My solving time of 36 minutes belies the problems I had completing this one. It certainly seemed longer than that. Many of the definitions might be described as ‘oblique’ but nevertheless I enjoyed myself unravelling them.
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 | Cut off source of exclusive rum (8) |
| ESTRANGE | |
| E{xclusive} [source of…], STRANGE (rum) | |
| 6 | Psychologist with case for live dance music (6) |
| JUNGLE | |
| JUNG (psychologist), L{iv}E [case for…] | |
| 9 | I recalled teacher is pupil’s neighbour (4) |
| IRIS | |
| I, then SIR (teacher) [recalled]. Both are parts of the eye. | |
| 10 | To free drill, beg for costly spanner? (4,6) |
| TOLL BRIDGE | |
| TO, anagram [free] of DRILL BEG. The definition is cryptic. |
|
| 11 | Rioting crowd ends a cutting-edge show (5,5) |
| SWORD DANCE | |
| Anagram [rioting] of CROWD ENDS A. Another cryptic definition. | |
| 13 | Word of advice — try harder at first (4) |
| OATH | |
| O{f} + A{dvice} + T{ry} + H{arder} [at first] | |
| 14 | Hard material covering a small window (8) |
| CASEMENT | |
| CEMENT (hard material) containing [covering] A + S (small). This is a window with a vertically hinged frame. | |
| 16 | New T-shirt is long (6) |
| THIRST | |
| Anagram [new] of T SHIRT | |
| 18 | Dad’s ringing large old lady for vital matter? (6) |
| PLASMA | |
| PA’S (Dad’s) containing [ringing] L, then MA (old lady) | |
| 20 | In foreign parts, manages broadcast (8) |
| OVERSEAS | |
| Aural wordplay [broadcast}: “oversees” (manages) | |
| 22 | Place to relax before boxer’s last fight (4) |
| SPAR | |
| SPA (place to relax), {boxe}R [’s last] | |
| 24 | Attraction of drink consuming a distant ship (6,4) |
| SAFARI PARK | |
| SIP (drink) containing [consuming] A + FAR (distant), then ARK (ship) | |
| 26 | One with lots of fresh European Cointreau (10) |
| AUCTIONEER | |
| Anagram [fresh] of E (European) COINTREAU | |
| 28 | Steady revenue is somewhat reduced (4) |
| EVEN | |
| Hidden in [somewhat reduced] {r}EVEN{ue} | |
| 29 | Farm animal with headgear is big deal (2,4) |
| SO WHAT | |
| SOW (farm animal), HAT (headgear). Both definition and answer are dismissive sarcasm. | |
| 30 | Present lady’s coat in a gentle way (8) |
| TENDERLY | |
| TENDER (present), L{ad}Y [’s coat] | |
| Down |
|
| 2 | Zany dance for prison guards? (9) |
| SCREWBALL | |
| Taken separately, SCREW (prison guard), BALL (dance ) so a ‘dance for prison guards’ would be a SCREW BALL | |
| 3 | What one may do after a fault in supply (7) |
| RESERVE | |
| RE-SERVE (what one may do after a service fault in tennis). For the definition a reserve is a supply, store or stock of a commodity. | |
| 4 | No TV clergyman is famous (5) |
| NOTED | |
| NO, TED (TV clergyman). I’ve never seen the TV comedy Father Ted, but I know that it’s held in high esteem by many. | |
| 5 | Reveal oddly chopped fish (3) |
| EEL | |
| {r}E{v}E{a}L [oddly chopped] | |
| 6 | Post office? (3,6) |
| JOB CENTRE | |
| Cryptic. I don’t know whether they have Job Centres overseas but in the UK they are government-funded agencies for unemployed people seeking work. They used to be called Labour Exchanges. | |
| 7 | One messiah maybe held up around old city (7) |
| NAIROBI | |
| I + BRIAN (messiah maybe) containing [around] O (old) and reversed [held up]. The wordplay refers to the film Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Brian wasn’t the Messiah, just a very naughty boy. | |
| 8 | Run on the level (5) |
| LEGIT | |
| LEG IT (run). Legit is colloquial slang for ‘legitimate’. | |
| 12 | Heads for vegetarian food? (7) |
| NUTLOAF | |
| NUT + LOAF (heads) | |
| 15 | Flog spare pots, one has a chip (1-8) |
| E-PASSPORT | |
| Anagram [flog] of SPARE POTS. | |
| 17 | Flights here reportedly look all right (9) |
| STAIRWELL | |
| Aural wordplay [reportedly] “stare” (look) / STAIR, WELL (all right) | |
| 19 | Nick what capable people are up to (7) |
| SCRATCH | |
| The hint refers to the saying ‘up to scratch’ | |
| 21 | Leading group in Home Counties of highest status (7) |
| SUPREME | |
| UP (leading) + REM (pop group) contained by [in] SE (Home Counties – South East England) | |
| 23 | God’s power curtailed southern town (5) |
| PLUTO | |
| P (power), LUTO{n} (southern town) [curtailed]. Luton would probably not be in the first 50 places the average Brit might come up with if asked to name a town in southern England as it’s some 40 miles north of London, but strictly speaking it has to qualify as it’s not in any other geographical region. I just think the setter might have found another way of referring to it. Although the town is 15 miles away from me, sadly I am lumbered with a Luton postcode which adds a premium to the cost of my household and car insurance. Other than one enforced stay in its hospital I have never set foot in the place since moving here 41 years ago. | |
| 25 | Transmit again about unfinished letter (5) |
| RERUN | |
| RE (about), RUN{e} (letter) [unfinished] | |
| 27 | Consume centres of ten roast pasties (3) |
| EAT | |
| {t}E{n} + {ro}A{st} + {pas}T{ies} [centres of…] | |
I must have been on the setter’s wavelength today, as I clocked 15’35” – just a shade outside my PB. NAIROBI gave me a rye smile.
22.50 On the wavelength today. Yesterday’s puzzle with an equal Snitch of 70 took me an hour. AUCTIONEER was nice. LOI NUTLOAF. Thanks Jack.
Very straightforward, but still very enjoyable.
As for Luton, if I put my ruler on the map and draw a line between Berwick-upon-Tweed and Brighton, this goes through Luton, and Luton is in the bottom quarter. I think that counts as South.
Well I was not on form for the QC, but was clearly on the wavelength of this setter finishing in 22.33. Quite a few of the clues were solved at first sight, and it was only my last two NUTLOAF and OVERSEAS that held me up to any great extent.
26.49. Add me to the ‘noodle’ list (in more ways than one).
As a QCer, I had a go at this and, with help, finished in about an hour – quite a few guesses!
31 and a half minutes.
Just delighted to finish it, to be honest.
Some tough but excellent clueing.
Another NOODLES here, so took far too long to get SAFARI PARK and OVERSEAS. Toyed with LANGLE at 6 across. A not very impressive 25’41”.
34:05
LOI was STAIRWELL, where I had been convinced I was looking for a word beginning with SEA.
PLUTO was a write-in. I have flown from LUTON airport many times, but never been into the town centre. Luton is South of where I live, so I am OK with the definition. The NHS Eastern region includes Hertfordshire, Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes, but none of those count as East in my book.
Thanks Jack and setter
For the second day running our honour was preserved by a fast (22:01 is our 4th fastest we think) solve of the 15 x 15 after a DNF on the QC. FOsI 1a and 6a, LOI STAIRWELL. We just seemed to be on the wavelength here. Thanks Jack and setter.
23D Pluto irritated me. Clue should be God singular not God’s possessive; otherwise answer would be either Plutonian (of Pluto) or Pluto’s. The curtailed applied to the power & won’t work as inconsistent forms of curtailing!
Enjoyed post office 6D
It’s not possessive, but an abbreviation of ‘is’. ‘Curtailed’ doesn’t apply to ‘power’, only to ‘southern town’, as P = power is an abbreviation in its own right.
As others have said, a highly enjoyable puzzle, and one where I looked up less answers than usual. Have to admit to AUCTIONEER, even though I knew I was looking for an anagram of COINTREAU and an E, but my time was running out, and my kittens were demanding attention from their human mum. But, TBH, I missed the clever “one with lots”. Was happy to get JUNGLE right off the bat, likewise TOLL BRIDGE, STAIRCASE, SCREWBALL and SWORD DANCE. So overall a happy experience, but without time on my side.