Solving time: 6 or 7 mins.
I solved this on the train down from Coventry to Euston last Saturday. I don’t know what it is about trains, but my solving skills are always greatly improved when I’m on one! I raced through this and had the Jumbo finished too well before the train stopped. Maybe the fact that one can’t just grab Chambers or Bradford’s focuses the mind – I did today’s with both available and still took nearly half an hour.
Across
| 1 | S(no)W,ITCH |
| 5 | V1,CAR(n)AGE |
| 11 | CHEAPSKATE (He’s a packet)* – liked this &lit |
| 13 | (l)IVES – I’d vaguely heard of him, but didn’t know what he was famous for. |
| 18 | BELL,YDAN(Andy*),C.E. |
| 21 | ‘S,CUT – you normally only get S=is, has etc. in barred puzzles, but it was obvious enough here. |
| 23 | THUNDEROUS – cryptic definition, lighten being used as a verb meaning “to produce lightning” (which a face can’t do). |
| 25 | CAM,ERA – another one of those incredibly useful 3-letter rivers. |
| 28 | GR,AND,EUR=rue rev. – with=AND |
| 29 | TOD,ATE – Tod is a traditional name for a fox, e.g. The Tale of Mr. Tod by Beatrix Potter. |
Down
| 2 | WORK,HOUSE – swapping the two parts of “housework” |
| 3 | TOP,(d)IARY |
| 5 | VODKA – hidden reversed in “beAK DOVe” |
| 6 | COPPER,FIE,LD |
| 17 | TURBULENT (blunt,true)* – I didn’t understand the reference to Becket as priest, but the anagram jumped out immediately. Looked up later – it’s something Henry II said: “Will no-one rid me of this turbulent priest?” |
| 19 | LE(THE)AN – Lethe is the river of forgetfulness in Hades in Greek mythology. |
| 20 | WAR,BLED |
| 22 | CHAIR – The Chair being one of the hardest jumps in the Grand National. |
| 27 | HOT – I put this in straight away, only later realising that it was referring to a hot-water bottle! |
9a Suddenly fail to appear so gorgeous (4,4)
DROP DEAD
10a Obvious man in hospital has heart failure (6)
PAT (i) ENT
14a Purchase – there’s nothing in float (4)
BU 0 Y
15a Trust deed? (3,2,5)
ACT OF FAITH
20a I twisted round, strong and slim (4)
W I RY
26a Some looker – there’s beauty in her eyes (8)
BEHOLDER
4d Shade if very extensive not good (3)
HU (g) E
7d (In tears)*, drunk – on this? (7)
RETSINA
8d Revolver, say, raised? This makes things sticky (5)
GUN GE
12d Put up with raillery, letting attention go? (5,2,4)
STAND A TEASE
16d Fish finally goes off in cask (3)
TUN (a)
24d Pigment not new in aggregate (5)
(n) UMBER. NUMBER = AGGREGATE? Usually burnt in my experience.