No major problems here, finishing in 20 minutes, although I can’t quite see how 11a works.
Definitions underlined in bold, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, anagrinds in italics.
| Across | |
| 1 | Diamonds appropriate for waterproof container? (3,3) |
| ICE BAG – ICE = diamonds, BAG = appropriate, take. | |
| 5 | Lead bloke who presents weather forecast? (5,3) |
| FRONT MAN – double definition, one tongue in cheek referring to a man discussing “fronts” on a synoptic weather chart. | |
| 9 | Rabble repeated phrase by gunmen very loudly (8) |
| RIFFRAFF – RIFF a repeated phrase in jazz for example; RA for gunmen, FF = very loudly. I’d have expected a hyphen. | |
| 10 | Top males welcomed by clubs, say (6) |
| SUMMIT – M M inside SUIT as in cards. | |
| 11 | What’s covered by up-to-date diaries occasionally (3,3,4) |
| NOW AND THEN – Well, what’s the word play here? I can see NOW = up-to-date, and EH = what, reversed in there, but what have diaries got to do with it? If a diary were up-to-date, then maybe it would include things that happen NOW AND things that happened THEN? | |
| 13 | Open University’s accepting piano piece (4) |
| OPUS – P inside O.U.’S. | |
| 14 | Initially dampen excitement that runs round room (4) |
| DADO – D(ampen), ADO (excitement). A dado rail runs around a room at around waist height, at least it does in our living room. | |
| 15 | Bear expert around noon giving tacit assent (10) |
| SUFFERANCE – SUFFER (bear) ACE (expert) with N for noon inserted. | |
| 18 | We’re spoiled with wealth that kept mill going (5,5) |
| WATER WHEEL – (WE’RE WEALTH)*. | |
| 20 | Coach trip’s beginning with no money (4) |
| BUST – BUS (coach) T(rip). | |
| 21 | Maybe Rosemary‘s wrapped in feather boa (4) |
| HERB -slightly hidden as above. | |
| 23 | Staff on the road primarily sell drinks on behalf of church (5,5) |
| SALES FORCE – S(ell), ALES (drinks) FOR (on behalf of) CE (Church of England). | |
| 25 | What some do when all but first of harvest fails? (6) |
| STARVE – (ARVEST)*, the dropped H being “all but first of”). | |
| 26 | One who talks about exercising person in exchange (8) |
| OPERATOR – ORATOR (one who talks) with PE (exercising) inserted. When did we last see a live operator in a telephone exchange? Do we still have exchanges? | |
| 28 | Old American stands in for one in household very well (D8) |
| FAMOUSLY – FAMILY = household, replace the I by O US). | |
| 29 | Stand up to soak sibling coming in (6) |
| RESIST – RET + soak, insert SIS(ter). | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Sausage and cool drink passed round volunteers (9) |
| CHIPOLATA -HIP (cool) with COLA around and TA inserted. | |
| 3 | Polish aluminium ring — for its nose? (7) |
| BUFFALO -BUFF (polish) AL (Al, aluminium), O (ring). My American Word Press spell-checker doesn’t approve of the I in aluminium, but I see from Wiki that both spellings have co-existed since the time of Humphrey Davy in 1811. | |
| 4 | State aim inconclusively (3) |
| GOA -aim = GOAL, lose the end letter. | |
| 5 | Female stops suitable husband in interval in bar (5) |
| FIFTH – FIT (suitable) insert F for female, add H for husband. | |
| 6 | Blair admitting issue with tablets for film-maker (5,6) |
| ORSON WELLES -Eric Blair was the real name of George ORWELL; insert SON (issue) gives ORSONWELL: add E’S (ecstasy tablets). | |
| 7 | Vault over large area’s fair game (7) |
| TOMBOLA – TOMB (vault for burial) O(ver) L(arge) A(rea). | |
| 8 | A drive out every so often can be so long (5) |
| ADIEU – A then alternate letters of D r I v E o U t. | |
| 12 | Course used to be owned by female cleaners (11) |
| DISHWASHERS – DISH (food course) WAS (used to be) HERS (owned by female). | |
| 16 | Pay for each experience at the start (3) |
| FEE – initial letters of For Each Experience. | |
| 17 | Farm produce can cut credit in outlets (4,5) |
| CASH CROPS – CA(N) = can cut, SHOPS = outlets, insert CR for credit. | |
| 19 | Ban doctor boarding English ship in the past (7) |
| EMBARGO – E, MB (doctor) ARGO (Jason’s ship). | |
| 20 | Isle of Man swimmer’s collecting organic fuel (7) |
| BIOMASS – IOM (Isle of Man) inserted into BASS a fish / swimmer. | |
| 22 | More wide possibly (5) |
| EXTRA – Double definition. What would setters do if cricket hadn’t been invented? | |
| 24 | Stupid place to go with pony not performing (5) |
| LOOPY – LOO (place to “go”), PY (pony loses the ON = performing). | |
| 27 | Royal couple put their foot in it (3) |
| ERR -ER (Elizabeth Regina) R (Rex). | |
11.26. Another gentle offering and a smooth solving experience. Just needed a little care to work out loopy properly and revise my initially biffed loony.
Like Phil above, my first one in, and probably COD, was FRONT MAN, then I slowed to a crawl , even though none of the vocab was new to me (except BIOMASS, which was biffed from crossers). Can’t imagine why DADO escaped me – looking for haloes and the like – and ICE BAG was a new term for the usual ICE PACK. Much clever clueing ( eg SALES FORCE and FAMOUSLY), and overall an enjoyable experience.
Why not DRY ICE for 1ac?