Solving time: 30 minutes. A curious mix of clues that would not be out of place in a Quick Cryptic and moderately tricky ones, but nothing that should disturb the most sensitive of equines.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | Sweet given Her Majesty’s approval, perhaps a moneymaker (5,4) |
| ROYAL MINT – Two definitions, the first being cryptic | |
| 6 | Revolutionary man of the cloth, one swapping with European (5) |
| LENIN – LiNeN (cloth) becomes LENIN when the I (one) and the E (European) are swapped | |
| 9 | Prophet rejected peculiar feature of the body (7) |
| SOMATIC – AMOS (prophet) reversed [rejected], TIC (peculiar feature). Known to me only from ‘psychosomatic’, concerning mind and body. | |
| 10 | They mind the sultanas not being whole (7) |
| EUNUCHS – Cryptic definition | |
| 11 | Painter drawn to East End longing for some theatrics (5) |
| OPERA – {h}OPE (longing) [East End], RA (painter) | |
| 13 | Restrict supply of booze? There’s a reason (9) |
| RATIONALE – RATION (restrict supply), ALE (booze) | |
| 14 | Get rid of priest, worried about mind finally failing (9) |
| ELIMINATE – ELI (priest) + ATE (worried) contain [about] MIN{d} [finally failing] | |
| 16 | Make changes to what one eats, promoting energy (4) |
| EDIT – DIeT (what one eats) becomes DIET when the E (energy) is promoted – moved forward | |
| 18 | British soldier back in prison (4) |
| BRIG – BR (British), GI (soldier) reversed [back] | |
| 19 | Unique reason for not lighting up? (9) |
| MATCHLESS – Two meanings, the second being cryptic | |
| 22 | Cold-blooded customers can make a canon sad (9) |
| ANACONDAS – Anagram [can make] of A CANON SAD. | |
| 24 | Permissible in each game (5) |
| POKER – OK (permissible) contained by [in] PER (each) | |
| 25 | Riots flaring in the middle of Dublin’s port (7) |
| BRISTOL – Anagram [flaring] of RIOTS contained by [in] {du}BL{in} [middle] | |
| 26 | Strike ban announcement covering particular craft (7) |
| IKEBANA – Hidden in [covering] {str}IKE BAN A{nnouncement}. Japanese flower arrangement. | |
| 28 | One who dishes out fast food to audience (5) |
|
DONOR – Sounds like [to audience] “doner” [fast food]. The sources I have checked all confirm that the kebab is pronounced “donna” and I’ve never heard anyone pronounce DONOR that way |
|
| 29 | I see Bacon wrongly getting great respect (9) |
| OBEISANCE – Anagram [wrongly] of I SEE BACON | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Teacher’s upset, being given single meatball (7) |
| RISSOLE – SIR (teacher) reversed [upset], SOLE (single). References to doner kebab, bacon, meatball and rissole in consecutive clues suggest that the setter must have been hungry at this point. | |
| 2 | Variable? I hesitate to say, I like it! (3) |
| YUM – Y (variable), UM (I hesitate to say). Maybe he took a break for refreshment, but after thoughts of doner kebabs and rissoles I’d be more inclined to say “yuk”! | |
| 3 | Top-class Olympic venue reluctant at first to identify seducer (8) |
| LOTHARIO – LOTH (reluctant), A (top-class), RIO (Olympic venue) | |
| 4 | Expose oneself to copper wearing hip designer’s latest (5) |
| INCUR – CU (copper) contained by [wearing] IN + {designe}R [’s latest] | |
| 5 | Process intended to avoid a course of drugs (9) |
| TREATMENT – TREAT (process), ME{a}NT (intended) [to avoid ‘a’] | |
| 6 | Famous Liverpudlian flag, 50 for a penny (6) |
| LENNON – pENNON (flag) becomes LENNON when L (50) is substituted for the P (penny) | |
| 7 | Keep on smooching, being very close (4,3,4) |
| NECK AND NECK – Two meanings | |
| 8 | Case of Navajo and the sleep that never ends? Most curious! (7) |
| NOSIEST – N{avaj}O [case of], SIEST{a} sleep [that never ends] | |
| 12 | Idiot fiancé prepared for instruction (11) |
| EDIFICATION – Anagram [prepared] of IDIOT FIANCE | |
| 15 | I am a droll, outlandish creature (9) |
| ARMADILLO – Anagram [outlandish] of I AM A DROLL | |
| 17 | Henry breaking policeman’s teeth (8) |
| CHOPPERS – H (Henry) contained by [breaking] COPPERS (policeman’s) | |
| 18 | Apparently retired city bishops spilt the beans (7) |
| BLABBED – LA (city) + BB (bishops) in BED [apparently retired] | |
| 20 | Top chap riding white horses well? (7) |
| SURFACE – Two definitons, the second being cryptic and requiring the alternative spacing SURF ACE | |
| 21 | It makes a loud noise and it smells (6) |
| HOOTER – Two meanings, the second being slang for ‘nose’ | |
| 23 | Doctor has to sleep over in empty synagogue (5) |
| SPIKE – KIP (sleep) reversed [over] contained by [in] S{ynagogu}E [empty] | |
| 27 | Woman’s wedding announcement removed from case (3) |
| ANN – {b}ANN{s} (wedding announcement) [removed from case]. I was going to express misgivings about ‘announcement’ being in the singular but the definition in Chambers has persuaded me that it’s okay: banns (plural noun) – a public announcement in church of two people’s intention to marry | |
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