Solving time: 40 minutes
I didn’t enjoy this much as there were too many classical references, some bordering on the obscure when they didn’t need to be. There are also two totally obscure words in clues that you won’t find in any standard dictionary.
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 | AC/DC featured in newspaper piece by E Bloom (9) |
| COLUMBINE | |
| BI (AC/DC) contained by [featured in] COLUMN (newspaper piece), E. Also known as aquilegia. | |
| 6 | Loiner’s locale has the advantage we hear (5) |
| LEEDS | |
| Aural wordplay [we hear] “leads” (has the advantage). Wiki advises that ‘Loiner’ is a demonym describing the citizens of Leeds. A fact so obscure that it’s not in any of the usual sources and has never appeared here before. The origin is disputed, again according to Wiki. | |
| 9 | Cassandra’s edging away from Balearic island ward? (5) |
| MINOR | |
| MINOR{ca} (Balearic island) [C{assandr}A’s edging away]. A ward is a minor for whom a guardian has been appointed, as in the expression ‘ward of court’. I note the setter has chosen a classical Greek name beginning with C when a Spanish one such as Cristina or Carmen would have been more appropriate. | |
| 10 | Pie-eyed guy’s precarious course (9) |
| TIGHTROPE | |
| TIGHT (pie-eyed – drunk), ROPE (guy) | |
| 11 | In love’s absence does couple hit rock bottom? (7) |
| DESPAIR | |
| D{o}ES [in love’s absence], PAIR (couple) | |
| 12 | Refusal to welcome Liberal is recalled in letter (7) |
| EPSILON | |
| NOPE (refusal) containing L (Liberal) + IS, all reversed [recalled]. The fifth letter (Ε, ε) of the Greek alphabet. | |
| 13 | Writer’s pleasure: this writer’s off to tour Lake District initially (7,7) |
| WILLIAM GOLDING | |
| WILL (pleasure), I AM GOING (this writer’s off) containing [to tour] L (lake) + D{istrict} [initially]. Lord of he Flies is perhaps his most famous work. | |
| 17 | Keeping a pretty busy axe shaped the battle record (6,8) |
| BAYEUX TAPESTRY | |
| Anagram [shaped] of PRETTY BUSY AXE containing [keeping] A. A record of the Battle of Hastings. | |
| 21 | Long article about Astyanax’s origin, Greek in Homer (7) |
| ACHAEAN | |
| ACHE (long) + AN (article) containing [about] A{styanax’s [origin]. Greek stuff in abundance. I got to the answer by following the wordplay but without having any idea what the rest of the clue was about . My AI assistant informs me that in Homer’s works, the term “Achaean” is used to refer to the Greeks collectively who besieged Troy. Astyanax was the son of Hector, Crown Prince of Troy. | |
| 23 | Many a witch’s death here in question (2,5) |
| AT STAKE | |
| A cryptic hint precedes the literal here, although I’m not totally convinced that the literal works. | |
| 25 | Different approach needed for penning year books (9) |
| APOCRYPHA | |
| Anagram [different] of APPROACH containing [penning] Y (year). Often religious texts that are not part of main Hebrew scriptures or New Testament. This comes to us via Latin from the original Greek apokruphos meaning hidden. | |
| 26 | Knight occupying space in which scutarius fought (5) |
| ARENA | |
| N (Knight – chess) contained by [occupying] AREA (space). A scutarius was a type of gladiator. More obscurity, this time of Latin origin. Another word in a clue that you won’t find in any standard dictionary although it has a page in Wiki. Totally unnecessary. | |
| 27 | For one buried in fenland see mournful poem (5) |
| ELEGY | |
| EG (for one) contained by [buried in] ELY (fenland see – cathedral city in Cambridgeshire) | |
| 28 | Good person with talk on a certain singer (9) |
| STONECHAT | |
| ST (good person – saint), ONE (a certain), CHAT (talk). A bird of the thrush family. | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Jest involving me now crushed in disappointment (8) |
| COMEDOWN | |
| COD (jest – hoax, parody) containing [involving] ME, then anagram [crushed] of NOW | |
| 2 | Joins course for coastal drivers? (5) |
| LINKS | |
| Two meanings. The cryptic definition refers to golf courses by the sea | |
| 3 | Soldier serving at sea must consume fish spread (9) |
| MARGARINE | |
| MARINE (soldier serving at sea) contains [must consume] GAR (fish) | |
| 4 | Temporary home — call to accommodate one (7) |
| INTERIM | |
| IN (home), TERM (call) contains [to accommodate] I (one) | |
| 5 | Artist, composer and author lacking answer (2,5) |
| EL GRECO | |
| ELG{a}R (composer) [lacking answer], ECO (author – Umberto) | |
| 6 | Sacred flower for all to see in quite a bunch (5) |
| LOTUS | |
| U (for all to see – film classification), contained by [in] LOTS (quite a bunch) | |
| 7 | Disease rampant on the way in alien world (9) |
| EXOPLANET | |
| POX (disease) reversed [rampant] + LANE (way) contained by [in] ET (alien). A planet which orbits a star outside the solar system. I didn’t know this although it has come up on a couple of previous occasions 7 or 8 years ago. | |
| 8 | Warm reddish-brown colour new in Italian walled city (6) |
| SIENNA | |
| N (new) contained by [in] SIENA (Italian walled city). NHO the city so this went in with fingers crossed. The pigment is naturally yellow but becomes reddish brown after roasting and is sometimes referred to as ‘burnt sienna’. | |
| 14 | Abhorrent to Holmes, criminally hiding ace (9) |
| LOATHSOME | |
| Anagram [criminally] of TO HOLMES containing [hiding] A (ace) | |
| 15 | Velocity’s elevated rate in starless region (4,5) |
| DEEP SPACE | |
| SPEED (velocity) reversed [elevated], PACE (rate) | |
| 16 | Given similar roles, produce manuscript when entering court (8) |
| TYPECAST | |
| TYPE (produce manuscript), then AS (when) contained by [entering] CT (court) | |
| 18 | Ten work with nurse filling hopper (7) |
| XENOPUS | |
| EN (nurse) contained by [filling] X (ten) + OPUS (work). NHO this African frog. Or hadn’t when it turned up previously in June 2022. SOED says this is of Latin origin but it looks more like Greek to me. Either way I’ve had enough of both today. | |
| 19 | Plain person, perhaps Scarlett carries old man around (7) |
| ARAPAHO | |
| O’HARA (perhaps Scarlett in Gone With The Wind) contains [carries] PA (old man), all reversed [ around]. I know some of the native American tribes from watching Westerns in which they were disrespectfully referred to as ‘injuns’. | |
| 20 | Kind of chop academician fed to a shrew? (6) |
| KARATE | |
| RA (Royal Academician) contained by [fed to] KATE (a shrew). Take your pick of Shakespeare’s The Taming of The Shrew or Cole Porter’s musical Kiss Me, Kate. I know which I’d rather sit through. | |
| 22 | Almost beheaded — before dawn? (5) |
| EARLY | |
| {n}EARLY (almost) [beheaded] | |
| 24 | Measure of acidity in beer for Phoenician character? (5) |
| ALEPH | |
| ALE + PH (measure of acidity in beer). The first letter of the Hebrew, Phoenician, and other Semitic alphabets. I’d have known it immediately from Hebrew but perhaps that would have been too straightforward for this setter’s taste. | |
SIEN(N)A mi fe, disfecemi TYPECAST as typing is surely the very opposite of manuscript? Otherwise I’m with the supporters of this good old-fashioned puzzle. Thanks to all.
I enjoyed this. Only finished with aids.
Scutarus and loiner were new to me, but did not detract from the crossword. I had heard of the other classical references despite having studied science.
44:09
For some reason, I didn’t complete this while on holiday recently, so came back to it today – of course, some answers fell into place very quickly but there were plenty that didn’t. I had gone with WARP SPEED at 15d which made each of the crossing answers (apart from AT STAKE) difficult to see. Pleased to work out ACHAEAN though didn’t know what it meant, but NHO XENOPUS and EXOPLANET was very difficult (rampant = reversed?). As with everyone else, never heard of a Loiner, so went with the wordplay. I’m quite surprised that I don’t seem to have more gripes as it felt a lot harder while in flight.
Thanks Jack and setter
Nah, not for me…😟
I’m the same as most !! Much too complex for a mere Aussie !!
PezaxfromBris.