cd = cryptic definition, dd = double definition, rev = reversed, homophones are written in quotes, anagrams as *(–)
ODO = Oxford Dictionaries Online, OED = Oxford Dictionary, etc.
Across
1. Caliph in time repelled by superior might (7)
Umayyad – U (superior) + MAY (might) + DAY (time), rev.,
5. Spiritual leader from time unknown put on a measure of intelligence (7)
Tzaddiq – T(ime) + Z (unknown) + ADD (put on) + IQ
9. Cape or long cloth garment cut back (3)
ras – that is SAR(I), rev. I had trouble finding ras = ness or cape, since it is not in Collins Online or in the OED. It is, however, in Chambers
10. Cake regularly available in grill — ultimately bizarre way to keep food (5-6)
quick-freeze – C(A)K(E) + FREE (available) in QUIZ (grill) + (bizarr)E
11. Young attendant excited by a coin — tip from Arab (5,3)
cabin boy – *(BY A COIN + (Ara)B )
12. Judge one visiting land a foreigner (6)
gaijin – J(udge) + I in GAIN (land, in the sense of winning etc)
15. Old poet’s outlaw to be transported briefly (4)
exul – EXUL(T) (to be transported) the “old poet” is presumably Spenser, though for once he was not the only culprit
16. Shrewd, going round gang with new, powerful digger (5,5)
steam navvy – TEAM (gang) + N(ew) in SAVVY (shrewd). More commonly called a steam shovel. Here is a nice one
18. Canopy no one put back on fake arch’s exterior (10)
shamiyanah – SHAM (fake) + NAY I rev., + A(RC)H. One of my last in, a hard clue to solve until fake = sham occurred to me
19. Bones returning in the role of Spock’s first love (4)
ossa – AS (in the role of) + S(POCK) + O (love), all rev.
22. Jockey cunning, abandoning one in local fair (6)
viewly – VIE (jockey, eg for position) + W(I)LY (cunning). Local = dialect in this clue
23. Couple flanking VW following ace short story-teller’s old tales (8)
fablieaux = FAB (ace) + LIA(R) (short storyteller) + UX, the letters flaniking VW.
25. Witches, close to evening, ask Lucifer for a new spell (11)
craigflukes – *(ASK LUCIFER + (evenin)G ) another tricky one, given that it is a rather unlikely looking name for a fish “also called witch” (Collins)
27. Notes land specially set aside (3)
res – dd, res as in dohs or mes, and res(erve), where you imprison Native Americans
28. March happening sometime which Latin number opens (7)
equinox – well, it’s a March (and September) happening; QUI (latin for “which”) + NO, in EX (sometime). A parsing I did not fathom out while solving
29. Perform again: did live dances (7)
redowas – REDO + WAS (did live)
Down
1. Letters from middle of July, one of them placed in Jiffy bag (7)
utricle – (J)UL(Y) with the L placed in TRICE (jiffy)
2. Will’s cow, when worried, falling across reserve milk container (11)
assubjugate – SUB (reserve) + JUG (milk container) in AS (when) + ATE (worried). Will being Master Shakespeare, of course
3. Raised a question with contrasting responses about Fijian drink (6)
yaqona – A + Q(uery) in NO and AY, all rev. Yaqona is also known as kava or kava-kava. It is a narcotic drink, often toxic, now banned in the EU.
4. National radio host with one engagement in surrounding area (10)
Djiboutian – DJ (radio host) + I + BOUT (engagement) + A(rea) in IN.
5. Punishment the aim of boxer with big punch? (4)
toko – dd, one jocular
6. Girl made trip — panned after forgetting cases (8)
Adrianne = the inner letters of: mADe tRIp pANNEd
7. Rabbit, perhaps, ready to be caught by the ears (3)
doe – sounds like “dough” (= money = ready)
8. As monarch heads for exit, nobody looks for resistance in dispute (7)
queenly – Query (dispute), with the R(esistance) replaced by E(xit), N(obody) & L(ooks)
13. Start of March historically ushers in verse on a spring bird (4,7)
Java sparrow – V(erse) + A SPA (spring) in JARROW (start of march historically). An annoying clue in serveral ways. It became obvious early on that we were looking for a sparrow of some sort, but what? It is hard to find or look up a word where you don’t have the beginning bit. It only became clear once I realised that it was not really March at all, but a march. It is a recognised convention (originating from the over-didactic Ximenes, no doubt) that setters can play fast and loose with initial capitals, but I don’t like it at all – it is just plain wrong. Capitals must go where they must go, and not elsewhere, if one is to be honest with the solver
14. Pants with large parka are an aid to getting about (10)
parawalker – *(W(ith) L(arge) PARKA ARE)
17. Fighter pierced by harmful article? Spike? (8)
Milligan – ILL (harmful) in MIG (fighter) + AN (article), for the famous comedian
18. For seafood platter, six dry gas rings (7)
seviche – VI (six) in SEC (dry) + HE (properly He, helium gas). I know it as ceviche, but this is apparently a valid alternative spelling..
20. Development of relations, mostly uplifting ones (7)
auxesis – SEXUA(L) rev. (“of relations, mostly”) + IS (1’s, ie ones)
21. Place applied for expanded (6)
plused – PL(aced) + USED (applied). Should have been easy but I found it difficult, mainly because I had trouble believing it could be a real word
24. Animal hair left in jam (4)
flix – L(eft) in FIX (jam)
26. Japanese catch up Guyanese hosts (3)
ayu – hidden, rev., in GUYAnese
I would write Jarrow March with a capital M so I didn’t think it was too much of a stretch to see it that way even without the Jarrow. Seems a bit harsh to take a shot at Ximenes – it’s setters and editors who have chosen voluntarily to follow (some portion of) his system of principles, not a law of the land that compel them to. Regardless, his thinking on this subject (p.45 of his book) was that adding a capital letter where strictly speaking it wasn’t needed was OK “at a pinch”, but removing one where it was needed was a no-no, i.e. not at all as you have represented it!
Apologies if I’m missing your point, but Chambers online Word Wizard allows you to search for things like ????SPARROW.
I’m not sure I see McNutt as a hapless dupe, exploited by his successors. He knew just what he was doing, I reckon. Though even he might be surprised by how zealous people have become. They are no longer “principles,” to be used or not used as guidance; now they are “rules,” never to be broken. For some, anyway. And only for some of the rules, as you say.
And I see “at a pinch” as tacit acknowledgment that really it is not in fact OK at all to use capitals erroneously. I am clearly an anti-Ximenean hardliner, ha!
Yes I am sure there are online word finders that will do the job for you but I never use them. But that’s just a personal choice. Each to their own.
I’m with Jerry on the vexed question of the capital M in this case. Stricter than Ximenes, fancy that! But I can also see mohn2’s point: just a matter of taste.