The scheduled blogger is unwell and unable to post today so here is an analysis of the clues.
I will leave it to others to provide a commentary.
.
Across
1 Deposit a ball tackling five (7)
ADVANCE – A DANCE (a ball) around (tackling) V (five)
5 Delight in French tea — firstly need teapot! (7)
ENCHANT – EN (in French) CHA (tea) N[eed] T[eapot] (firstly need teapot)
9 Painter‘s second bag (5)
MONET – MO (second) NET (bag)
10 Come across ’im calculating number of chickens? (9)
ENCOUNTER – [h]EN COUNTER (’im calculating number of chickens)
11 Paid celebs can be loathsome (10)
DESPICABLE – an anagram (can be) of PAID CELEBS
12 Unhappy start to song and dance (3)
SAD – S[ong] A[nd] D[ance] (start to song and dance)
14 27s knew about minimum staff (8,4)
SKELETON CREW – an anagram (about) of ELECTOR (27) S KNEW
18 You could be / Eve (6,6)
SECOND PERSON – double def.
21 They say that in marriage libido is reduced by 50% … (1,2)
I DO – [lib]IDO (libido is reduced by 50%)
22 … to improve share for partner? (6,4)
BETTER HALF – BETTER (to improve) HALF (share)
25 On which one gets wet, / save for this (1,5,3)
A RAINY DAY – double def.
26 Playing a nine is stupid (5)
INANE – an anagram (playing) of A NINE
27 Voter getting shock treatment in role reversal (7)
ELECTOR – ECT (shock treatment) in ROLE reversed
28 Peak at any time east of Paris (7)
EVEREST – EVER (at any time) EST (east of Paris)
Down
1 Ships notice a weapon ahead (6)
ARMADA – ARM (weapon) AD (notice) A
2 Go / a bit like a van? (6)
VANISH – double def.
3 Fussy pink gin and tonic cocktail not on! (10)
NITPICKING – an anagram (cocktail) of PINK GIN T[on]IC
4 Nurse finally backing the last word in ‘help to go‘ (5)
ENEMA – [nurs]E (nurse finally) AMEN (the last word) reversed (backing)
5 Her Majesty embraces coastal regeneration — this can go up and down (9)
ESCALATOR – ER (Her Majesty) around (embraces) an anagram (regeneration) of COASTAL
6 Talk fondly, reportedly upset (4)
COUP – sounds like (reportedly) ‘coo’ (talk fondly)
7 Playing sitar, go for creative talent (8)
ARTISTRY – an anagram (playing) of SITAR followed by TRY (go)
8 Go blue in decline (4,4)
TURN DOWN – TURN (go) DOWN (blue)
13 Get lost / cycling (2,4,4)
ON YOUR BIKE – double def.
15 Speech interpreter repaired learner’s translation (3,6)
LIP READER – an anagram (translation) of REPAIRED L
16 Suck like Blackbeard? (8)
ASPIRATE – AS (like) PIRATE (Blackbeard)
17 Plaudit for a cold soft drink extremely desirable (8)
ACCOLADE – A C (cold) COLA (soft drink) D[esirabl]E (extremely desirable)
19 Be able to send up small amount of food? (6)
CANAPE – CAN (be able to) APE (send up)
20 Realise Jeff’s topless, hairy etc (6)
EFFECT – [j]EFF (Jeff’s topless) plus an anagram (hairy) of ETC
23 Herb for porridge, say (5)
THYME – sounds like (say) ‘time’ (porridge)
24 One shared by community with opportunities (4)
UNIT – contained in (shared by) ‘commUNITy’ and ‘opportUNITies’
Thanks Matilda & Gaufrid for saving the day (again!). Hope the scheduled blogger soon recovers.
Fine Quiptic
Yes, a good Quiptic employing a variety of devices while keeping it within reach for beginning solvers. A few smiles today, including ENCOUNTER and IDO, although I can’t decide whether VANISH is weak or witty. The double hidden word in 24d is a construction I haven’t seen before, easy enough to see but still creative cluing. Thanks to Matilda and to Gaufrid for stepping in.
I loved the humour in this very fun Quiptic. My favourites were VANISH, I DO, ENEMA, BETTER HALF, ENCOUNTER.
Thank you Matilda and Gaufrid
Thanks Matilda and Gaufrid
Great fun, with ENCOUNTER the most groan-worthy clue I’ve seen for ages.
Dave @2
There’s a BBC radio programme called I’m sorry I haven’t a clue. A regular round is Uxbride English Dictionary, in which the panel invent new definitons for words. VANISH could come straight out of that!
Uxbridge!
Thanks to Matilda and the estimable Gaufrid.
Very enjoyable with many smiles already noted and also some clever devices, SKELETON CREW and SECOND PERSON for instance and the amusing ellipsis-ed surfaces for I DO and BETTER HALF. Plaudits all round.
Thank Matilda and Gaufrid. Lovely Quiptic.
One thing I don’t get is the link between “porridge” and ”time.” Cockney slang or something? Would appreciate some help.
mikeylikesit @7
Porridge and time are both terms for a spell in prison.
I enjoyed it too – thanks Gaufrid & Matilda – including “playing sitar” where playing is the anagrind, but the same anagrind is used in 26a. It does read well too, but I wouldn’t use the same twice in my own puzzles.
Compliments Matilda! What a fun quiptic. Loved especially.’a rainy day’ and ‘second person’. ‘encounter’ indeed groan worthy. More quiptic and like this please.
I agree with all the above plaudits. This was hugely enjoyable – especially the jollity of ASPIRATE, ENCOUNTER, SAD, A RAINY DAY and the deliciously daft VANISH. Many thanks to Matilda, and to Gaufrid.
I’ve never heard the expression “on your bike,” so I learned something today.
I agree with the consensus — a very good Quiptic, which shows that you can have wit and cleverness without being difficult.
I was puzzled with the definition of EST as “East of Paris” Can someone help me understand this, please?
Martin @13
The French (indicated by ‘of Paris’) word for east is EST.
Thanks Matilda and Gaufrid. I was frustrated by MONET as I couldn’t really see net>bag as a strong connection. I’d have preferred more clarity (second catch, second curtain??) but who am I to moan? And anyway this is Crosswordland! I adored ENCOUNTER: in fact I was dangerously close to laughing out loud. On the bus. Not the done thing. 🙂
Gaufrid@14. Many thanks for the explanation. Very much appreciated.