Mainly straightforward puzzle, with one I can’t fully explain (yet) and some witty clues. I liked “no way man”.
Definitions underlined in bold, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, anagrinds in italics, DD = double definition, [deleted letters in square brackets].
| Across | |
| 1 | Pop a question, somewhat unclear (6) |
| OPAQUE – hidden as above. | |
| 5 | Referencing, in report, something from The Observer? (8) |
| SIGHTING – sounds like CITING = referencing. | |
| 9 | Burns possibly to the ear? Blimey! (5,5) |
| GREAT SCOTT – Rabbie Burns was a great Scot, sounds like Scott. | |
| 10 | Staff follows how oenophile opens Muscat here (4) |
| OMAN – MAN after O[enophile]. Muscat is the capital of Oman, one I’ve never been to. | |
| 11 | Sound of locksmith initially cutting key at this location (3,5) |
| ALL THERE – L[ocksmith] HERE inside ALT a key. All there as in compos mentis. | |
| 12 | Island nation’s leader moving right on time (6) |
| TAHITI – T[ime], HAITI moves its H to the right. | |
| 13 | Charge one vehicle with meter (4) |
| TAXI – TAX = charge, I = one. | |
| 15 | Former colony is the latest source of irritation (3,5) |
| NEW SPAIN – NEWS (latest source), PAIN (irritation). | |
| 18 | The spies go flying rather high (8) |
| STEEPISH – (THE SPIES)*. | |
| 19 | Board member undressed nearby (4) |
| NIGH – [k]NIGH[t] as in chess. | |
| 21 | Exonerate half of rock band then leave (6) |
| ACQUIT – AC as in half of ACDC, QUIT = leave. | |
| 23 | Having lots of money is boring at the beginning, outstanding at the end (4-2-2) |
| WELL-TO-DO – Well, a well has to be bored, but is it boring? TO DO being yet to be done, so, outstanding. | |
| 25 | Jack trimmed roses? No way man! (4) |
| JOSE – J[ack], [r]OSE[s]. As in the saying “no way, José.” | |
| 26 | Mix stew outside one church then another (10) |
| HOTCHPOTCH – HOTPOT = stew, insert CH and add CH at the end. | |
| 27 | Mineral, one extracted from meadow, placed by box (8) |
| FELDSPAR – FIELD loses I, SPAR = box. | |
| 28 | Sailor meets endlessly eccentric swinger in the woods (6) |
| TARZAN – TAR = sailor, ZAN[y] = endlessly eccentric. | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Risk connected with entering border from the south (5) |
| PERIL – LIP (border) with RE (connected with) inserted, all reversed = from the south. | |
| 3 | After two pints, spot rear of venue for hard rock (9) |
| QUARTZITE – Two pints = QUART, ZIT = spot, [venu]E. | |
| 4 | Clip from One Direction for spring festival (6) |
| EASTER – I don’t understand this clue. EAST is one direction? Is it to do with winds? Is the boy band involved? Answers by Whitsun please. EDIT a few offering below, based on “clipping” EASTER[n], thank you. Not a great clue IMO. |
|
| 5 | Single women afflicted with heatstroke (5,2,3,5) |
| SMOKE ON THE WATER – (WOMEN HEATSTROKE)*. My LOI even with the checkers and seeing ‘THE WATER”, then using up the rest of the anagram letters. Some will be intimate with Deep Purple’s hit of 1972, I had a very faint memory of it, not my kind of music at that time or since. | |
| 6 | Get stuck in dress worn by Dorothy’s companion (2,2,4) |
| GO TO TOWN – GOWN = dress, insert TOTO Dorothy’s dog. | |
| 7 | What may go with nail — biter? (5) |
| TOOTH – DD. Fight tooth and nail, and teeth bite. | |
| 8 | Close call when new channel ultimately rejected by terrestrial (4,5) |
| NEAR THING – N for new, EARTHLING a terrestrial loses its L the end of channel. | |
| 14 | Vegetable — with skill I bottle it (9) |
| ARTICHOKE – ART, I, CHOKE. | |
| 16 | Wine mixed in iron pot (5,4) |
| PINOT NOIR – (IN IRON POT)*. | |
| 17 | Fights off policeman after losing head in present location? (4,4) |
| GIFT SHOP – (FIGHTS)*, [c]OP. | |
| 20 | Dated northern town losing last plant in the end (3,3) |
| OLD HAT – OLDHA[m], [plan]T. | |
| 22 | Overturn winning goal (5) |
| UPEND – UP = winning, END = goal. | |
| 24 | House in Russia — yes, in Russia — man left unfinished (5) |
| DACHA – DA (Russian for yes), CHA[p]. | |
Like Dvynys and many others this biff fest evoked lots of memories for me. Apart from the great ear worm, I hear my preschooler son saying “no hose way” when reluctant to pick up toys. He is now mid thirties and tells me the opening riff is Beethoven’s Fifth backwards.
For me the best song is Lighter Shade of Pale, even if I can’t quite delete a memory of encountering a home organ salesman in a shopping centre trying to play it using a preprogrammed beat. Appalling.
Thanks setter, despite a MER over forest in 28a.
I had to come here for parsing 4d, thinking ‘if the blogger can’t explain it, I’m not fussed’. I hadn’t bothered to parse Tahiti so thanks for that and the blog effort in general.