Mudd stretches a couple of things here to make some good, interesting clues (13A, 20A, 26A, 11D). I finished most of it fairly quickly but the upper right-hand corner took me a while. I am not sure I fully understand the wordplay of 2D.
1. BUCKLE – double definition
4. STUBBORN – STUB (rear) + BORN (pushed out)
9. CREASE – R (runs) in CEASE (stop)
10. DECANTER – CAN (tin) in DETER (stop)
12. SHAMROCK – double definition
13. RETINA – RE (regarding) + TINA (girl). With a beaut of a cryptic definition.
15. DRIP – cryptic definition, I guess.
16. BOARDER – homophone (“border”)
20. SPEED UP – PEED (having been!) in SUP (drink)
21. FELT – double definition
25. ROCOCO – OR (or) backwards + COCO [Chanel] (stylish woman)
26. SHOPPING – S (society) + HOPPING (evidently short of a member!)
28. PHARMACY – HARM (injury) in PACY (quick)
29. MIMOSA – IM (Mudd’s) + OS (huge) in MA (mother)
30. COLANDER – CO (fellow) + LANDER (lighter)
31. UGANDA – homophone (“you gander”)
Down
1. BACKSIDE – BACK (second) + SIDE (team)
2. CLEMATIS -C (male?) + anagram of METAL + IS (is)
3. LUSTRE – anagram of RESULT
5. TIER – double definition
6. BRACELET – BRACE (couple) + LET (allowed)
7. OUTWIT – OU (home-studying) + TWIT (idiot). I take it that OU refers to the Open University.
8. NORMAL – NORMA (girl) + L (left)
11. SCOOTER – O (roundabout) in SCOTER (bird)
14. DRAUGHT – double definition
17. SPECIMEN – anagram of MINCE PIES less one I
18. DEMIJOHN – double/cryptic definition
19. STIGMATA – anagram of MAT TAG IS
22. TROPIC – PORT (drink) backwards + I (I) + C (cold)
23. SCRAWL – [authores]S + CRAWL (stroke)
24. SPRING – double definition
27. ACME – M[ountain] in ACE (great)
Pete
12a I didn’t class this as a dd but as a cd, with the cryptic part being ‘a girl’s worst friend’ or ‘fake diamond’ giving the SHAM ROCK
2d M (male) in CLEAT (bolted-on metal) IS
5d I didn’t understand this one at the time and I still don’t. How is it a dd; ‘tier’ = ‘rank, fine but what about the ‘one certainly won’t break’? Even using the definition of ‘a person who ties’ for ‘tier’ there seems to be no correlation.
Hi Geoff,
I was a bit unsure about how to categorize 12A. Probably should have made it a double/cryptic def.
I completely missed CLEAT in 2D. Thanks for that.
I was puzzled by 5D as well but figured it somehow had to refer to “a person who ties”. Maybe someone else can enlighten us?