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 | |
Memo to self:learn more prophets and look more closely at the parsing.
David
This was in our weekend Australian last Saturday and like most here found nothing too taxing with it. The cryptic EUNUCHS was my first one in and put me in a good frame of mind to do the rest of the puzzle. It took 34 minutes (now that I’m in measuring mode which is a bit under my average solve – closer to the 45 mark).
Finished in the NW corner with INCUR (where it took a while to equate it with ‘expose oneself’) and SOMATIC (which I didn’t associate it with ‘psychosomatic – clever thinking. Did know the prophet immediately though!)