Club Monthly 20174 March 2015

Oh and also it is a pangram, and there is only one proper noun, at 8dn

Across
1. Send brave concluding note (8)
postface – POST (send) + FACE (brave, as in brave/face the opposition)
5. In Marseilles, I regret taking question in search for contraband (6)
jerque – JE (in Marseilles, I) + Q(uestion) in RUE (regret)
10. Change tattered Brazil Zoo Upkeep’s A to Z: rewarding if baffling work? (6-5,4)
puzzle-prize book – *(BRAZIL ZOO UPKEEP), with the A turned into a Z
11. In noyade, drown or immerse revolutionary — powerfully put by poet (4-6)
iron-worded – hidden, rev., in noyaDE DROWN OR Immerse
13. First duty, perhaps, for groups in biology (4)
taxa – ie TAX A, first duty..
15. Larks greeting sudden changes in direction (7)
hijinks – HI (greeting) + JINKS (sudden changes in direction). The OED doesn’t have it at all; ODO has: “hijinks is a common misspelling of highjinks.”  But Collins has it, so I suppose it’s OK
17. Leaves gatherer maybe wastes energy filling hole in a manner of speaking (7)
prakrit – RAK(E)R (leaves gatherer maybe) in PIT (hole).  Prakrit is any Indian language that isn’t Sanskrit
18. Viewer’s humour after TV laced with ire, I hesitate to say (7)
vitreum – *(TV + IRE) + UM (hesitate to say)
19. Old film covering issue of bloody constituent! (7)
opsonic – SON (issue) in O PIC (old film)
21. Wildcat strike may cover area, ultimately (4)
eyra – the last letters of strikE maY coveR areA. Eyra cats are better known (well, slightly) as jaguarundi and patrol most of Central and South America.
22. Harry Potter’s targets must include scoundrels (6,4)
yellow dogs – DOG (harry) in YELLOWS (potter’s targets, ie snooker balls). My heart always sinks at the sight of either the Rev. Spooner or Harry Potter.. fortunately, just a clever red herring here. A US term mainly.
25. Ship’s mystique’s built around large engine component (6,3,6)
squish lip system – *(SHIPS MYSTIQUES + L). A way of fiddling with diesel engine piston design to induce turbulence and thereby improve combustion efficiency.
27. Aircraftman grabbing spy’s withdrawn dagger (6)
kreese – SEE (spy) in ERK (aircraftsman), both REV. Better known as a kris, but the OED lists no less than 19 variant spellings for this word!
28. Demanding return of new official for match plant (4-4)
hard-fern – HARD (demanding) + N(ew) ) REF (official for match) both rev. The genus Blechnum,

Down
1. Drive to contain way of financing public works makes member of family carp (7)
pupfish – PFI (private finance initiative, a political device, ’nuff said) in PUSH (drive)
2. Middle Eastern music maker variable when turned up (3)
saz – Z (variable) + AS (when), rev.
3. Fine university dwelling tailored for playwright strongly suited to high life? (4-6)
full-winged – F(ine) + U(niversity) + *(DWELLING). The def. indicates the rather poetic turn of phrase, as well as confusing the issue a bit further..
4. One taking off supports around skip (5)
caper – C (ie circa, around) + APER, (one taking off)
6. Forgotten giant of film at heart of screenplay (4)
eten – ET (film) + (scre)EN(play). The “forgotten” simply refers to the word itself which is archaic, to say the least
7. Writ that challenged short citation: nothing about conflict managed (3,8)
quo warranto – WAR (conflict) + RAN (managed) in QUOT(e) + O
8. German theologian including King in electronic diagram? (7)
Eckhart – K (king) in E CHART (electronic diagram?). The only proper noun in the crossword. For reasons not known even to me, I always look to see how many there are.. and have never ever seen one with none.
9. Left four nations associated instruction to turn over and fulfil (4,2,2)
live up to – L (left) + IV (four) + EU (nations associated) + PTO (instruction to turn over). A fine clue that must have been satisfying to set
12. Found work falsifying vote: true job! (5,6)
objet trouvé – *(VOTE TRUE JOB). For some reason the phrase makes me think of “It’s Grim Up North London” in Private Eye.
14. Like river with road crossing? Reason not to use it heard (10)
causewayed – dd, the second sounds like “’cause wade”
16. Morose Frenchwoman stops exuding warmth and light (8)
summerly – MME (French equivalent of Mrs, more or less) in SURLY (morose)
18. Dismissal uttered by heartless one in environs of veldt? (7)
voetsak – SAK (dismissal uttered, ie sounds like “sack”) + O(n)E in V(eld)T – the def. being an @lit. One of many unattractive Afrikaans words
20. Print worker brought over celebrity’s account (7)
caseman – NAME’S AC (celebrity’s account), rev.
23. Flaky stuff in older part as evenly selected (5)
lepra – even letters of oLdEe PaRt As.
24. Crosses which are awarded for outstanding performance (4)
DSOs – a dd, since the dso/dzo is our old friend the yak-cow hybrid as well as a senior military medal, often awarded to very deserving cases but also besmirched by it’s class-ridden senior-officers-only treatment
26. Still cycling is common locally (3)
tye – YET “cycling” ie with the letters moved one place to the right, last to first. A comment on the forum said that it was perhaps “Not quite Ximenean,” but didn’t explain why it ought to be, or how it fell short. I admire Ximenes very much and I like to think he would not want to see the principles that he elucidated used to stifle creativity. He certainly ignored them often enough himself. I see nothing at all wrong with (for example) an indirect anagram, (which strictly this isn’t) provided the clue is also fair and solvable. “Rules are for the guidance of wise men, and the observance of fools.” Tyes are dotted around the country – Holtye in E Sussex for example, neatly combines two ancient words, holt meaning wood and tye meaning common or enclosed land.