Initially I felt ill-disposed towards this, because of my obsession (some would call it a hang-up) with less than 50% checking, something that appears several times in the grid. But actually this is a perfectly pleasant crossword with some nice clues.
The inadequate (in my opinion) checking is sometimes excusable if there is a Nina and the setter is trying to get normal words into the grid. But in this case the Nina (which for once I’ve seen, although perhaps there is more) is fairly simple: look at the seven-letter words going diagonally from top to left, top to right, etc in the grid. They are all of a kind, and, further, the shape of the words surrounds something that may also be regarded as one of these.
Definitions underlined.
Across
1 Rod for a fish (5)
PERCH
2 defs — although for a while I had LANCE, which just about passes since it’s an alternative spelling of launce
4 In toy race circuits go for a spin taking lead from Button (5,4)
TEDDY BEAR
tear [= race] circuits [a verb] eddy [= go for a spin] with B{utton} enclosed — nice clue whose parsing is not immediately obvious; at least it wasn’t to me
10 Dupes fear mobile getting pinched by unworthy people (8)
DEFRAUDS
(fear)* in duds
11 Covers surface with colour, probably at least a litre covering area (6)
PAINTS
p(a)ints — a litre is about 1.8 pints, so pints is probably (certainly?) at least a litre
12 Colourful plant rumoured to be brought back to China oddly (7)
DIASCIA
(said)rev. C{h}i{n}a — not a plant that was easy to find, but this is it
13 Teaching graduate observed for report – consequence of lying over a long term? (7)
BEDSORE
B. Ed [Bachelor of Education] “saw”
15 Yielding and miserable after losing their heads – Retreat! (6)
ASYLUM
{e}asy {g}lum
17 Sound of grass in the water captivating adult and child (8)
REASONED
re(a son)ed
18 Intention to have growing medium put around veg seedling perhaps? (3,5)
PEA PLANT
pea(plan)t — I couldn’t parse this at first as I thought that veg [= pea] was part of the wordplay
21 At last French expressions comprehended for heating units … (6)
THERMS
t({Frenc}h)erms
23 … and French clipped accent around the boulevards? (7)
STREETS
stre(et)s{s}
24 Moral tale of father and the Mob bumping off half the bishops (7)
PARABLE
Pa rab{b}le
27 Nervous it might be done badly by Georgia (2,4)
ON EDGE
(done)* Ge [the US state]
28 Shrunk back and patched up with no charge taken (8)
RECOILED
reco{nc}iled
29 Bolt and maybe Bolt’s celebration of coming first (2,1,6)
DO A RUNNER
I think I’m missing something here — it just seems to be a rather weak description of what Usain Bolt might do in celebration, but there’s probably more
30 Taking drugs – or not if official who knows the score appeared first (5)
USING
If ref precedes using then it becomes refusing — I don’t think of a ref as one who knows the score, rather as one who keeps order, but I suppose he does know the score and Crosophile no doubt wanted the surface to use a word connected with drug-taking
Down
2 Idly see about if they’re open? (7)
EYELIDS
(Idly see)* — a sort of semi-&lit. since if the eyelids are open you can idly see about
3 Stores for plant company with oddly chosen ramps (5)
CORMS
co r{a}m{p}s
5 A walk in the park if feeling ill is out of the question (4)
EASY
{qu}easy — ‘out of the question’ here means ‘with qu thrown out’ — unfortunate (or not?) that the word ‘easy’ comes here and also in 15ac
6 Edge of tarn a long time after duck flies (7)
DIPTERA
dip [= duck] t{arn} era — Diptera is the genus of two-winged insects or flies
7 Butterfly‘s black on outer edges with general effect of colours (9)
BRIMSTONE
b rims tone
8 A neighbouring community with great differences and eternal rioting (7)
ALTERNE
(eternal)* — not a word I really knew
9 A barely-seen practice (6)
NUDISM
Cryptic definition
14 Maybe a pig‘s trough seen in middle of barbecue (5)
BRUTE
rut in b{arbecu}e
16 Article is about international public relations and I can see what they’re saying (3,6)
LIP READER
l(I PR)eader
19 On exhibition in the Tate, a Tintoretto to etch (3,4)
EAT INTO
Hidden in TatE A TINTOretto
20 Eternity after what’s done for unfortunate hunter (7)
ACTAEON
acta eon — acta are official minutes of proceedings — Actaeon was unfortunate in that he was transformed into a stag by Artemis
21 The small church over there displaying traditional roof? (6)
THATCH
that ch — that small church, or the small church over there
22 Turn over by unit in Dortmund plant (7)
MULLEIN
mull ein — ‘in Dortmund’ is the indication that it’s a German unit
25 Maybe penpals at first spell incorrectly (5)
AMISS
amis s{pell} — why a French word has a link to penpals I’m not quite sure — I suppose one tends (tended?) to have penpals abroad, possibly in France
26 This drive with special large opening one would have to spend a lot on (4)
URGE
If you put sp l in front of urge you would have splurge, which is to spend a lot on — not sure about the ‘on’, but Chambers gives it as an option
*anagram
Thanks to S & B,
I kept up my 100% record of missing Nina’s – very clever and others will doubtlessly expand upon it. New words or names for me at 12a, 6d, 8d and 20d but solvable from the word play. One minor quibble – in 27a, ‘Georgia’ is usually GA rather than GE – although perhaps I’m missing something if GE was intended. Yes, for a few few others such as 29 I couldn’t quite get the parsing.
A bit annoying to have failed to pick up the Nina, but otherwise a satisfying solve and not too bad for a Thursday.
Thanks again.
Hi WordPlodder
GA is the abbreviation for Georgia (state), GE is the (IVR) abbreviation for Georgia (country).
Thanks Gaufrid. Yes, on reflection the “mistake” just seems too obvious and I didn’t think of the country, nor was I familiar with its abbreviation. Thank you for enlightening me.
P.S. Apologies for the typo.
It is a clever thing, but the weird words count is high.
Technically it is quite all right, though I think PINTS could have been nailed a little more.
In 29a, I took “Bolt’s celebration” to be A Runner Do, with the Do coming first.
Found the Rhs hard for some reason especially the top bit. Missed the Nina during the solve but CP has previous for this so saw it post solve.
Thanks John the acta bit went over my head.
I parsed 20d as
“Aeon” (alternative spelling) following “Act” (what’s done).
Thanks for the blog, John.
Yes, Geebs @#7. That’s what I’d intended.
For 11a, 1.9 pints might arguably be over a litre but not quite qualify as pintS since it’s less than 2, hence the ‘probably’. I was probably being over-fastidious though. 🙂
And for 29A the first Bolt is the defn and the second is the reference to Usain Bolt, with celebration = DO and of = á [as in Thomas á Beckett etc.].
As for the Diamond nina, this was my 60th published Crosophile puzzle. 🙂
If it’s not too late can someone spell out the nina to me please?
I don’t understand John’s “7 letter words going from top to left and from top to right” at all.
Ta very!
In the grid diagonally in the corners there are 4 words relating to diamonds. Adamant rhombus etc.
Thanks flashling.
Still took me a minute but obvious once realised that they went across the corners – to make a diamond shape indeed!