Some very fast times recorded on the leaderboard for this one, indicating it was at the easier end of the spectrum. I found it a bit of a mixed bag, with some straightforward stuff and others which caused some head scratching (particularly given my policy of only putting it in once I have fully parsed the answer – a policy borne of many disasters arising from cavalier biffing).
Anyway, an enjoyable puzzle with an outstanding clue at 13ac for cricket aficionados, and plenty else to enjoy as well. Thanks, as ever, to Mr. Moorey.
| Across |
| 1 |
Try going round the bend in reverse (4) |
|
STAB – Take a stab at and BATS (round the bend) reversed |
| 4 |
Perhaps the Oxford team did boast after quarrelling (6,4) |
|
ROWING CREW – Neat use of a couple of homographs (quarrelling / oarsmanship) + (past participle of crow / an eight or four). Some might say that such poor form is only to be expected from the dark blues… |
| 9 |
Beer and punch (6) |
|
WALLOP – DD. My grandfather frequently asked for “a pint of wallop”, but not sure if this term is used much these days |
| 10 |
Being sluggish, back pair of Plymouth Argyle get beaten (8) |
|
LETHARGY – *(PlymouTH ARGYLE) with “get beaten” as the anagrind |
| 11 |
French philosopher has no truck at first for union stuff (8) |
|
ROUSSEAU – Trousseau (union stuff) loses its T (no truck at first). According to Britannica, Jean-Jacques’ “thought marked the end of The Age of Reason” – an interesting epitaph for a philosopher… |
| 13 |
Root and Cook batting after introduction of off-spinner (6) |
|
ORIGIN – O (introduction of off-spinner) + RIG (cook) + IN (batting). First of a couple of cricket oriented clues, and a fine one I thought |
| 14 |
Kitchen apprentice sounding extremely left wing (6,4) |
|
COMMIS CHEF – Homophone, prompting happy recollections of time working as a commis waiter whilst going through uni |
| 16 |
One cast like Cinders (4) |
|
ASHY – A (one) + SHY (cast – throw as in a coconut shy) |
| 17 |
It’s OK over in outskirts of Hackney (4) |
|
YEAH – HAcknEY reversed (over) |
| 18 |
Exaggeration shown in misshapen oil painting, not the highest class (6,2,2) |
|
PILING IT ON – *(OIL PAINTING) – the A being removed (not the highest class) with “misshapen” as the anagrind |
| 20 |
Twenty runs is notable for me! (6) |
|
SCORER – SCORE (twenty) + R (runs) with the scorer being required to “note” the tally – nice cryptic definition |
| 21 |
Consider carefully sales of pastry? (8) |
|
TURNOVER – Possibly a triple definition (with sales meaning turnover in business, and a turnover also being a type of pastry) but I think what we have here is a primary definition supported by a secondary cryptic definition. Anyway, the answer is clear! |
| 23 |
Deliberate trick by team with little resistance (8) |
|
CONSIDER – CON (trick) + SIDE (team) + R (little resistance) |
| 24 |
Catch retiring business associate right away (6) |
|
ENTRAP – PARTNER (business associate with last R removed – “right away”) reversed (retiring) |
| 26 |
Lively lady set about US university in front of Edward? It’s true (10) |
|
ADMITTEDLY – *(LADY) – with “Lively” as the anagrind – around (set about) MIT (US university) + TED (Edward) |
| 27 |
Heard cheers in Italy for a dog (4) |
|
CHOW – Homophone of CIAO, which I guess can equate to cheers in the sense of “cheerio” / goodbye in Italy |
| Down |
| 2 |
Nick, wings clipped, leaves… (3) |
|
TEA – sTEAl
|
| 3 |
… a Labour politician with courage (5) |
|
BALLS – Amusing cryptic definition, although sadly our setters will be deprived of similar opportunities in the future as the ex-MP now heads to Harvard for a career in academia |
| 4 |
Check on the papers (7) |
|
REPRESS – RE (on – as in about / concerning) + PRESS (the papers) |
| 5 |
Knowledgeable English composer beginning to emerge ruddy fat (4-11) |
|
WELL-UPHOLSTERED – WELL UP (knowledgeable) + HOLST (English composer) + TE (beginning To Emerge) + RED (ruddy). A fine example of the ST licence to setters to be a bit non PC |
| 6 |
One head supports another making a vegetarian dish (3,4) |
|
NUT LOAF – Two slang terms for the bonce |
| 7 |
Gay vicar embraces female spy Mata, creating uproar (9) |
|
CHARIVARI – *(VICAR) with “Gay” as the anagrind, going around (embracing) HARI (female spy Mata). CHARIVARI was unknown to me, but the rest of the clue was pretty generous so I was reasonably confident of the punt as I slapped it in |
| 8 |
Awfully short heiress longs to be a stunner (7,4) |
|
ENGLISH ROSE – *(HEIRESS LONGS) with the final S of heiress being removed (short) and “Awfully” as the anagrind |
| 12 |
No good Doc can forego change in agreement (2,3,6) |
|
OF ONE ACCORD – *(DOC CAN FOREGO) with G being removed from the mix (no good) and “change” as the anagrind |
| 15 |
Sharia foremost for haji in Mecca? Out of order for a Hindu (9) |
|
MAHARISHI – *(SHARIA Haji In Mecca) with “out of order” being the anagrind |
| 18 |
For each jerk I lost a stone! (7) |
|
PERIDOT – PER (for each) + IDIOT (jerk with the second I “lost”), giving the bright green precious stone |
| 19 |
Place for cuttings developed in Surrey newsroom primarily (7) |
|
NURSERY – *(SURREY Newsroom) with “developed” as the anagrind |
| 22 |
Stop ticket-collector? That shows some nerve (5) |
|
OPTIC – Hidden (indicated by “that shows”) in stOP TICket-collector |
| 25 |
Source of alternative energy in the past (3) |
|
AGO – A (source of alternative) + GO (energy) |
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Secondly ‘charivari’ refers to the old French practice of beating pots and pans for newly weds.