In the middle of another hectic weekend this took me 35-40 minutes, so fairly easy, I think. Interestingly, as I now start the blog, I can identify all but two of the definitions at a glance and remember the answers. More evidence of a relatively easy puzzle? (Since you ask, the two that needed a second look were 10ac and 19dn.)
The most obscure clue for me involved obscure mediaeval practices to do with birds and rivers. To be fair, I’m sure I’ve seen it before in previous puzzles, and I made it hard by miscounting the number of letters in the word to be anagrammed, which left me looking for the wrong number of extra letters!
My clue of the day was 12ac, which nicely disguised the need to separate the opening phrase. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 Bird seen on mounds regularly is a foreshore frequenter (7)
MUDLARK: LARK is the bird, odd letters of MOUND in front. I’ve always pictured foreshores as sandy, not muddy, but perhaps it depends where you live? A “mudlark” is probably more commonly a person scavenging in the muddy riverbank than a bird.
5 Expertise with frying pan, though dropping the last two (5)
SKILL: drop ET from SKILLET.
9 Himalayan creature literally covering two fifths of Nepal? (5)
PANDA: two of the five letters of NEPAL are “P” AND “A”.
10 Just one garment being worn (9)
SINGLETON: the garment one has ON being a SINGLET.
11 Dream I must be held in respect (7)
REVERIE: I in REVERE.
12 Browning university substituted for two pieces of interminable Swinburne (7)
SUNBURN: drop the E off SWINBURN(e), and change WI to U for University. In Australia, “sunburn” is red, “suntan” is brown.
13 Queen of Lebanon in the wars backing the old knight (4,6)
ANNE BOLEYN: (LEBANON*), then YE backwards, then N for knight in chess notation.
15 Nice wine encapsulates European mood (4)
VEIN: VIN is wine in French, including in Nice, holding E for European.
18 Expect he’s keeping in work (4)
HOPE: OP in HE.
20 Bird ringing expedition finished amid flapping wingspan (4-6)
SWAN-UPPING: (WINGSPAN*) around UP meaning finished. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Upping
23 Giant penny-farthing with no rear wheel? “Penny Singular” (7)
CYCLOPS: a CYCL(e), then O as a wheel, P for penny, and S for singular.
24 Farmland animals eating five tons in gathered crops (7)
HARVEST: HARES on the farmland “eating” V=five, then T for ton.
25 Old money gets the reverse of low cabin — the best on board (9)
STATEROOM: a STATER is a greek coin, then MOO backwards.
26 State of Florida holidays? (5)
IDAHO: “of” is certainly a minimalist indicator for a hidden answer!
27 Product that’s widely drunk without whisky (5)
YIELD: (-IDELY*), having dropped W for whisky.
28 Child’s brought in near the end of today (7)
TONIGHT: TOT=child, bringing in NIGH=near.
Down
1 Millions favoured tsar as a mover of people (7)
MINIVAN: M for millions, IN for favoured, IVAN was a Tsar.
2 Assist rising clan in forceful attack (8)
DIATRIBE: AID “rising”, then TRIBE.
3 Supermarket division is cutting beer (5)
AISLE: IS inside ALE.
4 Author (not English) has new name for English town (5,4)
KINGS LYNN: KINGSL(e)Y is the author, then N for new, plus N for name.
5 Listen out for mum (6)
SILENT: (LISTEN*).
6 To butt in, changing spades to no trumps, is impolite (7)
INTRUDE: to me the word order of this clue is a bit awkward, but the idea is to start with “IS RUDE”, and change S for spades into NT for notrumps, producing “butt in”.
7 Noted traveller in train to Petrograd, returning 9.50? (5)
LENIN: turn 9.50 into “NINE” L=Roman for fifty. I don’t particularly recognise the historical reference, but perhaps it’s this movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin...The_Train ?
8 Near a very quiet fish (8)
APPROACH: A, PP for very quiet, ROACH is the fish.
14 Frequently after deepest North Sea port (9)
LOWESTOFT: OFT after LOWEST. I couldn’t have pointed at Lowestoft on a map – apologies to all readers who live there!
16 Denial— for example in what might be Scotland? (8)
NEGATION: EG in NATION.
17 Just like rugby players, say, to belt out full of alcohol (8)
SPORTING: PORT in SING.
19 Present suits are becoming dated (7)
PACKAGE: four suits make a PACK of cards, to AGE is to become dated. PRESENT seems more specific than package, so perhaps the clue deserves a “perhaps” or “say” to show this is a definition by example.
21 Tax cine reels? Not right (7)
INEXACT: (TAX CINE*).
22 Smoked reefer to take dope with daughter (3-3)
DOG-END: DO=take, GEN=dope (info), D=daughter.
23 Copper retiring is comfortably off (5)
CUSHY: CU=copper, SHY=retiring.
24 Buzz coming with a northern person (5)
HUMAN: HUM=buzz, A, N=northern.
The most obscure clue for me involved obscure mediaeval practices to do with birds and rivers. To be fair, I’m sure I’ve seen it before in previous puzzles, and I made it hard by miscounting the number of letters in the word to be anagrammed, which left me looking for the wrong number of extra letters!
My clue of the day was 12ac, which nicely disguised the need to separate the opening phrase. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 Bird seen on mounds regularly is a foreshore frequenter (7)
MUDLARK: LARK is the bird, odd letters of MOUND in front. I’ve always pictured foreshores as sandy, not muddy, but perhaps it depends where you live? A “mudlark” is probably more commonly a person scavenging in the muddy riverbank than a bird.
5 Expertise with frying pan, though dropping the last two (5)
SKILL: drop ET from SKILLET.
9 Himalayan creature literally covering two fifths of Nepal? (5)
PANDA: two of the five letters of NEPAL are “P” AND “A”.
10 Just one garment being worn (9)
SINGLETON: the garment one has ON being a SINGLET.
11 Dream I must be held in respect (7)
REVERIE: I in REVERE.
12 Browning university substituted for two pieces of interminable Swinburne (7)
SUNBURN: drop the E off SWINBURN(e), and change WI to U for University. In Australia, “sunburn” is red, “suntan” is brown.
13 Queen of Lebanon in the wars backing the old knight (4,6)
ANNE BOLEYN: (LEBANON*), then YE backwards, then N for knight in chess notation.
15 Nice wine encapsulates European mood (4)
VEIN: VIN is wine in French, including in Nice, holding E for European.
18 Expect he’s keeping in work (4)
HOPE: OP in HE.
20 Bird ringing expedition finished amid flapping wingspan (4-6)
SWAN-UPPING: (WINGSPAN*) around UP meaning finished. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Upping
23 Giant penny-farthing with no rear wheel? “Penny Singular” (7)
CYCLOPS: a CYCL(e), then O as a wheel, P for penny, and S for singular.
24 Farmland animals eating five tons in gathered crops (7)
HARVEST: HARES on the farmland “eating” V=five, then T for ton.
25 Old money gets the reverse of low cabin — the best on board (9)
STATEROOM: a STATER is a greek coin, then MOO backwards.
26 State of Florida holidays? (5)
IDAHO: “of” is certainly a minimalist indicator for a hidden answer!
27 Product that’s widely drunk without whisky (5)
YIELD: (-IDELY*), having dropped W for whisky.
28 Child’s brought in near the end of today (7)
TONIGHT: TOT=child, bringing in NIGH=near.
Down
1 Millions favoured tsar as a mover of people (7)
MINIVAN: M for millions, IN for favoured, IVAN was a Tsar.
2 Assist rising clan in forceful attack (8)
DIATRIBE: AID “rising”, then TRIBE.
3 Supermarket division is cutting beer (5)
AISLE: IS inside ALE.
4 Author (not English) has new name for English town (5,4)
KINGS LYNN: KINGSL(e)Y is the author, then N for new, plus N for name.
5 Listen out for mum (6)
SILENT: (LISTEN*).
6 To butt in, changing spades to no trumps, is impolite (7)
INTRUDE: to me the word order of this clue is a bit awkward, but the idea is to start with “IS RUDE”, and change S for spades into NT for notrumps, producing “butt in”.
7 Noted traveller in train to Petrograd, returning 9.50? (5)
LENIN: turn 9.50 into “NINE” L=Roman for fifty. I don’t particularly recognise the historical reference, but perhaps it’s this movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin...The_Train ?
8 Near a very quiet fish (8)
APPROACH: A, PP for very quiet, ROACH is the fish.
14 Frequently after deepest North Sea port (9)
LOWESTOFT: OFT after LOWEST. I couldn’t have pointed at Lowestoft on a map – apologies to all readers who live there!
16 Denial— for example in what might be Scotland? (8)
NEGATION: EG in NATION.
17 Just like rugby players, say, to belt out full of alcohol (8)
SPORTING: PORT in SING.
19 Present suits are becoming dated (7)
PACKAGE: four suits make a PACK of cards, to AGE is to become dated. PRESENT seems more specific than package, so perhaps the clue deserves a “perhaps” or “say” to show this is a definition by example.
21 Tax cine reels? Not right (7)
INEXACT: (TAX CINE*).
22 Smoked reefer to take dope with daughter (3-3)
DOG-END: DO=take, GEN=dope (info), D=daughter.
23 Copper retiring is comfortably off (5)
CUSHY: CU=copper, SHY=retiring.
24 Buzz coming with a northern person (5)
HUMAN: HUM=buzz, A, N=northern.