Time taken: 8:49. I made a pretty steady solve through this, but I was surprised to be in fifth place with this time after the puzzle has been out for about two hours, I didn’t think it was that easy.
Very nice puzzle, excellent wordplay throughout, which is my favorite part of contributing to this blog. There are a couple of USA-centric terms, which puts me at an advantage.
I hope everyone is staying safe and sane! Maybe there will be cricket tomorrow…
Away we go
| Across | |
| 1 | Lake bird ultimately happier on home ground (7) |
| MOORHEN – anagram of the last letter of happieR,ON,HOME | |
| 5 | Thorny shrub that can be cut by a lively person? (5) |
| CAPER – double definition, the second based on the phrase “cut a caper” | |
| 9 | German poet’s idyll finally digested by Republican president (5) |
| RILKE – last letter of idylL inside R(Republican), IKE(President Eisenhower, who was also a Republican) | |
| 10 | Tinny tone upset nobody (9) |
| NONENTITY – anagram of TINNY,TONE | |
| 11 | Palm-greasing bachelor tucking into cheese by railway (7) |
| BRIBERY – B(Bachelor) inside BRIE(cheese) then RY(railway) | |
| 12 | Policemen get older? It’s a measure of things! (7) |
| YARDAGE – YARD(policemen), AGE(get older). Things being cloth and golf holes | |
| 13 | One who circumvents hurdles when discussing terms? (10) |
| NEGOTIATOR – double definition | |
| 15 | Bucket down, causing hunt assembly to retreat (4) |
| TEEM – MEET(hunt assembly) reversed | |
| 18 | Expression of amusement having left lounge (4) |
| LOLL – LOL(laugh out loud, expression of amusement), L(left) | |
| 20 | Amateur work protecting calmer place where drinks are made (10) |
| DISTILLERY – DIY(do it yourself, amateur work) containing STILLER(calmer) | |
| 23 | Study racehorse’s record and fit in (7) |
| CONFORM – CON(study), and the racing FORM | |
| 24 | Podgier member, one held in proper regard initially (7) |
| DUMPIER – MP(member), I(one) inside DUE(proper) and the first letter of Regard | |
| 25 | Sadness quiet girl displays about old soldier going west (9) |
| POIGNANCY – P(quiet), NANCY(girl) surrounding O(old) and GI(soldier) reversed | |
| 26 | Sign of tooth decay? Not the first (5) |
| ARIES – CARIES(tooth decay) missing the first letter | |
| 27 | Motherless calf in US that is faced with canine (5) |
| DOGIE – IE(that is), with DOG(canine) | |
| 28 | Line up again for compensation (7) |
| REDRESS – to line up again you could RE-DRESS | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Type in China working on dairy farm? (7) |
| MILKING – ILK(type) inside MING china | |
| 2 | Choose to applaud at first before interrupting stage work (8) |
| OPERETTA – OPT(choose) then the first letters of To Apploaud containing ERE(before) | |
| 3 | Practical characters at borders of Hungary? (5) |
| HANDY – the outside letters of Hungary are H AND Y | |
| 4 | Governess has shot at making butter, possibly (5,4) |
| NANNY GOAT – NANNY(governess), GO(shot), AT | |
| 5 | Quirky person swallowing an unfounded rumour (6) |
| CANARD – CARD(quirky person) containing AN | |
| 6 | Formal note about a church dignitary (7) |
| PRIMATE – PRIM(formal), and TE(note) surrounding A | |
| 7 | Product of poet — Frost, by the sound of it (5) |
| RHYME – sounds like RIME(frost) | |
| 8 | Organisation keeping peace in family court (8) |
| TRIBUNAL – UN(United Nations, organization keeping peace) inside TRIBAL(family) | |
| 14 | Soldiers propping up a former country in old Anatolia (4,5) |
| ASIA MINOR – OR(soldiers) underneath A, SIAM(former country), IN | |
| 16 | Civic dignitary from Irish county on seagoing vessel (8) |
| MAYORESS – county MAYO, RE(on), SS(seagoing vessel) | |
| 17 | Brownie possibly eating meat? It’s Uncle Sam’s picnic (8) |
| CLAMBAKE – CAKE(brownie) containing LAMB(meat) | |
| 19 | Urge of significant duration in capital of Greece (7) |
| LONGING – LONG(of significant duration), IN, then the first letter of Greece | |
| 21 | Priest given right to plug team’s sovereign remedies (7) |
| ELIXIRS – ELI(priest) then R(right) inside XI’S(team’s) | |
| 22 | Power employed by snow leopard to strike (6) |
| POUNCE – P(power), OUNCE(snow leapoard) | |
| 23 | Girl turning up with award — a winged figure (5) |
| CUPID – DI(girl) reversed with CUP(award) | |
| 24 | Tree-dweller featuring in sundry advertisements (5) |
| DRYAD – hidden in sunDRY ADvertisements | |
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