Solving time: 29:20
So … nothing too difficult here, though I had to ponder 14dn and the 19dn/26ac pair for a while this morning. A brief blog as I hurry to reach my self-imposed deadline of 08:00 WST (midnight UTC).
If anyone’s looking for a job doing crosswords, there’s one here:
http://newscareers.broadbeantech.com/jobs/view/217.html
Across
1. SAG,A.
3. OFF-LICENCE. L (learner) inside OFFICE; N{i}CE. Full title of “the offie”.
10. DRAY HORSE. DR (medic), A, Y (unknown) + HORSE (sounds like “hoarse”, husky).
11. SHRED. S (second), H (husband), RED (blushing).
12. LENIENT. N (knight, chess), IE; all inside LENT (fast; as held before 28ac).
13. SMITHY. M{oney}, IT; all inside SHY (fling, throw).
15. BACK TO SQUARE ONE. BACK (footballer), TO, SQUARE ONE (old-fashioned type).
18. CHINESE WHISPERS. Anagram: Shires chew snipe. Such a peculiar phrase, it has anagram written all over it.
21. IMPALA. I’M (the writer is), PAL (friend), A.
One of my favourite yank tanks when I was a kid. I had a model ’59 in pink. Did they make real ones in that colour?
23. TRELLIS. RT (reversal of “right”), ELLIS (Island).
26. HINDU. HIND (back), {o}U{t}. Def: most of the Indians are.
27. DEHYDRATE. Anagram of “dry” in an anagram of “heated”. &lit.
28. EASTERTIDE. ASTER (bloomer, flower) inside ET (film title), IDE (one of the crossword fishes).
29. PHUT. P{rimitive}, HUT.
Down
1. SADDLEBACK. Two defs; one deliberately silly.
More horses than people where I live — though it’s a one-horse town in every other respect — and I haven’t heard of saddle burglary yet. They tend to take the whole beast.
2. GRA(1)N.
4. FORETASTE. TA (cheers, thanks) inside FORESTE{r}.
5. LEEDS. DS (Detective Sergeant) after LEE (shelter).
6. CASHIER. Two defs: “sack” and one in which LSD = £.s.d.
7. NORTH POLE. Anagram: on her plot. Not as icy as it once was.
8. EDDY. Hidden answer and the name of our local Dutch handyman.
9. THREAT. THAT (which) inc RE (engineers = bridge builders).
American publishers seem to specialise in holier-than-Fowler rules for distinguishing “that” from “which”; the latter only ever being used for non-restrictive relative clauses. Native instinct is a much better guide for my money.
14. PERSISTENT. S (son) IS TEN; all inside PERT (cheeky).
16. CHIPMUNKS. CHIP + sounds like MONKS (brothers).
We’ve come to a pretty pass when a single chip is deemed unhealthy. “Are you the chip monk?” “No I’m the frier”.
17. UNHITCHED. UN (“a” French), H{ostage}, ITCHED (longed).
19. EVACUEE. EVE (the day before) inc A CUE (a sign).
20. SPEEDY. P (parking) inside SEEDY. Def: in a fast car + ?
22. AUDIT. ADIT (mine entrance) inc U (uranium).
24. LEA,SH.
25. SH(O)E. Ignore the capital-O to get the footwear.