There was some tricky wordplay here and several words unknown to me so I'm a little surprised that I needed only 27 minutes to solve it.
Mohn2 kindly advised me that last Monday I posted my 120th Quick Cryptic blog so I decided to count up my score for the 15x15 weekday puzzles and discovered that last Tuesday was my 300th. So here today for your delectation is my 301st, and to mark the occasion I have reverted to the avatar I used for most of my time at TftT.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
Mohn2 kindly advised me that last Monday I posted my 120th Quick Cryptic blog so I decided to count up my score for the 15x15 weekday puzzles and discovered that last Tuesday was my 300th. So here today for your delectation is my 301st, and to mark the occasion I have reverted to the avatar I used for most of my time at TftT.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
| Across | |
| 1 | Like Canute’s race to secure popular backing? (6) |
| DANISH - DASH (race) containing [to secure] IN (popular) reversed [backing] | |
| 4 | Purchase drink, having left for Belgian capital (8) |
| LEVERAGE - {b}EVERAGE (drink) having L (left) standing in for B{elgian} [capital] | |
| 10 | French writer having an impact in Uzbek city (9) |
| SAMARKAND - SAND (French writer) having A MARK (an impact) in. George Sand was the pseudonym of the writer Amantine Dupin (1804-1876). | |
| 11 | Injury keeping son in wood (5) |
| HURST - HURT (injury) containing [keeping] S (son). I wasn't familiar with 'hurt' as a noun' meaning 'injury' but it's in all the books. 'Hurst' appears in many an English place name and has several meanings including 'bank' and 'wood'. | |
| 12 | Place of confinement debt collector has no say about (7) |
| DUNGEON - DUN (debt collector), NO + EG (say) reversed [about]. I didn't know DUN as a debt collector but the answer to the clue was obvious given the defintion and a couple of checkers. | |
| 13 | Get better play area completed (7) |
| RECOVER - REC (play area - recreation ground), OVER (completed) | |
| 14 | Old cavalryman retreating in exceptional humiliation (5) |
| UHLAN - Hidden and reversed [retreating] in {exceptio}NAL HU{miliation}. Another word unknown to me but the wordplay gave it away. The cavalryman was originally Polish. | |
| 15 | Art school board accepts first of etchings, subject to evaluation (8) |
| RATEABLE - RA (art school - Royal Academy), TABLE (board) contains [accepts] [first of] E{tchings}. This reminds me that I haven't see RA clued as 'Burlington House' for a long time. UK home-owners may be familiar with 'rateable value' which determines (or used to) the amount of tax they are required to pay to their local authority for services rendered - or not. | |
| 18 | Street clubs not long established around south (8) |
| CRESCENT - C (clubs), RECENT (not long established) containing [around] S (south) | |
| 20 | Most of capital knight put together for monument (5) |
| CAIRN - [most of] CAIR{o} (capital), N (knight) | |
| 23 | Casual worker following start of race (7) |
| OFFHAND - HAND (worker) following OFF (start of race) | |
| 25 | Second French article whose content is inferior? A bit (7) |
| SNAFFLE - S (second) + LE (French article) contains NAFF (inferior). I think this caused controversy in a similar clue many years ago as a snaffle is not necessarily a bit, but it's undoubtedly a piece of horse tack and there is such a thing as a 'snaffle bit'. | |
| 26 | A device for fastening back climbing plant (5) |
| LIANA - A + NAIL (device for fastening) reversed [back]. Tarzan's favourite mode of travel through the jungle. | |
| 27 | Speech made by new president during month by Russian river (9) |
| INAUGURAL - IN (during), AUG (month), URAL (Russian river) | |
| 28 | Girl Guide leader touring quiet place in Canada (8) |
| WINNIPEG - WINNIE (girl) + G{uide} [leader] containing [touring] P (quiet) | |
| 29 | Like goo finally slithering round the bend (6) |
| GLOOPY - {slitherin}G [finally], LOOPY (round the bend). Destined to be horryd's WOD, I imagine. Or maybe NAFF. | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Woman’s strong dislike for compound (8) |
| DISODIUM - DI'S (woman’s ), ODIUM (strong dislike). Currently the subject filling acres of newsprint in the tabloid press. | |
| 2 | Token loan arranged to enclose most of pit (7) |
| NOMINAL - Anagram [arranged] of LOAN containing [to enclose] [most of] MIN{e} (pit) | |
| 3 | Soldiers using new range in groups (9) |
| SERGEANTS - Anagram [new] of RANGE in SETS (groups). There's a whiff of DBE going on here as sergeants are not necessarily soldiers and vice versa. | |
| 5 | Respected politician’s condition accepted by presbyter’s staff (5,9) |
| ELDER STATESMAN - STATE (condition) contained [accepted] by ELDER'S (presbyter's), MAN (staff). The definition is something of an oxymoron these days, I think. | |
| 6 | Have limited intelligence, sacrificing ends for moral principles (5) |
| ETHIC - {b}E THIC{k} (have limited intelligence) [sacrificing ends]. My COD. | |
| 7 | Appearance of a Republican challenger (7) |
| ARRIVAL - A, R (Republican), RIVAL (challenger) | |
| 8 | Complete set of books written in the country (6) |
| ENTIRE - NT (set of books - New Testament) contained by [written in] EIRE (country) | |
| 9 | Prohibitionist had row about English paper’s screamer (6,8) |
| BANNER HEADLINE - BANNER (prohibitionist), HAD contains [about] E (English), LINE (row). | |
| 16 | A switch between opposing sides in port (9) |
| ARCHANGEL - A, CHANGE (switch) contained by [between] R+L (opposing sides) | |
| 17 | Subject to bet, it could be inferior to Axminster (8) |
| UNDERLAY - UNDER (subject to), LAY (bet). Axminster is a type of carpet. | |
| 19 | Burden match official with announcement of rule (7) |
| REFRAIN - REF (match official), RAIN sounds like [announcement of] "reign" (rule). This is a chorus of a song. | |
| 21 | Big fire I observed primarily consuming northern plant (7) |
| INFERNO - I + O{bserved} [primarily] containing [consuming] N (northern) + FERN (plant) | |
| 22 | Way in which old Liberals must enter valley (6) |
| HOLLOW - HOW (way in which), O (old) + LL (Liberals) is contained [must enter] | |
| 24 | Appearing in drag: a military trumpeter (5) |
| AGAMI - Hidden [appearing] in {dr}AG A MI{litary}. 'Trumpeter' is a name for this type of heron. Another unknown to me. | |