Solving time: submitted at 15:12, but I have one incorrect. After a longer look at the one I got wrong, I can see what it should have been, though I don't think I would have come readily.
Odd puzzle this one, lots of head-scratching, and a fair chunk of biffing, though I think I have the wordplay sorted out (for those clues that have wordplay). I won't be surprised if I'm not alone in having an honest error.
For those of you not expecting to see my smiling face, z8b8d8k and I have done a little swap, as he is away from the interweebs today and I will not be around on June 14.
Away we go...
Odd puzzle this one, lots of head-scratching, and a fair chunk of biffing, though I think I have the wordplay sorted out (for those clues that have wordplay). I won't be surprised if I'm not alone in having an honest error.
For those of you not expecting to see my smiling face, z8b8d8k and I have done a little swap, as he is away from the interweebs today and I will not be around on June 14.
Away we go...
| Across | |
| 1 | Dirty books in second venue for literary festival (6) |
| SHABBY - B,B(books) in S and the HAY literary festival, which starts in a few weeks (and was a lucky guess for me) | |
| 4 | Building's top plant installer? (8) |
| THATCHER - cryptic definition (since it would be plant material used to make the thatched roof) | |
| 10 | Bury rival, small person applying for job? (11) |
| INTERVIEWEE - INTER(bury), VIE(rival), WEE(small) | |
| 11 | Impertinence masked at the outset by daughter's sauce (3) |
| DIP - LIP(impertinence) with D instead of L at the front | |
| 12 | Very serious man with stylish clothing (7) |
| CHRONIC - RON(man) inside CHIC(stylish) | |
| 14 | You, once humble, putting forward Liberal that's a bit jaundiced? (7) |
| YELLOWY - YE(you, once), then LOWLY(humble) with the L moved to the front | |
| 15 | Electronic components cracked on some circuits and died, losing current (14) |
| SEMICONDUCTORS - anagram of ON,SOME,CIRCUITS,D minus I | |
| 17 | One's highly strung, which may describe spinal cord (6,2,6) |
| BUNDLE OF NERVES - double definition | |
| 21 | Survive disembarking after everyone else? (7) |
| OUTLAST - or be the one who gets OUT LAST | |
| 22 | Hooter modified to cover front of brass instrument (7) |
| THEORBO - anagram of HOOTER containing B | |
| 23 | Form of three-way junction without a coupling (3) |
| TWO - T(three-way junction), W/O(without) | |
| 24 | Drill bit with vertical grip? (7,4) |
| PRESENT ARMS - cryptic definition, based on rifles being presented vertically in that part of the drill | |
| 26 | In study I messed up division (8) |
| DISUNITY - anagram of IN,STUDY,I | |
| 27 | Writer needing men in good health (6) |
| ORWELL - OR(men), WELL(in good health) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Bag held up in Candide's Act I, usually (8) |
| SUITCASE - hidden reversed in candidES ACT I USually | |
| 2 | Floating platform headed back to sailors (3) |
| AFT - RAFT(floating platform) missing the head | |
| 3 | Cowshed shelved, both unfinished and romantically moody (7) |
| BYRONIC - BYRE(cowshed) and ON ICE(shelved) both missing the last letter | |
| 5 | It is a question of parentage (4-4-6) |
| HOWS-YOUR-FATHER - double definition with IT referring to sexual intercourse | |
| 6 | Possible plagiarism involving Spanish article which is run without obstacles (3,4) |
| THE FLAT - THEFT(plagiarism) containing LA | |
| 7 | Drove in rush, desperate to find water on Manhattan's West Side (6,5) |
| HUDSON RIVER - anagram of DROVE,IN,RUSH - the river separating New York from New Jersey | |
| 8 | Power for line of forwards is rewarding (6) |
| REPAYS - P replacing L in RELAYS(forwards a message) | |
| 9 | Not being satisfied about male campers, maybe, breaking record time (14) |
| DISCONTENTMENT - ON (about) TENT MEN(male campers) insie DISC(record), T | |
| 13 | Unruly spirit destroyed debt records (11) |
| RUMBUSTIOUS - RUM(spirit), BUST(destroyed), IOUS(debt records) | |
| 16 | Slippery slope limiting America's support (8) |
| ESPOUSAL - anagram of SLOPE containing USA | |
| 18 | Unsmiling principal brings in commercial parking (7) |
| DEADPAN - DEAN(principal) containing AD,P | |
| 19 | European Court function is set up to protect voter (7) |
| ELECTOR - E,CT with ROLE(function) reversed surrounding | |
| 20 | Got Edward as a prize, as usual (6) |
| WONTED - or WON TED. This was my error, as I had POTTED, with TED being the POT. | |
| 25 | Wish undone in French way (3) |
| RUE - double definition | |