9:27. Straightforward stuff from Harry here. I have been very busy this week, so didn’t get to the blog until yesterday. When this happens I can seldom remember anything about the solve, and so it has proven here. Going through the clues today nothing really stood out: this is a relatively simple set. Nothing wrong with that though of course, and these are also very tidy. An enjoyable puzzle at the easier end of the spectrum.
(THIS)*.
| Across |
| 1 | Story detective wants putting on radio |
| TALE - sounds like ‘tail’, which seems a bit loose as a synonym for ‘detective’. |
| 4 | For Spooner, one might put up a hammock and metal fan |
| HEAD-BANGER - sounds like ‘bed hanger’. This doesn’t look like a spoonerism, but it sounds like one. |
| 9 | Refusal of choppers to waste time over India |
DENIAL - DENtAL (‘of choppers’ without T for time) containing I (India). |
| 10 | Popular, and formerly saucy, ham |
| INEXPERT - IN, EX, PERT. |
| 11 | Fop that dances with Oscar in a pedestrian way |
| FOOTPATH - (FOP THAT, O)* |
| 13 | Viewer’s complaint: Sir, it isn’t entertaining |
| IRITIS - contained in ‘sir it isn’t’ |
| 14 | Humorous release that’ll shake a corporation? |
| BELLY LAUGH - CD. |
| 16 | Win point with a service |
| EARN - E, A, RN. |
| 17 | Old man heading for overgrown border of wood |
DADO - DAD, Overgrown. Better known to me as a ‘DADO rail’. |
| 18 | Coin scales fashioned in a revivalist style |
| NEOCLASSIC - (COIN SCALES)*. |
| 20 | Wild about numbers written about Deep Purple? |
| DAMSON - reversal (about) of MAD, reversal (written about) of NOS. We have a young DAMSON tree in our garden and every year the picking date is a matter of fine judgement: I don’t want to do it too early of course but at a certain point of ripeness our local parakeets decide they like them and a flock will fly in and eat them. This year they got the lot while I was away on business for two days. |
| 21 | Machinery dispute that’s backed up big cheeses |
| WORKINGS - reversal of ROW, KINGS. |
| 23 | Winger hit target one time |
| GREAT TIT - (TARGET)*, I, T. |
| 24 | Run through confession of one who won’t take The Sun? |
| IMPALE - I’M PALE. ‘I’m from Liverpool’ didn’t fit. |
| 26 | Writing supports ribald cops after sacking |
| CLIPBOARDS - (RIBALD COPS)*. |
| 27 | Row about the X-Factor with regressive view |
| TIER - reversal (with regressive view) of RE, IT. IT here as in the immortal words of the poet: ‘She’s got it/Yeah baby she’s got it/I’m your Venus, I’m your fire/At your desire’. |
| Down |
| 2 | Drink and feel unwell, so they say |
| ALE - sounds like ‘ail’. |
| 3 | Chuck out half-cut clergymen in the middle of film |
EVICT - E(VICar)T. Hmm. VICAR has five letters. Two is not half of five. But this has to be the answer, surely? Guess I’ll find out tomorrow. |
| 4 | Bag short student digs has grey lining |
HOLDALL - H(OLD)ALLs. I was puzzled by this at first, thinking that ‘student digs’ gave HALL and wondering where ‘short’ came into it. |
| 5 | Skate on ice? One wouldn’t be suited to that! |
| A FISH OUT OF WATER - CD |
| 6 | Mark’s black and from Flanders (not the top part) |
BLEMISH - B, fLEMISH. |
| 7 | Longs to have drinks outside with alacrity |
| NIPPINESS - NIP(PINES)S. It’s 5.30 on Saturday as I write this, nearly time for a little NIP of something… |
| 8 | Shrill tart in sleeper, perhaps rounding cape |
| EAR-PIERCING - the tart here is a PIE, which is inserted into an EARRING (of which a sleeper is a type), and then all of that contains (rounds) C (cape). Tricky! |
| 12 | More than the standard amount of oil in a pickle? |
| OVER A BARREL - slightly loose definition here, but if you’re OVER A BARREL in a negotiating situation, you are without doubt in a pickle. Ask David Davis. |
| 15 | Get cracking bitter with gents at the King’s Head |
LOOK SHARP - LOO, King, SHARP (bitter). |
| 18 | Not very clear, piercing scream of disbelief! |
| NONE TOO - NET contained in NOOO! Tee hee. |
| 19 | Learner with problems missing wide vehicles |
LORRIES - L, wORRIES. |
| 22 | Russian leader sending up current data, perhaps |
| INPUT - PUTIN, with IN (current) sent up to the top. |
| 25 | Story contrary detective ill-advisedly screens |
| LIE - contained reversed in ‘detective ill-advisedly’. |