Time taken: 13:22. That is a little over my average, and there was some head scratching and letter trawling for the last two in but I think I understand everything.
There’s a few bits of general knowledge that were thankfully in my range.
We are in one of those strange weeks where the USA has not ended daylight savings so the puzzle doesn’t appear until an hour later than I expect. All will be back to whatever passes for normal next week.
Away we go…
| Across | |
| 1 | Something since cured with last of medicine in tablet (8) |
| PASTILLE – something since cured would be PAST ILL, then the last letter of medicinE | |
| 5 | Unsparing curbing of habit by party from the right (6) |
| BRUTAL – RUT(habit) inside LAB(party) reversed | |
| 10 | Getting one’s teeth into calculations? (6-9) |
| NUMBER-CRUNCHING – cryptic definition | |
| 11 | Evil trait initially absent in enduring celebrity (10) |
| IMMORALITY – remove the first letter of Trait from IMMORTALITY(enduring celebrity) | |
| 13 | One of four Hindu texts in five days (4) |
| VEDA – hidden in fiVE DAys | |
| 15 | Attention required in class — might one be leaning on desk? (7) |
| FOREARM – EAR(attention) inside FORM(class) | |
| 17 | Last bit of green wiped away, colour toenails maroon (7) |
| ISOLATE – remove the last letter of greeN from TOENAILS and form an anagram | |
| 18 | Brother welcome among females (7) |
| HEAVENS – AVE(welcome) inside HENS(females) | |
| 19 | On your bike, take the wrong route? (3,4) |
| GET LOST – double definition | |
| 21 | National relationship mentioned (4) |
| THAI – sounds like TIE(relationship) | |
| 22 | Write page in prayer where one has a little freedom? (4,6) |
| OPEN PRISON – PEN(write), P(page) in ORISON(prayer) | |
| 25 | Appear in total control — with deck hand? (4,3,3,5) |
| HOLD ALL THE CARDS – if your hand is the deck you would HOLD ALL THE CARDS | |
| 27 | Infusion all there is after this, oddly (6) |
| TISANE – SANE(all there) after alternating letters in ThIs | |
| 28 | American steps in Spooner’s love dance? (5,3) |
| BUNNY HOP – Spoonerism of HONEY BOP(love dance) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | High priest in power working to get over disagreement (7) |
| PONTIFF – P(power), ON(working) then TIFF(disagreement) | |
| 2 | Problem needing solution originally, let me think (3) |
| SUM – first letter in Solution then UM(let me think) | |
| 3 | Way of shifting reserve vessel (10) |
| ICEBREAKER – double definition for the group activity and the boat | |
| 4 | Establishment purveying beer: diet? (5) |
| LOCAL – LO-CAL(diet) | |
| 6 | Career people (4) |
| RACE – double definition | |
| 7 | Second artist covers dinosaur (11) |
| TRICERATOPS – TRICE(second), RA(artist), TOPS(covers) | |
| 8 | Crack found in sled in several cases? (7) |
| LUGGAGE – GAG(joke, crack) inside LUGE(sled) | |
| 9 | Shooting game in Ireland that’s time-consuming? (8) |
| HURTLING – HURLING(game in Ireland) containing T(time) | |
| 12 | I strike up, moving La Scala? (5,6) |
| MARIA CALLAS – an all-in-one clue. Wordplay is I, RAM(strike) all reversed then an anagram of LA,SCALA | |
| 14 | Native of Central America, don’t question my ability to act with you! (5,5) |
| COSTA RICAN – CO-STAR? I CAN! | |
| 16 | Coat under slip taken down in error (8) |
| MISSPELT – PELT(coat) under MISS(slip) | |
| 18 | Potter’s much fancied attempt, perhaps, to become wizard (7) |
| HOTSHOT – a pool player might like a HOT SHOT | |
| 20 | Nose put out gets into better shape (5,2) |
| TONES UP – anagram of NOSE PUT | |
| 23 | Pandit upending gas-filled vessel (5) |
| NEHRU – reversal of HE(helium gas) inside URN(vessel). The first Prime Minister of India was Pandit Jawaharlal NEHRU | |
| 24 | Clumsily touch knight — instead of this? (4) |
| PAWN – PAW(clumsily touch), N(knight in chess) | |
| 26 | Some cheer, a hooray? (3) |
| RAH – another all-in-one, hidden in cheeR A Hooray | |
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