Solving time: 32 minutes
A fairly straightforward 15×15 on my watch this time.
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]. “Aural wordplay” is in quotation marks. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Computer devices after backing up becoming smoother (6) |
| PUMICE | |
| UP reversed [backing], MICE (computer devices). A light volcanic glass used as an abrasive for cleaning and polishing. Some sources also have ‘mouses’ as the plural. | |
| 4 | Shakespeare’s first to reverence his justice (7) |
| SHALLOW | |
| S{hakespeare’s} [first], HALLOW (reverence). Justice Robert Shallow appears in two of Shakespeare’s plays. I didn’t know this but the wordplay gave me confidence. | |
| 9 | Equipment I had fixed (5) |
| RIGID | |
| RIG (equipment), I’D (I had) | |
| 10 | Earlier, a shot in court (9) |
| AFOREHAND | |
| A, FOREHAND (shot in court – tennis etc) | |
| 11 | Predictable blow, traffic having to twist and turn (5,4) |
| TRADE WIND | |
| TRADE (traffic), WIND (twist and turn) | |
| 12 | Like a chimp pair, regularly in tree (5) |
| APISH | |
| P{a}I{r} [regularly] contained by [in] ASH (tree) | |
| 13 | Dull, short book, one of a collection (4) |
| MATT | |
| MATT{hew} (book) [short]. A reference to The Gospel According to St Matthew which is part of the New Testament, so ‘one of a collection’. Matt. is an official abbreviation so this is not actually a deletion clue. | |
| 14 | Thought blue team a different colour (10) |
| CONSIDERED | |
| CON (blue – Conservative), SIDE (team), RED (different colour – to blue) | |
| 18 | Using drone in conflict is decisive (10) |
| RESOUNDING | |
| Anagram [in conflict] of USING DRONE | |
| 20 | Hack work, first chapter (4) |
| CHOP | |
| CH (chapter), OP (work). ‘First’ indicates position. | |
| 23 | Cargo in galleon’s restricting progress (5) |
| GOING | |
| Hidden in [restricting] {car}GO IN G{alleon} | |
| 24 | Drink in fresh coffee at last, having done this? (9) |
| PERCOLATE | |
| COLA (drink) contained by [in] PERT (fresh), {coffe}E [at last]. The definition is reflexive. | |
| 25 | Drained state of pint seems to require refreshing (9) |
| EMPTINESS | |
| Anagram [to require refreshing] of PINT SEEMS | |
| 26 | Group of hotels, the third becoming the last in the country (5) |
| CHINA | |
| When the third letter of CHAIN (group of hotels) becomes the last we have CHINA | |
| 27 | Being legless, repents moving about (7) |
| SERPENT | |
| Anagram [moving about] of REPENTS. The definition needs to be read as ‘legless being’. | |
| 28 | Enthusiastic about entertaining good music (6) |
| REGGAE | |
| EAGER (enthusiastic) reversed [about] containing [entertaining] G (good) | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | One sharing job perhaps is to leave with watch (4-5) |
| PART-TIMER | |
| PART (leave), TIMER (watch) | |
| 2 | One starting a new life being married, I concede (7) |
| MIGRANT | |
| M (married), I, GRANT (concede) | |
| 3 | Mock royal receiving grand old man (6) |
| CODGER | |
| COD (mock) + ER (royal – the late Her Maj) containing [receiving] G (grand) | |
| 4 | Rebuke son without emotion (5) |
| SCOLD | |
| S (son), COLD (without emotion) | |
| 5 | City article held back for broadcast (8) |
| ADELAIDE | |
| A (article), then aural wordplay [for broadcast] DELAIDE / “delayed” (held back) | |
| 6 | One king guarding another that is less discreet (7) |
| LEAKIER | |
| LEAR (one king) containing [guarding] K (another king) + IE (that is). SOED: leaky – fig. (of a person) unable to keep a secret. | |
| 7 | Accompanied by daughter to take inside measurement (5) |
| WIDTH | |
| WITH (accompanied by) containing [to take inside] D (daughter) | |
| 8 | Island, I gather, having many features (8) |
| MANIFOLD | |
| MAN (island), I, FOLD (gather – e.g. in dress-making) | |
| 15 | Summer clothing small — take it off? (8) |
| SUNDRESS | |
| S (small), UNDRESS (take it – clothing – off) | |
| 16 | Protest against repeated cold snaps (9) |
| DEPRECATE | |
| Anagram [snaps] of REPEATED C (cold) | |
| 17 | Complete confusion of business meeting swamped by papers (8) |
| QUAGMIRE | |
| AGM (business meeting – Annual General Meeting) contained [swamped] by QUIRE (papers) | |
| 19 | Butterfly, one passing over (7) |
| SKIPPER | |
| Two meanings | |
| 21 | Leader shortly taking band for audition (7) |
| HEARING | |
| HEA{d} (leader) [shortly], RING (band) | |
| 22 | Disreputable and unsteady, speaking drunkenly (6) |
| LOUCHE | |
| Tongue-in-cheek aural wordplay [speaking drunkenly]: LOUCHE / “loose” (unsteady) | |
| 23 | Old songs left for silly people mostly to collect (5) |
| GLEES | |
| GEES{e} (silly people) [mostly] containing [collect] L (left). We had a discussion here a while ago about glee clubs, barbershop singing and the like. ‘Glees’ as songs originated in the 17th century. | |
| 24 | Pressure on girl at last to consume tuck (5) |
| PLEAT | |
| P (pressure), {gir}L [at last], EAT (consume). After ‘gather’ and ‘fold’ at 8dn we now have ‘tuck’ and ‘pleat’! | |
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