Much easier than last week. All done, checked and submitted in 33:16. LOI was 11ac, for no good reason – the concept came to mind quickly, but the answer hid itself in the recesses of my mind.
My clue of the day was 1ac, for the elegant literal definition. I also liked 7dn, for
Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', with the anagram indicator in bold italics. Deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 Seen to contain a pinch of cinnamon? (6)
SPICED: C (a pinch of cinnamon) in SPIED. The definition is the whole clue.
5 Like Spooner's dad after haircut perhaps in uncle's establishment (8)
PAWNSHOP: might sound somewhat like SHORN POP when uttered by the Rev. Spooner.
9 Daredevils mustn't supply extremes of emotion (8)
STUNTMEN: (MUSTNT*), followed by EN (the extremes of EmotioN).
10 Toy gun held behind aunt's back (6)
TRIFLE: RIFLE behind {aun}T.
11 Administrator in hard times running contrary schedule (10)
LIQUIDATOR: LIQUID is running, ROTA (backwards) is schedule.
13 Protective headgear— one with peak in front (4)
TOPI: TOP (peak), I (one).
14 Shame's mine and yours, but not ours (4)
PITY: PIT (mine), Y{ours}.
15 Earth tremor maybe felt in state capital (6,4)
LITTLE ROCK: double definition, the first fanciful.
18 Steps in tennis veer off course (10)
INTERVENES: (TENNIS VEER*).
20 Youngster close to nine, possibly eight (4)
CUBE: CUB (youngster), {nin}E.
21 Costlyducks (4)
DEAR: double definition.
23 20 across has many a one, from Conservative point of view (5,5)
RIGHT ANGLE: the faces of cubes are squares, ergo … .
25 Untried troops accepting assistance (6)
MAIDEN: AID in MEN.
26 Lousy home made much of welcoming son (8)
INFESTED: IN (home), FETED (made much of), holding S (son).
28 Impressed by European flight (8)
STAMPEDE: STAMPED (impressed), E (European).
29 Serve time insidelighthouse, maybe? (6)
BEACON: to BE A CON might be to do time inside a prison.
Down
2 Lordly captain struggles to absorb church's teaching (9)
PATRICIAN: (CAPTAIN*), “absorbing” RI (religious instruction, or church’s teaching).
3 This is the 21st horseman, you could say, dispatching a Yankee (7)
CENTURY: CENT-UR (half horse, half man, dropping the A), Y=Yankee. Cunning definition
4 A little alcohol not right for mum (3)
DAM: D{r}AM.
5 During depression, there's no wine (5)
PINOT: NO in PIT.
6 Facilities in converted castle tower (5,6)
WATER CLOSET: (CASTLE TOWER*).
7 Winter sportsman wrapping up dry run speedily (7)
SKITTER SKIER holding TT (dry).
8 Planting kiss on cheek after love can be a bloomer (5)
OXLIP: O (love), X (kiss), LIP (cheek).
12 Release ball, receiving abuse in return (11)
DELIVERANCE: REVILE backwards in DANCE. The answer was more obvious than the parsing! I was trying to fit DELIVERY (ball) around the outside, without success!
16 Weight by no means going up (3)
TON: NOT backwards.
17 Rare-ish blood transfusion for visitor, old Spanish gent (9)
CABALLERO: AB (blood group) inside CALLER, then O for old.
19 Aristo's position in cracking melodrama uncovered (7)
EARLDOM: (-ELODRAM-*), dropping the outside letters of melodrama.
20 Game helping to make American a star (7)
CANASTA: hidden answer.
22 Raise previous key? (5)
EXALT: EX (previous), ALT (key). What did setters do before computers?
24 Reporter's sent up handbook (5)
GUIDE: sounds like GUYED (to a “reporter”).
27 Foreign Office? Black Watch may depend on it (3)
FOB: F{oreign} O{ffice}, B{lack}.
My clue of the day was 1ac, for the elegant literal definition. I also liked 7dn, for
Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', with the anagram indicator in bold italics. Deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 Seen to contain a pinch of cinnamon? (6)
SPICED: C (a pinch of cinnamon) in SPIED. The definition is the whole clue.
5 Like Spooner's dad after haircut perhaps in uncle's establishment (8)
PAWNSHOP: might sound somewhat like SHORN POP when uttered by the Rev. Spooner.
9 Daredevils mustn't supply extremes of emotion (8)
STUNTMEN: (MUSTNT*), followed by EN (the extremes of E
10 Toy gun held behind aunt's back (6)
TRIFLE: RIFLE behind {aun}T.
11 Administrator in hard times running contrary schedule (10)
LIQUIDATOR: LIQUID is running, ROTA (backwards) is schedule.
13 Protective headgear— one with peak in front (4)
TOPI: TOP (peak), I (one).
14 Shame's mine and yours, but not ours (4)
PITY: PIT (mine), Y{ours}.
15 Earth tremor maybe felt in state capital (6,4)
LITTLE ROCK: double definition, the first fanciful.
18 Steps in tennis veer off course (10)
INTERVENES: (TENNIS VEER*).
20 Youngster close to nine, possibly eight (4)
CUBE: CUB (youngster), {nin}E.
21 Costlyducks (4)
DEAR: double definition.
23 20 across has many a one, from Conservative point of view (5,5)
RIGHT ANGLE: the faces of cubes are squares, ergo … .
25 Untried troops accepting assistance (6)
MAIDEN: AID in MEN.
26 Lousy home made much of welcoming son (8)
INFESTED: IN (home), FETED (made much of), holding S (son).
28 Impressed by European flight (8)
STAMPEDE: STAMPED (impressed), E (European).
29 Serve time insidelighthouse, maybe? (6)
BEACON: to BE A CON might be to do time inside a prison.
Down
2 Lordly captain struggles to absorb church's teaching (9)
PATRICIAN: (CAPTAIN*), “absorbing” RI (religious instruction, or church’s teaching).
3 This is the 21st horseman, you could say, dispatching a Yankee (7)
CENTURY: CENT-UR (half horse, half man, dropping the A), Y=Yankee. Cunning definition
4 A little alcohol not right for mum (3)
DAM: D{r}AM.
5 During depression, there's no wine (5)
PINOT: NO in PIT.
6 Facilities in converted castle tower (5,6)
WATER CLOSET: (CASTLE TOWER*).
7 Winter sportsman wrapping up dry run speedily (7)
SKITTER SKIER holding TT (dry).
8 Planting kiss on cheek after love can be a bloomer (5)
OXLIP: O (love), X (kiss), LIP (cheek).
12 Release ball, receiving abuse in return (11)
DELIVERANCE: REVILE backwards in DANCE. The answer was more obvious than the parsing! I was trying to fit DELIVERY (ball) around the outside, without success!
16 Weight by no means going up (3)
TON: NOT backwards.
17 Rare-ish blood transfusion for visitor, old Spanish gent (9)
CABALLERO: AB (blood group) inside CALLER, then O for old.
19 Aristo's position in cracking melodrama uncovered (7)
EARLDOM: (-ELODRAM-*), dropping the outside letters of melodrama.
20 Game helping to make American a star (7)
CANASTA: hidden answer.
22 Raise previous key? (5)
EXALT: EX (previous), ALT (key). What did setters do before computers?
24 Reporter's sent up handbook (5)
GUIDE: sounds like GUYED (to a “reporter”).
27 Foreign Office? Black Watch may depend on it (3)
FOB: F{oreign} O{ffice}, B{lack}.