I solved this one on an airplane between Washington Dulles and Los Angeles with an electronic copy of Chambers handy, and was glad for the distraction (for those curious, that flight is a Mephisto, an Azed and most of a Listener long).
Paul McKenna usually treats us to a pun in the top row, and this time it is BUFFALOING, which I did not know but since I had the electronic Chambers there, BUFFALO is also a transitive verb – to bewilder or to overawe. Sometimes spotting the pun helps, but it didn’t in this case.
Definitions can be confirmed in Chambers, so I will focus on the wordplay.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Bosun’s mate that’s used to bull (6) |
| BUFFER – double definition, for the boatswain’s mate and a buffalo hide | |
| 5 | Around Perth flaming noise of the countryside? (6) |
| LOWING – another double definition | |
| 10 | For the biggest part blue, a Conservative is flattering (9) |
| ADULATORY – remove the last letter from ADULT(blue), A, TORY(Conservative) | |
| 11 | Serially deceived wife’s husband beside date (4) |
| HERA – H(husband), ERA(date) – the wife of Zeus | |
| 12 | Switch is clearly covered in crud (8, three words) |
| GO OVER TO – OVERT(clearly) inside GOO(crud) | |
| 15 | River in Slough bearing bracken? (4) |
| FERN – R(river) in FEN(slough, marsh) | |
| 16 | Who drummed in poetry? Bill, on and on (7) |
| TABRERE – TAB(bill), then RE and RE(on and on) | |
| 17 | Wound up, put out not off (5) |
| ENDED – OFFENDED(put out) missing OFF | |
| 19 | Mannerism mostly seen among witty gentry, as a whole (9) |
| SQUIRALTY – QUIRK(mannerism) missing the last letter inside SALTY(witty) | |
| 22 | Still see brigade in action round Ohio (9, two words) |
| VIDEO GRAB – V(see) then an anagram of BRIGADE surrounding O(Ohio) | |
| 24 | Where to wash tarry tarpaulin’s tip (5) |
| BIDET – BIDE(tarry) then the first letter in Tarpaulin | |
| 25 | Agent that purifies Georgia with bootlicking servility (7) |
| GAS-LIME – GA(Georgia) then SLIME(bootlicking servility) | |
| 27 | Old turkey going about this mountain (4) |
| OSSA – O(old) then ASS(turkey) reversed | |
| 30 | Means of comms is Latin, as if policy (8) |
| LANDLINE – L(latin), AND(as if), LINE(policy) | |
| 31 | English torpedo, say, overhauled being no longer ready (4) |
| YARE – E, RAY(a torpedo is a type of ray fish) | |
| 32 | I won’t use this for f — being delicate (9) |
| FINGERTIP – little bit of an in-joke for crossword fans in here – an example of clueing the letter F that would not be permitted in ths Times puzzles (but could pop up in the Guardian or elsewhere) would be “fingertip” | |
| 33 | Trouble with focus? Aim for something to put on (6) |
| ADDEND – ADD(Attention Deficiency Disorder), END(aim) | |
| 34 | Passionate picture, perhaps, about pit (6) |
| ARDENT – ART(picture, perhaps) surrounding DEN | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Most of focus of activity is in crazy bits of furniture (6) |
| BAHUTS – remove the last letter from HUB(focus of activity) inside BATS(crazy) | |
| 2 | Old-timer’s ticked off by hair I’d found round old regal do? (8) |
| FURIBUND – FUR(hair) then I’D surrounding BUN(regal do) | |
| 3 | Thief following what you’d think she’d break (4) |
| FLAW – F(following), then a thief would break the LAW | |
| 4 | In Chelsea gleaming standard for the military is seen (5) |
| EAGLE – hidden inside chelsEA GLEaming | |
| 5 | For this type of folder John feels a rebinding is needed (9) |
| LOOSE-LEAF – LOO(John) then an anagram of FEELS,A | |
| 6 | Other ranks struggle for a centre of wine-production (7) |
| ORVIETO – OR(other ranks), VIE(struggle), TO(for) | |
| 7 | Yes, outmoded practice by law by Cicero (4) |
| IURE – I(aye, yes), then URE(old version of USE, practice) | |
| 8 | Until returning into renamed, rebuilt landmark? (9) |
| NOTRE-DAME – TO(until) reversed inside an anagram of RENAMED. I thought this was two words, but it is hyphenated in Chambers | |
| 9 | Last day with a thug (6) |
| GOONDA – GO ON(last), D(day), A | |
| 13 | Possibly, I arm squad — j’étais un guérillero (9) |
| MAQUISARD – anagram of I,AM,SQUAD | |
| 14 | “Ruler and compass” man, ultimately lacking, clinking crank (9) |
| GRADGRIND – the last letter in lackinG, then RAD(very good, clinking), GRIND(crank) | |
| 18 | Novel varied theme but lacking edge is unoriginal (8) |
| DERIVATE – anagram of VARIED, then remove the middle letters of ThemE | |
| 20 | Blasted trial because of stimulant (7) |
| RITALIN – anagram of TRIAL, then IN(because of) | |
| 21 | This kept Roman warm: a stew containing bit of beef (6) |
| ABOLLA – A then OLLA(stew) containing the first letter of Beef | |
| 23 | Opinion surrounding overthrown seat is spoiled by tears (6) |
| BEWEPT – BET(opinion) surrounding a reversal of PEW(seat) | |
| 26 | Usher is quiet and always under contract (5) |
| STEER – ST(quiet), then EER(shortened form of EVER, always) | |
| 28 | Jimpy college fellows must look up “tosh” (4) |
| SNOD – two definitions and a wordplay – reverse of DONS(college fellows) | |
| 29 | Quiet female upset old fighting force (4) |
| FYRD – DRY(laconic, quiet), F(female) all reversed | |
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