Were I to be in a critical mood I’d probably say that there were too many answers that were easier to biff than to work out the cryptic for, which always feels like a cart/horse sequencing error. Also lots of sports references, which I have traditionally viewed with utmost suspicion but which aren’t so bad really. In fact I’m going to give COD to 22dn which I believe is something to do with cricket, but also features a truly classic crossword duck.
Thanks setter!
ACROSS
1 Guard‘s course of action finally changed (6)
POLICE – POLIC{y->E}
4 Help one to get top in sort of contest (8)
HANDICAP – HAND + I + CAP [help, one, top]
10 Stories about theologian entertaining Catholic Church stars (9)
ANDROMEDA – ANA “about” D.D. “entertaining” ROME. FOI
11 Sit learner at back of form (5)
MODEL – L at back of MODE
12 Unfancied team no longer in the dressing room? (7)
OUTSIDE – OUT SIDE [unfancied, team]. Once the team is no longer in the dressing room they’re outside.
13 Numbers kept outside part of the UK, stupid folk (7)
NINNIES – NINE kept outside N.I.
14 That is to be found in side street (2,3)
ID EST – hidden in {s}IDE ST{reet}
15 Didn’t move from area that’s dry — sense the environment (3,5)
SAT TIGHT – A(rea) that has T.T. [dry], “environed” by SIGHT [sense]
18 Plant has woman in nursery full of bombast (8)
AMARANTH – AMAH [nursemaid] “full of” RANT [bombast]
20 Disciple — this person’s held to be one (5)
SIMON – SON [disciple], “holding” I’M, to find one specific disciple
23 Sweet little girls (7)
CARAMEL – CARA and MEL
25 A lot of green present wrapping appropriate (7)
HERBAGE – HERE [present] wrapping BAG [so that’s appropriate as in “take”]
26 Dance being held in workhouse? (5)
TWIST – double def with a being, as in person or character, eponymous in Dickens’ novel
27 Playing in a shed, two sons being up to no good? (9)
SHADINESS – (IN A SHED*) + S S
28 People working with duds? (3,5)
RAG TRADE – cryptic def, duds as in clothes
29 Excellent entertainment, not entirely suitable for solemn period (6)
LENTEN – hidden in {excel}LENT EN{tertainment}. LOI
DOWN
1 Endless drama producing tension, avoiding sex (8)
PLATONIC – PLA{y} + TONIC
2 Loud female with others grabbing old rocker after upset (7)
LADETTE – ET AL [with others] “grabbing” TED [old rocket], and reverse
3 Singer in church getting nothing right tries afresh (9)
CHORISTER – CH + O R + (TRIES*)
5 A term in Rugby: are rebellious teachers seen to be this? (7,3,4)
AGAINST THE HEAD – one of those double defs with an idiomatic and a literalistic definition;
rebellious teachers might be against the head(master). The other definition is something to do with the game rugby, couldn’t really tell you what, but the dictionary says “from the opposing side’s put-in to the scrum”, whatever that means!
6 This writer held up by academic as one very skilful (5)
DEMON – reversed ME “held” by DON
7 Person on golf course endlessly — is husband ungentlemanly? (7)
CADDISH – CADD{y} IS H
8 European? This could be French (6)
POLISH – double def, based on the somewhat chestnutty “French polish”
9 A loner despised, abandoned, no longer regarded as an individual (14)
DEPERSONALISED – (A LONER DESPISED*)
16 Short sheet of paper, something wicked provided during employment (2-7)
IN-SERVICE – INSER{t} + VICE. Who else has spent so much time around crosswords that they were looking for a kind of candle?
17 Man who provided shelter, with someone lacking roof (8)
ANDERSON – AND [with] + {p}ERSON. We are speaking of Anderson air raid shelters…
19 Ruining wedding with no end of debauchery (7)
MARRING – MARR{y}ING
21 Most excellent food one’s eaten, nothing wasted (7)
MEANEST – MEAT [food] “eating” {o}NE’S. Meat may be food for you lot but it isn’t for me!
22 Score fantastic ton going in — or a duck (6)
SCOTER – (SCORE*) with T going in
24 The old woman to have sex with Romeo (5)
MATER – MATE with R
Plenty I didn’t really know – SON for disciple, AGAINST THE HEAD (I was never in the scrum at school, always stuck on the wing chatting with the opposing winger, as those who were good at kicking seven bells out of each other never passed the ball, which led me to decide that rugby was a game for those with no finesse and little between the cauliflower ears. Discuss!).
But I’m dropping by to say that I reached 20A SIMON via recalling that he was the son of John. Which jived with the wordplay, at least to me.
V, I had OUTSIDE parsed t’other way about from thee, i.e. unfancied as the definition (as in outside chance / shot) and a cryptic indication: a team no longer in the dressing room would be an out side.
I think it works both ways so I won’t fight you for it.
Yes, your interpretation is probably the better one!
Enjoyed this puzzle – steady solve; no dramas. Thanks v.
Edited at 2020-09-18 04:03 pm (UTC)