Solving time: 8:01
Struggled to finish this off, partly because of an error at 17dn, but the long word at 9dn took the most time.
Music (8dn): Angel of Harlem by U2.
* = anagram, “X” = sounds like ‘X’
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | REIN + CARNATION |
| 10 | LITER + ALLY |
| 12 | BOMBE[d] |
| 13 | CADETSHIP; (TED IS CHAP)* |
| 14 | TEN + A + CITY |
| 16 | BONSAI (cryptic definition) – actually not that cryptic. |
| 19 | O + C(TAN)E |
| 20 | MER + EDITH – George Meredith was an English novelist. |
| 22 | THE MIKADO; (KID AT HOME)* |
| 24 | FILER (double definition) |
| 25 | RUD(G)E – Barnaby, from the Dickens novel. |
| 26 | BRITANNIA – according to Chambers, ‘a seated female figure with a trident and helmet, representing Britain’. |
| 27 | PROTESTANTISM; (SMITTEN + PASTOR)* |
| Down | |
|---|---|
| 2 | ESTAMINET; (NEAT ITEMS)* |
| 3 | NO(R)SE – I would describe ‘what’s under bridge?’ for NOSE as hackneyed, but it fooled me (again) so not that hackneyed! |
| 4 | ALL + O + CATE[r] |
| 5 | NOYADE; (ONE DAY)* – execution by drowning. A bit of a guess, but I was fairly confident. |
| 7 | O(BE)A[t]H |
| 8 | G(LOB)ET + ROTTERS – refers to the Harlem Globetrotters. |
| 9 | TERPSICHOREAN; (TEACH PRISONER)* – I needed all the crossing letters, and a couple of minutes wrestling with the anagram, to get this. Terpsichore is the Muse of song and dance. Of the other eight, I could only have named Erato and Clio – wonder why… |
| 17 | SKIP LANES – not ‘tri-planes’, which held me up on 16ac. |
| 18 | SENORITA; rev. of ONE’S, + RITA |
| 23 | E(IDE)R |
| 24 | F(E)AST |
I see that the on-line (non-interactive) solution gives ESTAMBINET for 2D, SKIP LANES for 17D and MAMBA for 21D – which probably explains why the interactive version is now broken. (Sigh!)
Just the 4 “easies” dropped by O Senhor Talbinho:
11a Birds wE SEE Gliding – just some swirling around (5)
GEESE
6d Entertaining line could be produced by (poet, right)*? (9)
TIGHTROPE
15d Happy having got about in several countries (9)
CONT IN ENT
21d Mum needs doctor when these snakes bite dangerously (6)
MA MB AS