34 minutes, but as I begin to write the blog I have a number of queries as to definitions and parsing. I hope they become clear as I progress. [Edit #1: I think I got most of them eventually. The exceptions being 1ac, possibly, and 18ac. Edit #2: Many thanks to Quadrophenia for pointing out my parsing error at 1ac, and to Kevin Gregg for correcting my answer at 18].
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 now use a tilde sign ~ to indicate an insertion point in containment clues. I usually omit all reference to juxtaposition indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Something immune to challenge, customs-wise, landed aboard boat (6,3) |
| SACRED COW – ACRED (landed) contained by [being aboard] SCOW (boat) | |
| 6 | Person with plenty of time dismantled rifle (5) |
| LIFER – Anagram [dismantled] of RIFLE | |
| 9 | Funny mineral found in mountain pass (7) |
| COMICAL – MICA (mineral) contained by [found in] COL (mountain pass) | |
| 10 | Unplait curls for wedding (7) |
| NUPTIAL – Anagram [curls]of UNPLAIT | |
| 11 | Positions spectacles on one’s ears? (5) |
| SITES – Aural wordplay [on one’s ears]: “sights” (spectacles) | |
| 12 | Altercation between boozer and son, a wheeler-dealer? (6,3) |
| BARROW BOY – BAR (boozer), ROW (altercation), BOY (son) | |
| 13 | Mother stopping in city destroyed close relationship (8) |
| INTIMACY – MA (mother) contained by [stopping] anagram [destroyed] of IN CITY | |
| 14 | Solo number from West Side Story missing intro (4) |
| ARIA – {M}ARIA (number from West Side Story) [missing intro] | |
| 17 | Angry god from the east (4) |
| SORE – EROS (god) reversed [from the east] | |
| 18 | Fix data set for digital manager (4,4) |
| NAIL FILE – NAIL (fix), FILE (data set) | |
| 21 | Dictatorship decides pot is malevolent to some extent (9) |
| DESPOTISM – Hidden in [to some extent] {deci}DES POT IS M{alevolent} | |
| 22 | Trifle endlessly, frolicking (5) |
| FLIRT – Anagram [frolicking] of TRIFL{e} [endlessly] | |
| 24 | Articulate sign up for series of talks (7) |
| JOINTED – JOIN (sign up for), TED (series of talks). I have just learnt that TED is an acronym that stands for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and the term “TED Talk” has become a shorthand for short, powerful speeches. | |
| 25 | Drama (TV) where politicians took a stand (7) |
| SOAP BOX – SOAP (drama), BOX (TV set). When UK politicians used to hold meetings in the streets they often stood on soap boxes. John Major became quite famous for doing this. | |
| 26 | Stretch of forest habitat around bits of Thailand (5) |
| BAHTS – Hidden [stretch of] and reversed [around] in {fore}ST HAB{itat}. ‘Bits’ as in currency. | |
| 27 | Shabby, dilapidated home: a tent (4-5) |
| MOTH-EATEN – Anagram [dilapidated] of HOME A TENT | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Caught half-a-dozen cats (5) |
| SICKS – Aural wordplay [caught]: “six” (half-a-dozen). I’ve heard this expression before, usually in ‘cats up’ | |
| 2 | Wake up, time for school — change, not having cold to get over (4,2,5,4) |
| COME TO TERMS WITH – COME TO (wake up), TERM (time for school), SWIT{c}H (change) [not having cold] | |
| 3 | Might I pass exam, scoring 50 per cent? See you at half-term (6,2) |
| EXCUSE ME – EX{am} [scoring 50 per cent], CU (see you), SEME{ster} (term) [half]. Dear me! | |
| 4 | State where Congress banned a bicycle, bizarrely (8) |
| CELIBACY – anagram [bizarrely] of A BICYCLE | |
| 5 | Rugby score underpinning victory characteristic of season (6) |
| WINTRY – WIN (victory), TRY (rugby score) | |
| 6 | US cops on leave picked up devoted admirer (6) |
| LAPDOG – LAPD (US cops), then GO (leave) reversed [picked up] | |
| 7 | Force freedom in hearing where criminals once hung mischief-maker (15) |
| FLIBBERTIGIBBET – F (force), then aural wordplay [in hearing] LIBBERTI / “liberty” (freedom), GIBBET (where criminals once hung) | |
| 8 | Tie once more, going round course at which most won’t reach finish line? (5,4) |
| RELAY RACE – REL~ACE(tie once more) containing [going round] AYR (racecourse) | |
| 13 | It could be theft of internal post (6,3) |
| INSIDE JOB – INSIDE (internal), JOB (post) | |
| 15 | Monkey to stroll scratching tail in souk? (8) |
| MARMOSET – MOSE{y} (stroll) [scrapping tail] contained by [in] MAR~T (souk). I was distracted for a while when parsing, thinking that ‘souk’ was to be ‘market’. | |
| 16 | Vintage candle, perhaps one separated from candle-holder? (3,5) |
| OLD FLAME – OLD (vintage), FLAME (candle perhaps). The definition refers to the expression in which a person attracted to another is said to hold a candle for them. | |
| 19 | Trade union beset by enemies, one needing Labour in due course (6) |
| FOETUS – TU (trade union) contained [beset] by FOES (enemies) | |
| 20 | Crown land regularly seized by parliament, but not last month (6) |
| DIADEM – {l}A{n}D [regularly] contained [seized] by DI~E{t} (parliament) [but not last], then M (month) | |
| 23 | Reject scripture being brought up — it’s poisonous (5) |
| TOXIN – NIX (reject) + OT (scripture) reversed [brought up] | |
29:28 so obviously I was slow today
Thanks setter and blogger
Received. Thanks.
bit of a biff-fest, so I’m enjoying the blog explanations.
COD for me is the police lapdog.
Some of the phrases here went in with a biff (SACRED COW – mainly from SCOW, COME TO TERMS WITH – very clever, if a bit convoluted, BARROW BOY – which is pronounced BARRER BOY by the true Londoner) but FLIBBERTIGIBBET somehow eluded me with that definition. (Though I do know the quote from Lear). Setter has a twinkle in his/her eye for this one, with the intersection of CELIBACY and INTIMACY, SICKS and FLIRTS. LIFER also very neat, as was NAIL FILE, SOAP BOX and FOETUS. Had a fair bit of help with aids, so it was a bit out of my range, but still enjoyable.