Mostly straightforward, and I breezed through in 15.44, with minimal delays on the sinking of ships, the variety entertainment and the office of officers. I came to write up the blog thinking I was going to have to do some extra work sorting out some of the wordplay, but in reality here were only two which I have attempted to indicate by the language I use.
I would venture to suggest that the grid’s only CD is possibly the most commonly CD’d word of all, especially in the sometimes slightly naughtier Sunday grids. And a little curiosity: at no point is I clued by “one”. Don’t think that happens often.
Read my workings below, with clues, definitions and SOLUTIONS
Across
1 Knock back poet whose work is taking off? (8)
PARODIST Knock is RAP, reverse it (back) and add ODIST for poet
5 Lecturer’s visible prompt (6)
INCITE Lecturer’s is a homophone indicator (what you hear when a lecturer says…), so sounds like in sight, visible.
8 Do something for Bill, eventually? (3)
ACT The best I can do for this is that bill is account, technically A/C but we’ll ignore slashes. That leaves T from eventually. AT last, perhaps, though it’s unusual to have a last letter clue indirectly given.
9 Rogue put on uniform in farewell entertainment (10)
VAUDEVILLE So, translate rogue to DEVIL, attach it to Uniform (NATO) and place both in VALE for farewell, from the Latin and in such words as valedictory.
10 Mark off for student who passed out (8)
GRADUATE Two meanings: you might create a ruler by marking off intervals on a strip: that is indeed to graduate. Perhaps more familiar, the student receiving a degree when passing out of university.
11 Individual breaking racket eliminated (4,2)
DONE IN For once, individual is the word ONE, placed inside DIN for racket.
12 Ruminants destroying good crop (4)
OATS That’s GOATS without G(ood)
14 Miser with a bill condemned generous practices (10)
LIBERALISM First anagram of the day (condemned): take MISER and A BILL and bend them to you will.
17 Spending far too much for ship that’s changed hands (10)
PROFLIGATE The tiny and innocent for gives you PRO, add FRIGATE for ship and change its R(ight) to L(eft) hand.
20 Conclusion of many old kings in royal house (4)
YORK the conclusion of many is Y, old gives O, and then two variations of King, R and K.
23 Send down report to the capital (4,2)
BANG UP Send down and bang up both mean commit to prison. Report is BANG, and (for example) trains to the capital are UP trains.
24 Runner who’s taken off? (8)
STREAKER One of many variations of a cryptic, ho ho definition of someone who undresses before running onto the field of play, much to the delight of everyone concerned
25 Cards, until redealt, not entirely clear (10)
TRANSLUCID A variation of translucent with which I was unfamiliar, but its an anagram (redealt) of CARDS UNTIL and it fits.
26 Turned to display drowned valley (3)
RIA To display, or AIR is turned.
27 Extra dedicated housing marketed (6)
TRADED Indicated by “housing”, this is today’s hidden in exTRA DEDicated.
28 Comedy turn in Ulster city disheartened (8)
DROLLERY Turn is ROLL, and the Ulster city you remove the centre from to enclose it is DERRY
Down
1 Repertory company’s provision for toddlers? (9)
PLAYGROUP So a repertory company is a GROUP that does PLAYs
2 Pull in specialised troops north of zone (7)
RETRACT The specialised troops are the Royal Engineers, RE, and in a down clue they go north of TRACT for zone.
3 Prayerful, reflective verse editor dismissed (6)
DEVOUT V for verse and ED for editor are reversed (reflective) and dismissed is OUT, a familiar experience for (eg) English batsmen.
4 Sinking Smith’s top bitter, litre drunk (9)
SCUTTLING The transitive version of sinking. Smith’s top is S, bitter is CUTTING (a bitter/cutting remark) and L(itre) is inserted which is all drunk is there to indicate. No anagram!
5 Where it’s said Hindu might seek guidance for trespasser (7)
INVADER Hindu sacred texts include four ancient texts known as Vedas. It’s said implies a homophone, so look “in veda”
6 Army office, half lost in cyclone, rebuilt (9)
COLONELCY That’s half of LOst in a rebuilt (anagram) CYCLONE.
7 Small fashion accessories match nails, perhaps (7)
TIEPINS Match is TIE (in sport, for example), and nails are PINS
13 Preserve taken from food cupboard, with cover (9)
SAFEGUARD Back in the day, before fridges, homes had a ventilated cupboard in which to keep food in chilled condition, especially meat: this was a SAFE. Add GUARD for cover
15 Vehicle’s condition in contest brought up (6,3)
ESTATE CAR Ah, right, so this is STATE for condition (look at the state of that!) in a reverse of RACE for contest.
16 Prime forge? (4,5)
MAKE READY The first definition is straightforwardly prime, the second rather more amusing forge being to make ready where ready is cash.
18 Cleric getting to grips with a particularly sensitive subject (7)
REACTOR The cleric is a RECTOR, who grabs an A. Perhaps a person who reacts readily to some stimulus is more a sensitive subject than a nuclear version.
19 This writer’s set took liberties (7)
IMPOSED This writer’s gives I’M, ignore the apostrophe and add posed for set (a question)
21 Victor abandoning arranged takeover leaves here before autumn (3,4)
OAK TREE Much easier than I thought. Remove Victor (NATO) from TAKEOVER and then arrange/anagram the remains.
22 Levy held up by Cornish banker dealing with outmoded system (6)
FEUDAL Levy is DUE (as in pay my dues). Reverse (up) it and hold it in FAL, which is a Cornish river. Most of us see banker and think river, for we are not uncouth.
I Googled Erica Roe who streaked across the pitch at Twickenham and was slightly taken aback to find that this happened 40 years ago.
Thanks to z and the setter.
NHO RIA. But a lot to like including FEUDAL and BANG UP.
David
Dq