A fairly gentle opening to 2015 with a pleasant if undemanding puzzle
| Across | |
|---|---|
| 1 | EARD - (h)EARD; see yird in C - to plant in Perth; |
| 4 | MESOCARP - (some)*-CARP; a layer of cells within a fruit; |
| 9 | FLARE-UPS - FLA(R-EU)PS; |
| 11 | LACERTILIA - L(ACE)RT-ILIA; lizards; |
| 12 | RAINCOAT - (r-action)* surrounds A from A(pple); "police" is anagrind; r=take; Mac is definition; |
| 15 | DERIG - (girdle - l)*; kit as in equipment; |
| 16 | YILL - Y-ILL; ale in Aberdeen; |
| 17 | MANTEGNA - MAN-(A-N-GET all reversed); painter Andrea Mantegna 1431-1506; |
| 18 | AMARANTH - (b)A(MA-RAN)TH; slip=run; type of cereal; |
| 20 | HIGH - two meanings 1=sort of camp 2=full (as in "high season"); |
| 22 | NETES - (SET-EN all reversed); highest string notes; |
| 25 | BARRATOR - reporter=narrator then change n=new to b=book; one causing litigation; |
| 26 | TRAVERTINE - TR(A-VERT)INE; go=TRINE; rock is definition; |
| 27 | HORTENSE - HO-R-TENSE; possibly Hortense Bonaparte 1783-1837 married to Naploeon's brother Louis Bonaparte; |
| 28 | CREDANDA - C(RED-END)A; |
| 29 | HOER - HO(op)ER; |
| Down | |
| 1 | EFFRAY - EFF-RAY; old word (forgotten) for affray; |
| 2 | ALKALIMETRY - (materially + k=potassium)*; measuring the concentration of alkalis; |
| 3 | DRANT - D-RANT; departs=D; |
| 4 | MECCA - ME-CC-A; |
| 5 | SPRAINTS - SPRA(IN)TS; otter's dung seen increasingly around the Dorset Stour and tributaries; |
| 6 | CHINEE - CHINE-(chor)E; old word for Chinese; |
| 7 | ALLERGIST - (great ills)*; |
| 8 | PA'ANGA - P-AA-N-(AG reversed); rock=AA; |
| 10 | TIRING-HOUSE - (re)TIRING-HOUSE; theatre changing room; |
| 13 | ILL,AT,EASE - ILL-A-TEASE; answer=A; |
| 14 | FANFARON - FAN-F-A(a)RON; Ed Balls perhaps (can't go more than two weeks without some reference to him here); |
| 18 | ANETIC - A(gressio)N-(CITE reversed); soothing; |
| 19 | REVVED - REV-VED; Vehicle Excise Duty=VED; |
| 21 | HARPER - HAR(d)-PER; severely=hard; a=PER; a cherub perhaps; |
| 23 | ARITA - ARI(T)A; T from T(his); Japenese jasper; |
| 24 | KANEH - KANE-H; reference iconic 1941 film Citizen Kane; 6 cubits; |