The customary class act from Orense.
Nothing here that was particularly troublesome or awe-inspiring – just plenty of smooth, clever clueing. Thank-you, Orense.
| Across | ||
| 1 | CARAPACE |
Father invested in vehicle expert from Shell (8)
Pa within car [vehicle] ace [expert]
|
| 5 | MOSCOW |
Flat-bottomed boat found on the outskirts of Mexico City (6)
M(exic)o scow [flat-bottomed boat]
|
| 10 | ORMER |
Minor merchant stocking shellfish (5)
Hidden in minOR MERchant
|
| 11 | RACKETEER |
Criminal always appearing after terrible commotion (9)
Racket [terrible commotion] eer [always]
|
| 12 | LARCENOUS |
Likely to steal intelligence after clear out (9)
Anagram of clear nous [intelligence]
|
| 13 | AITCH |
It’s in a church letter (5)
It within a ch [church]
|
| 14 | INJURY |
Where twelve might discuss offender’s damage? (6)
In jury [where twelve might discuss offender]
|
| 15 | PLIABLE |
Quietly responsible in law, and flexible (7)
P [piano, quietly] liable [responsible in law]
|
| 18 | WATTLES |
Turkey features teetotallers in country (7)
TT [teetotallers] within Wales [country]
|
| 20 | BOGEYS |
Spirits of lads crossing borders of Greece (6)
G(reec)e within boys [lads]
|
| 22 | SADDO |
Unfortunate person becoming strange when regressed (5)
Reversal of odd [strange] as [when]
|
| 24 | FANCY-FREE |
Lacking ideas, with no responsibilities (5-4)
Double definition
|
| 25 | ERUDITION |
Learning game covered by issue (9)
RU [Ruby Union, game] within edition [issue]
|
| 26 | THEFT |
Newspaper robbery? (5)
The FT [newspaper]
|
| 27 | STERNS |
Serious footballers ultimately become backs (6)
Stern [serious] (footballer)s
|
| 28 | WARMED UP |
Women with weapons, and out of bed, got ready for action (6,2)
W [women] armed [with weapons] up [out of bed]
|
| Down | ||
| 1 | COOLLY |
My topless friend with sang-froid (6)
Coo [my!] (a)lly [friend]
|
| 2 | REMBRANDT |
Artist’s mark in flexible term (9)
Brand [mark] within anagram of term
|
| 3 | PERPETUAL MOTION |
A scientist’s dream of steady state theory? Hardly! (9,6)
Double definition
|
| 4 | CURSORY |
Casual like this in Madras, say (7)
So [like this] within curry [Madras, say]
|
| 6 | OPERATING SYSTEM |
Surgeon’s requirement for a computer programme (9,6)
Double definition
|
| 7 | CLEFT |
Split in Conservative wets? (5)
C [Conservative] left [wets – in UK politics, ‘wets’ are on the left of the Conservative party]
|
| 8 | WORTHIES |
Relocated most of otherwise influential people (8)
Anagram of otherwis(e)
|
| 9 | ACTSUP |
Parliamentary bill on drink goes wrong (4,2)
Act [parliamentary bill] sup [drink]
|
| 16 | BOYFRIEND |
Man with future as groom, possibly (9)
Cryptic definition
|
| 17 | TWISTERS |
Winds up people on the fiddle! (8)
Double definition, referring to ‘twisters’ or tornados
|
| 19 | SOFTIE |
Son of Bond is a sentimental person (6)
S [son] of tie [bond]
|
| 20 | BONANZA |
Extreme letters supporting ban on working boom (7)
Anagram of ban on ZA [extreme letters]
|
| 21 | SENT UP |
Ridiculed head of news caught in entrapment (4,2)
N(ews) within set up [entrapment]
|
| 23 | DOUSE |
Put out by function applied to party (5)
Do [party] use [function]
|
Competed with enjoyment, thanks both!
Very enjoyable. Appreciate the clarity on CLEFT–hadn’t heard that definition for someone on the left. Also, saddo was a guess for me. Got the parsing but not in US dictionary!
Thanks to Orense and Ringo
Thanks Orense and Ringo
From the backlog whilst on hols … and found this very enjoyable. Finished with TWISTERS and SADDO (which I had not heard of before). Took a while to see COOLLY and smiled at BOYFRIEND.