Standard Bradman fare.
I only have one minor quibble with the puzzle, and that is the repeated use of “any number” in 10ac and 22dn, but that is being really picky.
The SE quadrant took me a little time, but once I slotted in SHAPE, DANIEL and FRANKLIN became obvious.
Sorry about the gaps before the pictures (haven’t inserted pics before)
| Across | ||
| 1 | MEGAPODE |
Big bird servant pushed back, having got in the way (8)
<=PAGE in MODE
|
| 5 | SMACKS |
Tastes from hearty kisses (6)
Double definitions |
| 10 | NEREIDS |
Nymphs, any number with inordinate desire (7)
N (“number”) + *(desire) Nereids were sea nymphs in Greek mythology. There weren’t any number of them. Apparently they were the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris. |
| 11 | ORGANZA |
Fabric from South Africa backing paper maybe (7)
ORGAN + ZA ORGAN = “newspaper” (example being Pravda being seen as an organ of the Soviet Communists) .za is the internet domain of South Africa (their equivalent of .uk) |
| 12 | OPTIC |
Visual device behind the bar (5)
Double definition. |
| 13 | OPERATIVE |
Worker old theatre brought back with return of musical show (9)
O + <=REP = <=EVITA |
| 14 | OPEN MARRIAGE |
Marital arrangement to suit the unconventional man – ie a groper possibly? (4,8)
*(man ie a groper) with “possibly as the anagrind. |
| 18 | PERSEVERANCE |
For each act of separation tenacity is the answer (12)
PER + SEVERANCE |
| 21 | AMERICANA |
Two articles on a married man in US collection (9)
A + M (“married”) + ERIC (“man”) + AN A (“two articles”) |
| 23 | SHAPE |
The external form of a European HQ (5)
Double definition. SHAPE stands for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, which is based in Belgium. |
| 24 | ELASTIC |
Resilient men avoiding extremes ending in charge (7)
(m)E(n) + LAST + I.C. |
| 25 | DAISIES |
Platform that is given the ultimate in gorgeous plants (7)
DAIS + I.E. + (gorgeou)S |
| 26 | THE MOB |
Those people with nothing, British gangsters (3,3)
THEM + 0 + B |
| 27 | FRANKLIN |
Old landowner, loud and causing anger, no end (8)
F + RANKLIN(g) In late medieval England, a franklin was a landowner, a level below landed gentry in the class system. |
| Down | ||
| 1 | MINION |
Servant has skimpy attire on (6)
MINI + ON |
| 2 | GYRATE |
Fellow heartless, gaining speed in spin (6)
G(u)Y + RATE |
| 3 | PRINCIPLE |
Basic standard the head voiced (9)
Homophone (“voiced”) of PRINCIPAL |
| 4 | DISCOUNTENANCE |
Continues being naughty in rumba, maybe, creating upset (14)
*(continues) in DANCE (“rumba, maybe”) |
| 6 | MAGMA |
Bit of crust good for mother to eat (5)
G in MAMA |
| 7 | CANNIBAL |
Cold Cockney man crossing the Alps, one eating what most of us wouldn’t! (8)
C + (h)ANNIBAL |
| 8 | SPACEMEN |
Surrey’s opening speed merchants? They are out of this world! (8)
S(urrey) + PACEMEN (“speed merchants”) |
| 9 | MOLE SALAMANDER |
Amphibian disturbing a male red salmon (4,10)
*(a male red salmon) |
| 15 | RECESSION |
Crises one somehow managed in economic decline (9)
*(crises one) |
| 16 | APPARENT |
A quiet relation readily understood (8)
A + P + PARENT |
| 17 | ARSENATE |
Salt mined in Near East (8)
*(near east) |
| 19 | DANIEL |
Judge in province in forefront after uprising (6)
N.I. (“province”) in <=LEAD N.I. is Northern Ireland. |
| 20 | REASON |
Soldiers accompanying a boy in grounds (6)
R.E. + A + SON R.E. are Royal Engineers |
| 22 | INTRO |
What gets things going with any number in terrible riot (5)
N in *(riot) |
Thanks Bradman and loonapick
I read 21 as A + AN (two articles) ‘on’ A, M ERIC ‘in’ (ie contained). Plausible?
Thought this was tougher than his Pasquale today but enjoyable. General Ignorance defeated me on 23-whereas in the Pasquale, the clues lead to the answers esp when they was slightly off-piste.
Apart from that minor quibble (living in the Antipodes partly to blame)- two really fine puzzles from the Don -full marks to him for apologies in a clue in the Graun puzzle (didnt stop me getting it)
Thanks for blog.
Thanks loonapick and Bradman.
Good luck with the pictures. Are you sure that’s not a turkey? (Only joking).
I read 21 as you did loonapick but Simon’s parsing seems to work too.
I thought Marital in the clue for OPEN MARRIAGE was a bit weak.
DANIEL was clear enough but I’m struggling to find which particular judge he’s referring to – UK Judge Daniel Williams is hardly a household name. Have I missed something obvious?
Hamish
In the Old Testament, Daniel was a judge, and Chambers defines “Daniel” as “a wise judge”.
Thanks Bradman and loonapick
Four months on (to the day) – I’m lucky that crosswords don’t go stale !!! Anyway, a good solid workout from the Don with a handful of new words – FRANKLIN, that type of SALAMANDER and SHAPE (as in the NATO Allied Command headquarters).
Held up momentarily in both the NW and SE corners with the same three crossers in both. Finished up in the NE with MINION (easy once should saw it), GYRATE (using the same trick as in 24a) and MEGAPODE as the last one in.