Times 28,031: The Thematically 24ac Blog

Olivia seems to have filled in admirably with an emergency blog, but let it not be sad that I do not fulfil my contractual obligations… eventually. So this was obviously tough, but there was some *amazing* stuff in it – 21ac, 25ac, 26ac, 7dn and 19dn all earning my double asterisks for being not just serviceable, but actively remarkable clues. How did so many get crammed into just one puzzle? We may never know, but I for one am thankful, dear setter!

Sorry about the non-appearance of this blog at the usual time, hopefully more consistent service will be restored next week.

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Definitions underlined, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Ancient linesman in short film chasing ball (4)
OVID – VID after O, a round letter ergo clearly a ball. A quick FOI for me, who am very fond of the Metamorphoses, Ars Amatoria, et al

4 Game’s second leg at start of week? (10)
BACKGAMMON – BACK GAM [second, as in a duel | leg, as in a pin] at MON(day)

9 Hard to explain at first, pager or an alarm going off (10)
PARANORMAL – P{ager} + (OR AN ALARM*)

10 Carried on one’s service, without getting ahead (4)
WORN – The RN (Royal Navy), behind W/O (without)

11 Book that’s turned up on radio? (6)
VOLUME – double def

12 Lewd in one’s manners — and sort of cross (8)
IMMODEST – I’M [one’s, as in, one is] + MODES [manners] + T [tau cross]

14 Reading for one hour having left cast (4)
TOWN – T{hr}OWN [cast] minus HR [hour]

15 Jet to want to pursue dive bomber initially (5-5)
PITCH-BLACK – LACK [to want], “pursuing” PITCH [dive, as in yaw?] + B{omber}

17 Right to have Hearts crossing Atlantic for match (10)
CORRESPOND – R having CORES [hearts] “crossing”, plus POND [Atlantic]

20 Product of soap operas, you would guess? Only EastEnders (4)
SUDS – eastern ends of {opera}S {yo}U {woul}D {gues}S

21 Asylum once accommodated retiring individual after initial confusion (8)
MADHOUSE – a Spoonerism clue that doesn’t reference the good Reverend by name! HAD MOUSE [accommodated | retiring individual], spoonerised

23 Blessed female, see, is very determined (6)
STEELY – STE = sainte = blessed female + ELY [famous crosswordland episcopal see]

24 Missing the end off a bolt (4)
AWOL – A WOL{f}. Absent Without Official Leave

25 One walked across, resolving to get rid of BO? (10)
FOOTBRIDGE – (GET RID OF BO*). What brilliantly concealed anagram fodder!

26 Mischief rag repeated, later making front page (5-5)
HANKY-PANKY – HANKY [rag] * 2, the latter one making its front (letter) into P [page]

27 Master some sticky matter — regret speaking out (4)
GURU – homophone, accent-dependent, of GOO RUE [sticky stuff | regret]

Down
2 Men in exercising also avoid arduous course (3,8)
VIA DOLOROSA – OR [other ranks = the men] in (ALSO AVOID*)

3 Having had the bill split? (2,1,6)
DO A RUNNER – cryptic def. “Split” as in “abscond”, without paying for one’s meal

4 Tour of inns maybe with jazz, across Australia and much of Europe (5-2)
BOOZE-UP – BOP [jazz] “across” OZ and the EU

5 Inherit little from pig farm? Son finally to get chance to shine (4,4,4,3)
COME INTO ONES OWN – COME INTO ONE measly SOW is “inherit little from pig farm” (!). Plus {so}N

6 Bound to be slow to put up universal rate (7)
GALUMPH – reversed LAG [to be slow] + U + M.P.H.

7 What a European would call these flipping feckless displays! (5)
MOOSE – a European would call moose ELK, which are “displaying” reversed in {fec}KLE{ss}1

8 Musical group that gets the joint jumping (5)
NONET – reversed TENON [joint]. World-class reversal indicator

13 Outstanding example of party, with punch and beer outside! (11)
SOCKDOLAGER – DO [party] inside SOCK + LAGER [punch + beer]

16 Preparing to pick up stuff first in red Golf (9)
LISTENING – 1ST in LENIN [red = communist] + G

18 Go badly wrong in gorge, on hike (5,2)
STUFF UP – STUFF [gorge] on UP [as a verb, hike]

19 This one does by not being in line? (7)
DISOBEY – (I DOES BY*), a rather brilliant semi-&lit

21 English ad put out by idiot causing division in Ireland (5)
MEATH – MEATH{e}{ad}

22 Cause not to hear new promise being brought up (5)
DROWN – reversed N WORD, but thankfully not *that* N-word