I enjoyed this puzzle which I found about middle of the road in terms of difficulty. I really liked 7A and 22D.
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ARBORETA – AR(BORE)T-A; about=A; |
| 7 | POOR – POO(l)-R; nice clue; |
| 10 | HOUR – HOUR(i); |
| 11 | DESTINY – DE(S-TIN)Y; is=S; brass=TIN; old word for pasha=DEY; |
| 12 | BAGATELLE – lovely=BELLE then insert AGATE=marble for E(xtravagence); a trinket; |
| 13 | YAFFLES – (SELF-FAY all reversed); green woodpeckers; |
| 15 | CREMOR – CR-(ROME reversed); juice; |
| 17 | RIFER – R-(l)IFER; take=R; more current is definition; |
| 19 | PANTOFLE – PAN-TO-FLE(x); chopin=old shoe=definition; |
| 21 | FACETIAE – FACE-TI-AE; note=TI; aged=AE; pornography; |
| 23 | ABASH – A-BASH; |
| 24 | SPICED – SP(l)ICED; l from (dar)L(ing); |
| 27 | SEA-LION – (so alien)*; |
| 29 | TRIMMINGS – TR-I’M-MINGS; trustee=TR; one’s=I’M; old couples=MINGS; earfuls=sharp rebukes; |
| 30 | OSSEOUS – (o=old+spouses-p=power)*; |
| 31 | ONER – hidden (p)ONER(rology); |
| 32 | REND – (tea)R-END; |
| 33 | BIEN,ETRE – BIEN-(m)ETRE; well off in Banff=BIEN; mass=M; la vie en rose, sans doute; |
| Down | |
| 1 | AHOY – A-HOY; single deck boat=HOY; |
| 2 | ROSARIA – (soars)*-RIA; rose gardens; |
| 3 | BUFFETCAR – BUFFET-CAR(p); |
| 4 | REALO – REAL-O; Deutsch Grünen; |
| 5 | EDGE,RAIL – (L)EDGER-(D)AIL(Y); |
| 6 | ASTERT – ASTER-(bouque)T; |
| 7 | PTERION – P(T-E)RION; the=T; where bones in the head join; |
| 8 | ONLY – (want)ONLY; |
| 9 | RYEBREAD – RYE-BREAD: Cinque port=RYE; salt=money=BREAD; |
| 14 | EFFICIENT – (fine etc if)*; |
| 15 | COFACTOR – C-OF-ACTOR; cold=C; aged=OF; ham=ACTOR; |
| 16 | IN,A,SENSE – (see Ninas)*; |
| 18 | BESOMED – BE(SOME)D; |
| 20 | LIE,OVER – L(IE)OVER; |
| 22 | THE-MOB, THEM-O(rganizing)-B(lackmail); nice clue; |
| 25 | PAGAN – (GAP reversed)-AN; passage=GAP; |
| 26 | ERSE – (p)ER-SE; priest=P; |
| 28 | NARE – almost=NEAR then move E the second letter to the end; |
I had a strange brain freeze over “aged” for “of” in 15dn: I didn’t see the connection and dismissed it without even checking Chambers. As a result I didn’t understand the clue and it was one of my last in, once I had all the other letters. It seems so blindingly obvious now.