When I finished this puzzle I made a mental note of what I was going to say in this preamble – over very quickly (for a Beelzebub), a lot of easy entry clues, only a couple of answers that needed checking in Chambers, nothing particularly obscure, no parsing difficulties etc.
It was only when I came to write this post that I realised I had not entered 25dn. The solution was obvious from ?ART but the parsing had me scratching my head for a while so I decided to come back to it after I had completed the rest of the blog.
By the time I reached 25dn it was immediately obvious that the reason I couldn’t parse what I thought was the wordplay was that there wasn’t any, it was another double def.! I had seen the first one but not the second.
Across
1 Recorder marks, in career, number sadly missing university (12)
REMEMBRANCER – M (marks) in an anagram (sadly) of CAREER N[u]MBER (career, number … missing university)
9 Nothing needed after acceptable operating system (4)
UNIX – U (acceptable) NIX (nothing)
10 Unduly sanguine about keeping old mansion (7)
ROSEATE – RE (about) around (keeping) O (old) SEAT (mansion)
11 Verbose types prince endures, consuming vast length of time (9)
PLEONASTS – P (prince) LASTS (endures) around (consuming) EON (vast length of time)
12 Draws out souvenirs lacking initial enthralling appeal (7)
ELICITS – [r]ELICS (souvenirs lacking initial) around (enthralling) IT (appeal)
15 Loving / background (4)
FOND – double def.
16 Dummy, not so different (5)
OTHER – [so]OTHER (dummy, not so)
17 Label bread in street unwholesome (8)
STAGNANT – TAG (label) NAN (bread) in ST (street)
20 Trick after pause involving dead bird (8)
REDSTART – REST (pause) around (involving) D (dead) ART (trick)
22 Mistake brought about in war or revolution (5)
ERROR– hidden reversal in (brought about in) ‘waR OR REvolution’
24 Poetic chapter following cricket match (4)
ODIC – ODI (cricket match) C (chapter)
26 Hearer’s exit stopping old gossip (7)
AUDIENT – DIE (exit) in (stopping) AUNT (old gossip)
27 Article, left to cut wheat, consisting of strong alloy (9)
DURALUMIN – A (article) L (left) in (to cut) DURUM (wheat) IN (consisting of)
28 Mean hail storm (7)
AVERAGE – AVE (hail) RAGE (storm)
29 Screen round block (4)
VETO – VET (screen) O (round)
30 Second onlooker receiving too much latitude (6-6)
BOTTLE-HOLDER – BEHOLDER (onlooker) around (receiving) OTT (too much) L (latitude)
Down
1 Redden in difficulty over dare, out of depth (6)
RUBEFY – RUB (difficulty) [d]EFY (dare, out of depth)
2 Guarantee to get round obstruction, wanting good run? (9)
ENCLOSURE – ENSURE (guarantee) around (to get round) CLO[g] (obstruction, wanting good)
3 Old ruler engaging in rites recollected and read wrongly (12)
MISINTERPRET – MPRET (old ruler) around (engaging) an anagram (recollected) of IN RITES
4 Feigned sickness in month, securing delay (9)
MALINGERY – MAY (month) around (securing) LINGER (delay)
5 Marsupials accepted grass (5)
ROOSA – ROOS (marsupials) A (accepted)
6 Finished last in competition, upset (4)
NEAT– [compositio]N (last in competition) EAT (upset)
7 Callous charade needs to change (4-8)
CASE-HARDENED – an anagram (to change) of CHARADE NEEDS
8 Group again in holiday location (6)
RESORT – double def.
10 Blunt revolutionary locking fanatic up (6)
RETUND – RED (revolutionary) around (locking) NUT (fanatic) reversed (up)
13 Democrat breaking hold over peasant (9)
CONTADINO – D (democrat) in (breaking) CONTAIN (hold) O (over)
14 Active during spell in charge, accelerate (9)
FESTINATE – A (active) in (during) STINT (spell) in FEE (charge)
18 Take in fool before philosopher? Not hard (6)
ASSUME – ASS (fool) [h]UME (philosopher? Not hard)
19 Bread’s prepared in secret chamber (6)
SERDAB – an anagram (prepared) of BREAD’S
21 Group of eight reversed retreat and combined operations (6)
OCTUOR – ROUT (retreat) CO (combined operations)
23 Measure uranium in silence on base (5)
GAUGE – U (uranium) in GAG (silence) E (base)
25 Caustic / sort repeatedly changing allegiance (4)
TART – double def.
Curiously, I found the opposite to Gaufrid. I found this rather difficult and it took me ages to get started. Although I was in all Sunday, unusual for me, I didn’t finish it that day and still had about half of it to do on Monday.
I couldn’t parse 14dn, and 25dn still doesn’t quite make sense to me. Not sure about that second definition.
Hi Dormouse
“… 25dn still doesn’t quite make sense to me. Not sure about that second definition.”
Perhaps the following will help:
Chambers: “someone who repeatedly changes allegiance or affiliation (slang)”
Collins: “(informal) a promiscuous woman, …”
Didn’t think to look it up. 🙂
Don’t know if I’ve ever come across that definition before.
I am hesitant about admitting this, if my understanding of Gaufrid’s taste is correct, but several of my acquaintance call me an ‘offer tart’ because when Grouse goes back to £22 a litre, but Grants is on offer at £15, I switch to Grants
Hi Conrad
Your understanding is correct, at least when I am adding Canada Dry. On the rare (now) occasions that I have a neat whisky it is Glenmorangie. I once did as you do when Grouse was full price everywhere, though in my case it was Whyte & Mackay. I’ve still got 2¾ bottles of the latter in the cupboard (it’s been there for over five years now!).
At the risk of straying too far off subject Gaufrid, let me say that I agree with you about Glenmorangie. Glenlivet runs it close IMO, and when neither is on offer at a bargain price I drink Monkey Shoulder. My live-in Nina spotter likes Canada Dry with the blends (and quite often soda) but I always take everything neat.
Off for a dram now.
PS I’m afraid I avoid Whyte & Mackay.
Hi Conrad
I will reply via email otherwise I will be in danger of being put under moderation for breaking the Site Policy. 😉