Solving time: Forgot to record; one mistake (12ac).
This crossword doesn’t get any better. Today’s shocker is 6dn (AGE).
* = anagram, “X” = sounds like ‘X’.
| Across |
| 1 |
BREECHES; BR + (CHEESE)* |
| 6 |
AS SETS |
| 10 |
ACUTE PAINS; (SUE CAPTAIN)* |
| 12 |
BIBELOTS; BIB + rev. of STOLE – a bibelot is a knick-knack or trinket. I thought ‘with protective cover’ might be partof the definition so went for ‘babelots’, hoping that ‘woman’ = ‘Bab’. |
| 14 |
OVERRIDDEN; (DRIVER DONE)* – dubious definition (‘having lost control’). |
| 16 |
GO BY |
| 18 |
ARMS (double definition) |
| 21 |
REPULSED; PULSE in (the) RED |
| 23 |
C(LOTH)E |
| 25 |
PICCALILLI; “PICK A LILY” |
| 27 |
LORD – as in ‘as drunk as a lord’, and a pun on ‘entitled’. |
| 28 |
C + EASED |
| Down |
| 2 |
RETRIEVER (double definition) |
| 3 |
E(THE)L |
| 4 |
HEAD WAITERS – pun on ‘wait’ = ‘queue’. |
| 5 |
SNUBBED; rev. of BUNS, + BED |
| 6 |
[man]AGE – the clue says ‘Made do’ but it needs to be ‘Make do’ for the wordplay to work. |
| 7 |
S(TAR)LIGHT |
| 8 |
TENET (palindrome) |
| 13 |
BENEDICTINE; (BEEN)* + (INCITED)* |
| 15 |
RESOURCES; (OR + SECURES)* – awful clue, with a partially indirect anagram (‘gold’ = OR) and ‘options’ as the supposed anagram indicator. |
| 17 |
BROCHURES; (OUR HERBS C)* – nonsensical surface reading. |
| 20 |
PADDLES (double definition) |
| 24 |
OR LOP |
Make do … etc
(man)age
9a Yen? Give it to the church (4)
IT CH
11a Bat seen in tree (6)
WILLOW. The compulsory Cricket Clue?
19a Journey embarked upon with alacrity (10)
EXPEDITION
29a Member of the flock is hot with embarrassment (8)
SHEEP IS H
22d English cricket team the French deport (5)
E XI LE. More Cricket!
26a Boy left, given notice (3)
L AD