Solving time: Forgot to record it. Merry Christmas one and all!
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]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
| Across | |
| 1 | Spineless fellow rejected by girl extremely bluntly (5-5) |
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NAMBY-PAMBY : MAN (fellow) reversed [rejected], PAM (girl), B{luntl}Y [extremely]. ‘Spineless’ for ‘namby-pamby’ is in some of the usual sources but it has strayed a little from the original meaning which was wishy-washy, insipid or weakly sentimental. The phrase was coined by the dramtist Henry Carey (1674-1749) as a play on the Christian name of the poet Ambrose Philips ( 1694-1743) who was in the habit of composing sentimental verses addressed to babies e.g. Timely blossom, infant fair, Fondling of a happy pair, Every morn and every night, Their solicitous delight… |
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| 6 | Sound made by old Egyptian ruler’s game (4) |
| FARO : Sounds like “Pharaoh” (old Egyptian ruler). I’m not sure this qualifies as a soundalike because ‘faro’ and ‘pharaoh’ are actually alternative spellings of the card game which takes its English name from the Egyptian ruler. | |
| 10 | Support goal, heading off Arab, perhaps (7) |
| ENDORSE : END (goal), {h}ORSE (Arab, perhaps) [heading off] | |
| 11 | Cut off current, well behind time (7) |
| ISOLATE : I (current), SO LATE (well behind time) | |
| 12 | By which we measure enclosed ground, attracting flak? (9) |
| YARDSTICK : YARD (enclosed ground), STICK (flak – criticism) | |
| 13 | Wanderer Pythias’s friend recalled (5) |
| NOMAD : DAMON (Pythias’s friend) reversed [recalled]. Biffed, then looked up Damon later. | |
| 14 | Express sorrow audibly, though backing Arthur C Clarke’s work? (3-2) |
| SCI-FI : SCI sounds like “sigh” [express sorrow audibly], IF (though) reversed [backing] | |
| 15 | Wondering bridge player in an undistinguished crowd (9) |
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AWESTRUCK : S (bridge player) contained by [in] A (an) + WET (undistinguished), RUCK (crowd). On edit: Early commenters have suggested the parsing is in fact: WEST (bridge player) in A (an) + RUCK (undistinguished crowd) and since Collins uses the word ‘undistinguished’ in one of its definitions* I am happy to concede that this is surely what the setter intended. However my suggestion works pretty well too, using ‘wet’ in the sense of ‘weak, feeble, insipid’, one or all of which might well be substituted for ‘undistinguished’, so I shall let it stand. *[a large number or quantity; mass, esp of ordinary or undistinguished people or things] |
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| 17 | Plant originally cultivated in flatter surroundings? (9) |
| BUTTERCUP : C{ultivated} [originally] contained by [in…] BUTTER UP (flatter) […surroundings]. I never hear or see the word now without being reminded of this sketch from A Bit of Fry & Laurie | |
| 20 | Composition in Monet’s art, for example (5) |
| ESSAY : ES (Monet’s art – ‘tu es’), SAY (for example) | |
| 21 | One of many popes digesting Holy Writ slowly (5) |
| LENTO : LEO (one of many popes) containing [digesting] NT (Holy Writ – New Testament) | |
| 23 | Irritation displayed in functions held by workers (9) |
| ANTSINESS : SINES (functions) contained [held] by ANTS (workers) | |
| 25 | English politician beginning to organise broadcast about stores (7) |
| EMPORIA : E (English), MP (politician), O{rganise} [beginning], AIR (broadcast) reversed [about] | |
| 26 | Scare female away? Correct (7) |
| RIGHTEN : {f}RIGHTEN (scare) [female away] | |
| 27 | Flower, one planted by lake in Northumberland? (4) |
| NILE : I (one) + L (lake) contained by [in] NE (Northumberland? – the most North-Easterly county in England) | |
| 28 | Scatty padre loses cat (10) |
| LEOPARDESS : Anagram [scatty] of PADRE LOSES | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Poor chap captured by Napoleonic marshal (5) |
| NEEDY : ED (chap) contained [captured] by NEY (Napoleonic marshal). Ney was one of the original 18 Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon. His name has come up a number of times previously but without referencing Boney. | |
| 2 | Way sailors misguidedly sit for someone like Picasso? (9) |
| MODERNIST : MODE (way), RN (sailors – Royal Navy), anagram [misguidedly] of SIT | |
| 3 | Tie up new horse? Risky around this northern area (9,5) |
| YORKSHIRE MOORS : Anagram [new] of HORSE RISKY contains [around] MOOR (tie up) | |
| 4 | Claim to be monarch in charge of a large landmass? (7) |
| AMERICA : Alternatively spaced this can be read as AM ER (claim to be monarch), I/C (in charge of) , A | |
| 5 | Sound fellow in education primarily, one arranging courses? (7) |
| BRICKIE : BRICK (sound fellow), I{n} E{ducation} [primarily]. Nothing to do with education or food here, courses are horizontal rows of bricks or other material in a wall e.g. the ‘damp course’ which sits between two rows of bricks. | |
| 7 | Panic relating to wings at front of mansion (5) |
| ALARM : ALAR (relating to wings), M{ansion} [front] | |
| 8 | Old lockers accommodating half of dope very well (4-5) |
| OKEY-DOKEY : O (old), KEY+ KEY (lockers) containing [accommodating] DO{pe} [half] | |
| 9 | Make an accusation, using digital means? (5,3,6) |
| POINT THE FINGER : Cryptic definition | |
| 14 | Junior officer‘s payment to change name (9) |
| SUBALTERN : SUB (payment), ALTER (change), N (name) | |
| 16 | Draw out a French novel and a couple of articles (9) |
| UNSHEATHE : UN (‘a’ – French), SHE (novel – by Rider Haggard), A + THE (couple of articles) | |
| 18 | Notice in Daily Express initially a mockery? (7) |
| CHARADE : AD (notice) contained by [in] CHAR (daily – cleaner) + E{xpress} [initially] | |
| 19 | Suggestion upset rugby player, a supporter of mine (3-4) |
| PIT-PROP : TIP (suggestion) reversed [upset], PROP (rugby player) | |
| 22 | Cactus only an enemy will identify? (5) |
| NOPAL : NO PAL (only an enemy). Unknown, but guessed from checkers and wordplay. | |
| 24 | Hollow space? Not out visiting South America (5) |
| SINUS : IN (not out) contained by [visiting] S (South) + US (America) | |
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