Solving time 17:37
I found this quite hard to get into, and quite hard to finish off – there were a few unusual words but none I didn’t already know. And some very good clues.
ACROSS
| 1 | BI(PO)DS – P.O. = Petty Officer or Pilot Officer. A bipod is one of those two-legged stands they support high-powered rifles on. |
| 4 | TIP,STAFF |
| 10 | C(LASSIES)T |
| 11 | OFFER (“Offa”) – Offa was an old (d. 796) king of Mercia, who built Offa’s Dyke to keep the Welsh out. |
| 12 | STAGES,TRUCK |
| 19 | ST,REAM – a burn is a small stream or brook in Scotland. |
| 21 | DE(TENT)E(m) – tent is a Spanish red wine found only in crosswords. |
| 24 | N(EARTH)EB,ONE – I’d always thought NEB was a bird’s beak, but Chambers confirms it can also mean nose. |
| 26 | P(RA)D,O – The Prado is Madrid’s major art gallery. |
| 27 | I,M(anoeuvre),MIG,RATE |
| 30 | W(ANT)AD – “what could be classified” is a great definition. |
DOWN
| 1 | BUCK,SHEE(p) |
| 2 | PLAY,A |
| 6 | STOCK,IN,(s)ETTE(e) – I put this in without really following the wordplay, just figured it out now. |
| 7 | AFFECTION – (tiff one ca(n))* – well-phrased &lit too. |
| 8 | FAR,MED |
| 9 | LETTER (hidden rev in cigaRETTE Lighter) – brilliantly disguised definition, last answer I put in, accounting for maybe 5 of the 17 minutes. |
| 18 | R.E.,VEREND=Denver* |
| 20 | MOA,BITE – great clue, although as the moa was 10 feet tall and weighed up to 250kg, I fear for the old Jordanian’s health! |
| 25 | O,PART – the name Bridget Riley always springs to mind, although I’m sure she’s not the only exponent. |
Quite a few “easies”:
14a Potter needed a reminder (3)
CUE. No idea why but C*E and “reminder” – for an actor to deliver lines for example – has to be this?
15a I’ll reveal key to Times puzzle (7)
E X POSER. The key of E (not sure whether its major or minor), Times = X and POSER = puzzle.
17a Length of material that is needed as absorbent cloth (6)
HANK IE. Messed about with ELL = measure of cloth for too long before the penny dropped. Hint to travellers – don’t put your hankie into the laundry in places like Iran – they will throw it away.
23a Kind of pudding son rejected in the past (3)
(S) AGO
29a Worried mostly by women’s struggles (8)
W RESTLES(S)
3d Hell of a girl (3)
DIS. Or DI’S which is that belonging to Di.
5d During most of trip, companion’s aware of what’s happening (2,5)
IN TOU CH. In tou(r) = during most of trip.
13d (Steamers not)* wrecked in extreme geographical location (11)
EASTERNMOST
16d Condescending manner, the custom in restaurant? (9)
PATRONAGE. DD.
21d Swindle over a period, and you may have to (2,4)
DO TIME
22d Fruit to handle in two batches (6)
PAW PAW
28d New driver fails to get to final destination, a place in India (3)
GOA (L)