Looking over it now, there is little that seems enormously problematic, but I’ll give you a blow-by-blow of how I made it so. My first pass of the across clues yielding little fruit until 25ac and 27ac, at which point I had a solid in to the SW corner. And then 10dn is a write-in for anyone with two little grey cells to rub together, and 5dn not much trickier. Nevertheless, if there was a way to get the wrong end of the stick for a clue I found it on this puzzle: I wanted 22ac to be a phrase meaning “moving”, was sure 3dn had to be a word for animals inside a US region, searched in vain for a word meaning “news” at 6dn, saw that 7dn, ending with an A, could not be a plural so had to be the name of an obscure philosopher… you get the idea. Part of the art of the best setters is writing a clue where the correct way to solve it is not immediately clear, and I’m going to say that our designated cryptic tormentor for today was a dab at hand this, so thanks to you, sir!
Apart from the cluing this felt a little more Fridayish just because there was a slightly higher obscure GK quotient than usual: the Belgian detective is surely well known, but I was a very young ‘un I might raise an eyebrow at needing to know the naval admiral, Goethe’s contemporary, the 70-year old date movie and the so-called “lawmaker” at 1dn: 1ac might not be easy for non-foodies, on two separate counts! But I am going to be 43 on Monday so I thought all this stuff was great. (43! Is that too old to be doing this young man’s pastime with full dignity? Maybe I should retire!) Lots of COD candidates to choose from but I’ll give my award to 3dn simply because it’s got a nice surface and pulled the wool over my eyes for way longer than it should have. I think there’ll be a range of favourites on this one, though, so what were yours?
ACROSS
1 Residue of apple and spice added to reduced-size pot (6)
POMACE – MACE [spice] added to PO{t}
4 Problems in book with small cover wrapped round (8)
DILEMMAS – EMMA [book] with S LID [small | cover] “wrapped round”. I guess “wrapped” is the containment indicator and “round” actually orders the “reversal”, much though my brain rebels against it…
9 Courtier just wasting time drinking beer (7)
RALEIGH – RIGH{t} [just, “wasting (T for) time”] “drinking” ALE [beer]
11 Author wanting introduction for scary book (7)
CHILLER – {s}CHILLER [author, “wanting introduction”]. The 18th century German poet and man of many parts Friedrich Schiller.
12 To fall asleep during sex is …. (5)
INAPT – NAP [to fall asleep] during IT [sex], semi-&lit
13 Declined to look into S African capital (3,2,4)
RAN TO SEED – TO SEE [to | look] into RAND [South African capital (as in money)]
14 Great drink, um … ah … wolfing dessert back (5,5)
SUPER DUPER – SUP [drink] + ER ER [um… | ah…] “wolfing” PUD reversed [dessert “back”]
16 Probably had read Steinbeck’s last novel (4)
KNEW – {Steinbec}K + NEW [novel]. I’m not *sure* I know most of the things I know from having read them…
19 Older relative’s articles for retirement (4)
NANA – AN AN reversed [(two) articles “for retirement”]
20 Recover speed after useless start in park and gym (10)
RECUPERATE – RATE [speed] after U{seless} in REC + P.E. [park (and) gym]
22 Moving, tho’ not new film (2,3,4)
ON THE TOWN – (THO’ NOT NEW*) [“moving”]. 1949 Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra musical comedy.
23 All right to scarper (5)
LEGIT – to scarper being to LEG IT
25 Cook limits lunches at first for dieter (7)
SLIMMER – SIMMER [cook] “limits” L{unches}
26 Some land in Valence for redevelopment (7)
ENCLAVE – (VALENCE*) [“for redevelopment”]
27 Watch muscle is in condition (8)
SPECTATE – PEC [muscle] is in STATE [condition]
28 Unlimited free produce from cattle show (6)
REVEAL – {f}RE{e} + VEAL [produce from cattle]
1 Lawman put pressure on family involved in crime (9)
PARKINSON – P [pressure] on KIN [family] “involved in” ARSON [crime]. Parkinson’s Law, that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”. Wonder if it applies to solving?
2 In Massachusetts, “key” is an island (5)
MALTA – in MA [Massachusetts], ALT [(computer) key]
3 Restrict wild animals in parts of America (8)
CRITTERS – (RESTRICT*) [“wild”]
5 As a result, popular party game hasn’t succeeded (2,11)
IN CONSEQUENCE – IN [popular] + CONSEQUENCE{s} [party game, “hasn’t (S for) succeeded]
6 News chief travelled up carrying computers etc (6)
EDITOR – RODE reversed [travelled “up”] carrying I.T. [computers etc]
7 Philosopher, one engaged by queen over many years (9)
MILLENNIA – MILL [philosopher (John Stuart, utilitarian)] + I [one] “engaged by” ANNE reversed [queen “over”]
8 A small amount of extremely smooth wine (5)
SHRED – S{moot}H + RED [wine]
10 A detective, I report louche suspect (7,6)
HERCULE POIROT – (I REPORT LOUCHE*) [“upset”]
15 Cut up tat for trouser material (9)
PINSTRIPE – SNIP reversed [cut “up”] + TRIPE [tat]
17 Ingredient of bread we’ll eat hot at dinner, say (9)
WHEATMEAL – WE will eat H [hot] + AT MEAL [at | dinner, say]
18 Firm making explosive, perhaps, quoted for naval admiral (8)
JELLICOE – rather whimsical homophone [“quoted”] of JELLY CO, as in gelignite company [firm making explosive, perhaps]. John Jellicoe, Royal Navy admiral circa WW1, commander at e.g. the Battle of Jutland.
21 Deal with unruly hair thus, OK? (6)
PERMIT – one way to deal with unruly hair is to PERM IT
22 Watering hole regularly serving locals first (5)
OASIS – {l}O{c}A{l}S {f}I{r}S{t}, regularly served.
24 Exam mark, we’d argue, should be raised a bit (5)
GRADE – hidden reversed in {w}E’D ARG{ue} [“should be raised, a bit”]
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