGH in BAM.
26 CRAG-AND-TAIL – (LAD TRADING A)*.
27 HERESY – (RE + S) in HEY.
28 SEWAGE – WAG in SEE.
Down
1 UNLESS – U + (L[augh] in NESS).
2 LACHRYMARY – (Y[e]ARLY MARCH)*.
3 DANUBE – (A in BUND&lt) + E.
4 EBON – [h]E[r]B [f]O[u]N[d].
5 TORANA – TO + RANA.
6 PHALAROPE – ([dept]H in PAL) + A ROPE.
7 CONTUBERNAL – (REBUT + NO)< in CLAN*.
8 SNASTE – Sn + [w]ASTE.
9 KERATOPHYRE – [ca]KE + (T[r]OPHY in RARE).
11 MONOMACHIA – Managed a common greeting before a duel.
12 MALEBOLGE – GLOBE< in MALE.
17 DETACH – C in HATED<.
18 THORNY – T + HORNY.
20 IMPUTE – IMP + [c]UTE.
21 STYMIE – ST + [h]YM[n] + IE.
24 MODS – MO + DS. From “Honour Moderations”, some kind of Oxford-specific thing.

 

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