I seem to recall getting through this pretty easily last Sunday with a few head-scratching moments which I hope I can work out over the next few minutes, though there is one that completely eludes me.
Most definitions can be confirmed via Chambers, so I’m mostly going to try to unravel the wordplay. It’s an intriguing grid this week, lots of long down answers breaking up the quadrants.
The first definition is underlined.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Cheers top side that stands tall in the east (6) |
| TAMANU – TA(cheers), and the top side is MANchester United | |
| 5 | Wily players caught out by Native American in Colorado (6) |
| ASTUTE – CAST(players) with C(caught) removed beside the Colorado UTE | |
| 9 | Page missing, a print’s damaged? Head for toners (11) |
| ASTRINGENTS – anagram of A,PRINT’S minus P(page), then GENTS(head, lavatory) | |
| 11 | University head away, brothers crib in medical examination (8) |
| UROSCOPY – U(University) then remove the head from BROS(brothers), COPY(crib) | |
| 12 | One from Longchamps keeps poor horse that’s not ready (6) |
| UNRIPE – UNE(one in French) containing RIP(poor horse) | |
| 13 | Correct wine put on (6) |
| REDACT – RED wine and ACT(put on) | |
| 14 | Fruit dish (5) |
| PEACH – double definition, dish being an attractive woman here | |
| 17 | “Tootsie” not much of a trail for listeners (9, two words) |
| LITTLETOE – double definition, not much of a trail would sound like a LITTLE TOW | |
| 18 | Partner in lawsuits strengthened chambers (9) |
| CASEMATES – your lawsuit partner may be your CASE MATE | |
| 22 | Dash following a group of spies (5) |
| FACIA – F(following), A, CIA(group of spies) | |
| 23 | Soldiers touring country’s capital (6) |
| TIRANA – TA(soldiers) surrounding IRAN(country) – the capital of Albania | |
| 24 | Old record behind attachment to vehicle (6) |
| L-PLATE – LP(old record), LATE(behind). I’m heading to Australia next week so I get to see the warnings that the driver is scared to death | |
| 26 | Short summaries of mostly impressive, large volumes? (8) |
|
EPITOMES – EPI |
|
| 27 | Final garment off, leaving male amidst embarrassing situation (11, two words) |
| IN FLAGRANTE – anagram of FINAL,GARMENT minus M(male) | |
| 28 | Continuous music, say encountered in courts no longer (6) |
| SEGUES – EG(say) inside SUES(courts) | |
| 29 | Mythical devil always recalled in one paper (6) |
| AFREET – EER(always) reversed in A, FT(Financial Times) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | It’s forbidden to eavesdrop on unionist (4) |
| TAPU – TAP(eavesdrop), U(unionist), alternative form of TABOO or TABU | |
| 2 | Call numbers up after acting unanimously (8, three words) |
| AS ONE MAN – NAME(call), NOS(numbers) all reversed after A(acting) | |
| 3 | Joints as before the French stuffed under lorry (8) |
| ARTICLES – LES(the in French) under ARTIC(lorry) | |
| 4 | Residence for one in group causing disturbance (6) |
| UNREST – RES(residence) replacing I in UNIT(group) | |
| 5 | What’s ready in Acre port, tiny coins given out in change? (6) |
| AGOROT – OK, this may be a running joke, but this is about the third time Tim Moorey has clued AGOROT and I have not been able to figure out the wordplay. Little help please? | |
| 6 | Favourable votes set up? Enough said perhaps (5) |
| SESEY – reverse YESES(favourable votes) | |
| 7 | Indian out caught getting a zero, about to go in ten (10) |
| UTOAZTECAN – anagram of OUT(caught as in entangled being a pretty rare term to indicate an anagram), then A, Z(Zero), and CA(about) inside TEN | |
| 8 | Those in New Year showing redness in the face? (8) |
| ERYTHEMA – THEM in an anagram of YEAR | |
| 10 | Picture captures strong tie (10) |
| DRAWSTRING – DRAWING(picture) containing ST(strong) | |
| 14 | Flowers cut to pieces (8) |
| PICOTEES – anagram of TO,PIECES | |
| 15 | Poisonous stuff in newspaper optical device shown up (8) |
| RESALGAR – RAG(newspaper), LASER(optical device) all reversed | |
| 16 | Deliberate deception upset engaging Italian (8) |
| COGITATE – COG(deception), ATE(upset) containing IT(Italian) | |
| 19 | Lizards in one school given arsenic (6) |
| AGAMAS – A(one), GAM(school), AS(arsenic) | |
| 20 | Mostly rush around on unsprung Moscow wagon (6) |
|
TELEGA – TEA |
|
| 21 | Reptile struggling alone (5) |
| ANOLE – anagram of ALONE | |
| 25 | Just time for new amphibian (4) |
| EVET – EVEN(just) with T replacing N | |
So A + GO + ORT (clued as you suggest) “in change”.
Edited at 2018-12-17 01:08 am (UTC)
tiny coins given out in change?
What’s ready in Acre port
An agora is an Israeli unit of currency equal to 1/100 of the shekel. Its plural = AGOROT and Acre is a city and port in northern Israel on the Bay of Haifa.
Edited at 2018-12-17 01:29 am (UTC)