A rare Nina in the cryptic, but I'm sure we all wish the outgoing editor Richard Browne all the best for a happy retirement, and the new editor Richard Rogan the best of luck in his new job. I made the mistake of trying to solve this while half-asleep on the train home on Monday night, and failed miserably. Probably took me about 40 minutes in total, and I still had to look up 25ac. I didn't even spot the Nina until I started writing up the blog entry - nor even the obvious hints in the clues to 11ac and 24dn! Such a shame that the online version had an error in 6dn at first (although quickly corrected, and well before I typed in my own entry). Anyway, on to the puzzle...
| Across |
| 1 | FEINTED - sounds like "fainted" (passed out). Care required, as the only changed letter is unchecked, but I don't think there's any ambiguity. |
| 5 | COPER - COPIER (equipment for the office), minus the I. |
| 9 | REALM - REAL (not supposed) next to M(otorway). |
| 10 | REWORDING - REWARDING (lucrative), with one letter changed. Again, the changed letter is unchecked. Not quite so cut-and-dried as 1ac, but I still think there's no ambiguity. |
| 11 | GOODBYE - GOOD (fine) + BYE (run). |
| 12 | RICHARD - I CHAR (do, as a charlady "does") inside RD (way). |
| 13 | TURTLE DOVE - (true love, Told)*. Do they purr? Not according to Chambers, and definitely not if caught by a cat! |
| 15 | MESH - hidden in "game show". |
| 18 | REDO - RED DO (Communist Party, geddit?) without one of the D's. |
| 20 | STIRRUP CUP - STIR UP (agitate) around [PC (computer) after RU (Rugby Union, game)]. |
| 23 | LACQUER - sounds like "lacker" (one may have nothing). |
| 24 | DA PONTE - OP (work) reversed inside DANTE (poet). I'm sure we've all heard of DANTE the poet, so easy enough to work out from the wordplay once a few checking letters are in. Lorenzo da Ponte (1749-1838), who I'd never heard of, but having looked at his Wikipedia entry he probably deserves a bit more recognition. |
| 25 | AGRIGENTO - (not)* after A + GRIG (cricket) + (gam)E. I've never been to Sicily and didn't know the town. I looked it up, I admit it, but then realised I did know the word GRIG as a dialect word for a cricket (probably from a Listener or Mephisto puzzle). Last one I got, as I try not to resort to aids unless I absolutely have to. |
| 26 | ELATE - E(conomics) + LATE (dead). A rare adjectival meaning of the word, but one I'd come across before, so no hesitation in putting this one in. At least the wordplay was very straightforward. |
| 27 | EMMET - alternate letters of sEeM + MET (satisfied). Cornish word which also means "ant". |
| 28 | DUE DATE - DUE (expected) + DATE (become old-fashioned). |
| Down |
| 1 | FLAVOUR - L(itre) "in FAVOUR" (approved). |
| 2 | IMMOBILE - I'M + MOBILE. The story of my life! |
| 3 | THROE - THRO' (as a result of) + E(cstasy). |
| 4 | DOWNRIVER - OWN (have) inside DRIVER (chauffeur). |
| 5 | CURACY - CC (copy) around URA(nus) (half the world) + Y (unknown). |
| 6 | PRIMATE - A + T(ime) inside PRIME (prayer for monks, first of the day at 6am apparently). |
| 7 | RIGID - R(ight) + I (one) + "DIG up" (exhume). |
| 8 | BRIGHTER - BRIG (officer, short for BRIGADIER) + (the)* + R(egiment). R for regiment doesn't seem to be a standard abbreviation. But we'll let him off, it is his last day! |
| 14 | DETHRONED - (not herded)*. Do I detect a touch of dissent? Maybe he wasn't ready to go! |
| 16 | HYPHENED - HYPED (exaggerated) around HEN (female). |
| 17 | SUBPOENA - B(lack) + POE (author) inside SUN (newspaper) + A. |
| 19 | DECORUM - ECO (green) inside DRUM (part of the ear). |
| 21 | CONCAVE - CON (study) + CAVE (hermit's dwelling perhaps). |
| 22 | BUDGET - double definition. |
| 23 | LEAVE - LAVE (wash) around (stag)E. |
| 24 | DRONE - last letters of "Crossword editor/font> to/font> turn/font> aside/font>". Nice one to finish off with, and a touch of humility too! |