Time: 19 minutes.
I cannot say that this was another easy Monday, as the last several answers proved very elusive, including two words that were not in my vocabulary. I raced through most of it – well, raced for me – despite several tricky bits. I suspect beginners would be thoroughly foxed, while experienced solvers will be able to pick their way through.
On another topic, I remind all commenters that insulting and abusive language toward either the setter or your fellow solvers is not permitted here, even in jest. Yes, we do delete these comments.
| Across | |
| 1 | Quiet game ultimately inviting dismissive gesture (5) |
| SHRUG – SH + R.U. + [invitin]G. | |
| 4 | Woman finally delighting in breakfast food, like the governor (9) |
| VICEREGAL – VI + CERE([delightin]G)AL. | |
| 9 | Draws principally involving a plant in Asia (9) |
| RAFFLESIA – RAFFLES + I[nvolving] + A. This was the one that had me, until I saw what sort of draws would fit. | |
| 10 | Guru took to the water alongside island (5) |
| SWAMI – SWAM + I. | |
| 11 | Fellow originally residing in Donne’s island? (6) |
| NORMAN – NO (R[esiding] MAN, presumably a man named Norman and not a fellow from Normandy. No man is a an island! | |
| 12 | Scottish city’s currency recognised by auditors (8) |
| STIRLING – Sounds like STERLING. | |
| 14 | Lively new routes to east of French wood (10) |
| BOISTEROUS – BOIS + anagram of ROUTES. The French vocabulary used in these puzzles is gradually growing. | |
| 16 | Set about a Highland Scot (4) |
| GAEL – G(A)EL, an escapee from the Quickie. | |
| 19 | English landscape gardener known north of the border (4) |
| KENT – Double definition, William Kent, 1685-1748. As a former grad student of 18th century English Lit, I really should have heard of him, since he designed Pope’s garden at Twickenham. | |
| 20 | Heavenly phenomenon recognised at first in celebrity’s squad (4,6) |
| STAR STREAM – STAR’S T(R[ecognized])EAM. | |
| 22 | Sport the French must carry over (8) |
| LACROSSE – L(ACROSS)E, another starter clue. | |
| 23 | Deadly human being! (6) |
| MORTAL – Double definition. | |
| 26 | Painter working in US opera house? (5) |
| MONET – M(ON)ET. In the US, the Met is either an opera house or a museum – and we also have the NY Mets. | |
| 27 | Seaman doing what seamen do, we hear — making a sharp descent? (9) |
| ABSEILING – AB. + sounds like SAILING, a frequently used clue. | |
| 28 | Old archdeacon given money prepared in advance (4-5) |
| OVEN-READY – O + VEN + READY. | |
| 29 | Leave former partner to take courses (5) |
| EXEAT – EX + EAT. I solved this from the cryptic, and recognized the third person singular subjunctive of exire, but I was not familiar with this usage in English. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Season very good for trapping black antelope (9) |
| SPRINGBOK – SPRING (B) OK. Once I had the B, I knew it had to a bok of some sort. | |
| 2 | Advert displayed in Hampshire ferries (5) |
| REFER – Hidden in [Hampshi]RE FER[ries]. | |
| 3 | Dashing young men annoy workers (8) |
| GALLANTS – GALL + ANTS. | |
| 4 | Huge area included in visits regularly (4) |
| VAST – V[i](A)S[i]T[s]. | |
| 5 | Maritime force’s phantom provider of credit, might Spooner have said? (10) |
| COASTGUARD – Spoonerism of GHOST CARD. | |
| 6 | Refuge in holiday location, perhaps (6) |
| RESORT – Double definition – The Last Resort? | |
| 7 | Be drawn to fireplace, embracing Sackville-West (9) |
| GRAVITATE – GRA(VITA)TE, a write-in for Bloomsbury fans. | |
| 8 | Relaxing, retailing pork pies (5) |
| LYING – A very simple double definition. | |
| 13 | Capital initially invested in urchin’s discharge (10) |
| BRATISLAVA – BRAT(I[nvested])’S LAVA. | |
| 15 | Guilelessness of civil engineer in pub in past times (9) |
| INNOCENCE – INN O(C.E.)NCE. | |
| 17 | Dawn entertaining male priest in glare of publicity (9) |
| LIMELIGHT – LI(M, ELI)GHT. | |
| 18 | Poisonous substance manufactured in a European port (8) |
| ATROPINE -Anagram of IN A E PORT. | |
| 21 | Hospital worker, possibly, left with little sign of hesitation (6) |
| PORTER – PORT + ER. Presumably porters also work in other establishments. | |
| 22 | Neglected state of bachelor in big car (5) |
| LIMBO – LIM(B)O. | |
| 24 | Work hard on back of durable fabric (5) |
| TOILE – TOIL + [durabl]E. | |
| 25 | A coconut stall, pale greyish in colour (4) |
| ASHY -A SHY, i.e. a coconut shy at a fair. | |
At my very definitely not posh public school, EXEAT is what the headmaster scribbled on any letter requesting a day out of school if he allowed it. If the whole school, or a large group was out, it was called an EXEUNT, that being the plural, I think.