I loved loved loved 6ac, the gorgeous surface of 16ac, the late (post-solve) PDM of 3dn, the reverse cryptic, and of course the Oxford and classics reference. A puzzle made for me really, so I’ll forgive it for having the gall to namecheck one of my Club Leaderboard archrivals. Brilliant stuff, and my highest commendations to the setter. I hope today (and not yesterday, Washington DC-side) is 2021 kicking off as it means to go on!
ACROSS
1 Such easy puzzles, containing hint of Latin and ancient Greek (9)
AESCHYLUS – (SUCH EASY*) “containing” L{atin}. “Puzzles” is the anagram indicator, and the ancient Greek is the man responsible for such dramatic works as The Oresteia.
6 City lack passion going forward, oddly? The very opposite (5)
OSAKA – {l}A{c}K {p}A{s}S{i}O{n}, but only the *even* letters, and going *backward*
9 When speaking, pop four pounds in (7)
BEETLES – homophone of BEATLES [pop four]. Apparently a beetle is a mallet or a pestle; one assumes it can be a verb as well
10 One old book? After set of newer ones, frankly (2,5)
IN TRUTH – I + RUTH [old (Testament) book] following NT [set of newer (books than the OT)]
11 Public officer’s glowing comment on periodical? (10)
MAGISTRATE – “1ST RATE!” on MAG
12 Left-wingers on Brexit revolting in one go (4)
BRIO – take the leftmost characters of B{rexit} R{evolting} I{n} O{ne} to find a word for “pep” or “go”
14 Prestige: it follows aristocrat around, mostly (5)
KUDOS – reversed SO DUK{e} [it follows | aristocrat]
15 Aftereffect of hair perm (5,4)
SHOCK WAVE – SHOCK [hair] + WAVE [perm]
16 Lockkeeper catching something cold and black in a net (5,4)
ALICE BAND – ICE B [something cold (and) black] in A + LAND [net]. “Lock” as in “of hair”
18 Chap having German vote for Eurovision entry reduced (5)
JASON – JA [German vote in favour] + SON{g}
20 A practice test taken orally with no control? (4)
AMOK – homophone of A MOCK
21 Tackle crow that’s damaged timepiece (5,5)
WATER CLOCK – (TACKLE CROW*)
25 Calling up first female, agreeing to replace the last (7)
EVOKING – take EVE, the first female, and replace her last letter with OK’ING [agreeing]
26 Excursionist runs in upsetting agent (7)
TRIPPER – R in TIPPER [agent of upsetting]
27 Shop returned waterproof coat missing (3,2)
RAT ON – reverse all of NO TAR [waterproof coat missing]
28 Ruling about reactionary in court not to our liking! (9)
REPUGNANT – REGNANT [ruling] about reversed UP [before the beak]
DOWN
1 Crust removed from half loaf that could take some cutting? (5)
ALBUM – {h}AL{f} + BUM [loaf]. As a former music industry insider I well remember talk of “cutting an album”
2 Annoyed as cricketer made move on runners (7)
SLEDGED – double def. As a non-sportsball-fan it took me a while to rule out DRAGGED
3 Relative in MI6? (4-6)
HALF-SISTER – because MI6 is the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS)
4 One wouldn’t succeed the Spanish queen (5)
LOSER – LOS E.R.
5 Exceptional quality it had soon deteriorating (9)
SAINTHOOD – (IT HAD SOON*)
6 One sworn to at home hides (4)
OATH – hidden in {t)O AT H{ome}
7 Pools appearing out of the blue, with breeze getting up (7)
AQUARIA – AQUA [blue] + reversed AIR
8 A quiet moment spare in museum (9)
ASHMOLEAN – A SH MO LEAN. The main museum in top British university town, Oxford
13 Crime at a high level, with Kentucky judge dismissing cases (10)
SKYJACKING – KY J “cased” by SACKING [dismissing]
14 Marsupial black at the tail, with nothing in the way of stomach (5,4)
KOALA BEAR – {blac}K, + O [nothing] À LA [in the way of] BEAR [stomach]
15 Fury after tax is raised for port (9)
STAVANGER – ANGER after reversed VAT’S
17 Few taking this could make weight correct (4,3)
IRON OUT – reverse cryptic: if you take Fe [iron] out of FEW, you are left with W [weight]
19 Weapons exploded, one in a pod (4,3)
SNOW PEA – (WEAPONS*)
22 Europeans on vacation head for bar (5)
ESTOP – E{uropean}S + TOP [head]
23 Ace in race vehicle getting measure of Americans (5)
KARAT – A in KART
24 Carnivore after meat joint gets stomach upset (4)
LION – L{O<->I}N
I liked the puzzle and was on the wavelength, using the most of any excess time remembering Alice Band. I didn’t know Yanks mis-spell Carat, even being one myself sometimes. I parsed Album the same musical/vinyl way Jurgen did.
NE corner was troublesome. Doubly ironic for me as beetles was my LOI and my age and origins should have made it obvious. Likes step sister and Aeschylus. Died when an eagle dropped a tortoise on his head if my ancient history is correct.
Thanks blogger and particularly setter. Now for some zzzz.