Not too easy and not too hard, just right. Many times I thought I had come to a complete stop but each time I found just one more chink that showed the way to another solution. Thanks Aardvark, very enjoyable.
| Across | ||
| 1 | BALSAM FIR |
Mum’s dog shortly returned, catching coat in tree (6,3)
MA’s (mum’s) LABrador (dog, shortly) both reversed (returned) then FIR sounds like (catching) “fur” (coat) |
| 6 | OATES |
Looking over course, Taoism captivates explorer (5)
founds inside (captivated by) courSE TAOism reversed (looking over) – Captain Lawrence Oates, polar explorer |
| 9 | ON TOP OF |
As well as new books in middle of room, Dandy’s passed round (2,3,2)
NT (New Testamant, new books) in rOOm (middle of) then FOP (dandy) reversed (passed round) |
| 10 | TWIGLOO |
One having good look inside couple’s green residence (7)
I (one) with G (good) LO (look) inside TWO (couple) – a round hut made of twigs |
| 11 | HYENA |
Bird cooped around yard meets a wild creature (5)
HEN (bird that is cooped) containing (around) Y (yard) with (meets) A |
| 12 | HACKNEYED |
Cliche-ridden newsman abroad ready for rejection by his boss? (9)
HACK (newsman) YEN (money, ready cash abroad) reversed (for rejection) by ED (editor, his boss) |
| 14 | EAT |
Tenants periodically scoff (3)
tEnAnTs (periodically, every other letter) |
| 15 | WOODEN SPOON |
One’s stirred romance at office, as no work’s about (6,5)
WOO (romance) with DEN (office) the NO OP’S (work’s) reversed (about) |
| 17 | HONEYSUCKLE |
Love cryptic clues involving bit of knowledge in climbing shrub (11)
HONEY (love) then CLUES* anagram=cryptic including Knowledge (a bit, first letter of) |
| 19 | MOA |
Duck nursed by parent bird once (3)
O (duck, zero score) in (nursed by) MA (parent) – New Zealand bird, now extinct |
| 20 | SAUVIGNON |
Wine, light type, Gino drunk in hospital (9)
UV (type of light) with GINO* anagram=drunk in SAN (sanitorium, hospital) |
| 22 | NO END |
The difference between lad and lady? Very much (2,3)
lady with NO END is lad – I had NO SIR at first which delayed things later on |
| 24 | APROPOS |
Stay in Asian country, after leader’s removed incidentally (7)
PROP (stay) in lAOS (Asian country) missing leading letter |
| 26 | ELECTRA |
What Academy must do regularly to create a star (7)
the Royal Academy must regularly hold elections and elect the RA (Royal Academicians) I suppose |
| 27 | SALLY |
Familiar type of army sortie (5)
nickname (familiar) for The Salvation Army |
| 28 | WELL KNOWN |
Famous spring currently in possession of two knights (4-5)
WELL (spring) NOW (currently) inside (in the possession of) K and N (two abbrevs for knight, honour and chess) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | BROTH |
Relative missing centre of Iberia that’s warmer? (5)
BROTHer (relative) mising ibERia (centre of) – hot soup, a winter warmer |
| 2 | LITHEST |
Most flexible gymnast finally on horse, drained during schedule (7)
gymnasT (final letter) on HorsE (drained, no middle) in LIST (schedule) |
| 3 | APPIAN WAY |
Sign of boredom top priest shows annually reading over Classical passage (6,3)
YAWN (sign of boredom) AI (A1, top) P (priest) PA (per annum, shows annually) all reversed (reading over) – anciant Roman road |
| 4 | FIFTH COLUMN |
Undercover operators, 20% writing in newspapers etc (5,6)
FIFTH (20%) COLUMN (writing in newspspers etc) |
| 5 | RUT |
Channel showing sport on time (3)
RU (Rugby Union, sport) on T (time) |
| 6 | ORION |
Stars performing around carnival site (5)
ON (performing) around RIO (carnival site) |
| 7 | TALLY-HO |
Call when riding, but interrupted by mate (5-2)
THO (but) containing (interrupted by) ALLY (mate) |
| 8 | SNOWDONIA |
Range that’s fashionable to wear in country once shortened (9)
NOW (fashionable) DON (to wear) in SIAm (country, once) shortened |
| 13 | CLERKENWELL |
Admin worker agreeable after semi seen somewhere in London (11)
CLERK (admin worker) then WELL (agreeable) following seEN (semi, half of) |
| 14 | EPHESIANS |
Spiritual book recording male, American, probing vices (9)
EP (Extended Play recording) HE (male) then A (American) in SINS (vices) – Epistle to the Ephisians, the tenth book of the |
| 16 | STEINBECK |
Novelist’s mug that’s full of water (9)
STEIN (tankard, mug) and BECK (a stream, something ful of water) |
| 18 | NEUTRAL |
Stand of Swiss rolls centrally alongside steaming tea-urn (7)
roLls (centre of) following (alongside) TES-URN* anagram=steamimg, drunk |
| 19 | MAESTRO |
Expert layer’s sent up, covering in their patio at rear (7)
SEAM (layer, as ocf coal) reversed (sent up) then TheiR (covering of) patiO (at rear, last letter of) |
| 21 | IMPLY |
Indirectly express son’s to go alone (5)
sIMPLY (alone) missing (son) |
| 23 | DRAIN |
Pipe initially discharging – bucket’s put underneath (5)
Discharging (initial letter of) with RAIN (bucket, rain heavily) underneath |
| 25 | SOW |
Animal which guzzles plant (3)
double definition |
definitions are underlined
Thanks Aardvaark and PeeDee
My first Aardvaark, I think, and I enjoyed it. The teatray needs a panel-beater after some of them.
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee
Another good puzzle from this setter which was completed mainly over lunch.
Finished down in the SW corner with NEUTRAL (very cleverly disguised with the Swiss rolls), EPHESIANS (which I think is in the NEW Testament and not the OLD Testament, PeeDee) and SALLY (an unknown-to-me nickname for a Salvation Army person which would have been easily at home in Gaff’s theme puzzle from last week).
TWIGLOO was a new term for me and really liked APPIAN WAY, ELECTRA and NEUTRAL.
Thanks Aardvark and PeeDee.
Finished but too many uncomfortable parsings for me. Probably just a wavelength thing but examples:
12ac – I parsed this as Ney (verbal rejection) by Ed so couldn’t see the need for ‘ready’ – so thanks;
15ac – surely a wooden spoon ‘stirs’ – it isn’t ‘stirred’ itself;
26ac – I think that the RA must only elect new RAs when old ones die – a bit morbid to suggest this happens regularly. I would think that it’s more irregular;
28ac – surely possessed by rather than in possession of;
16dn – I think that the ‘that’s’. The mug (stein) is by something that might be full of water (beck). A beck is still a beck when it’s reduced to a trickle.
Nevertheless, an enjoyable challenge so keep up the good work.
Hamish – Royal Academicians retire at the age of 75 to allow room for new members to be elected.