MUDD kicks off the week…
A very gentle and enjoyable solve for a Monday morning.
Thanks MUDD!
ACROSS
1. Hobnail safe when hammered in (11)
FASHIONABLE
(HOBNAIL SAFE)* (*when hammered)
7. Cut identified (3)
SAW
9. Gather some moss, a majority rolled over (5)
AMASS
([mo]SS A MA[jority] (some))< (<rolled over)
10. Predatory bird after grub, as flying — something sweet in that (5,4)
SUGAR BOWL
OWL (predatory bird) after (GRUB AS)* (*flying)
11. By grave, keep going (9)
PERSEVERE
PER (by) + SEVERE (grave)
12. Nothing beyond infernal world — what do we have here then? (5)
HELLO
O (nothing) beyond HELL (infernal world)
13. Exclusion by management when hair revealed (7)
LOCKOUT
LOCK (hair) + OUT (revealed)
15. Kill noise, hullabaloo finally muffled (2,2)
DO IN
DIN (noise), [hullabalo]O (finally) muffled
18. Considered material (4)
FELT
20. This vessel’s small and powerful, but has got a failing (7)
TUGBOAT
(BUT has GOT A)* (*failing)
23. Theory in truth unchallenged (5)
HUNCH
[trut]H UNCH[allenged] (in)
24. Something afoot, seemingly — as private person mentioned? (5,4)
INNER SOLE
INNER (private) + “soul” = SOLE (person, “mentioned”)
26. Waspish given sack — hostile exchange (9)
CROSSFIRE
CROSS (waspish) given FIRE (sack)
27. Panel twiddling thumbs when in conference? (5)
BOARD
“bored” = BOARD (twiddling thumbs, “when in conference”)
28. Right to an opinion, for example (3)
SAY
29. US river, wet and grey (11)
YELLOWSTONE
YELLOW (wet) and STONE (grey)
DOWN
1. Mark European post with colours? (8)
FLAGPOLE
FLAG (mark) + POLE (European)
2. Plant put on pebble (8)
SHAMROCK
SHAM (put on) + ROCK (pebble)
3. Matter found in napkin, perhaps, when surface cleared (5)
ISSUE
[t]ISSUE (napkin, perhaps, when surface cleared)
4. Most curious where one sits when relocated (7)
NOSIEST
(ONE SITS)* (*when relocated)
5. Offer impressing leader in gaslighter, that man a narcissist (7)
BIGHEAD
BID (offer) impressing (G[aslighter] (leader in) + HE (that man) + A)
6. Funny girl then, a human (9)
EARTHLING
7. Adagio, where bass appears in secret (6)
SLOWLY
LOW (bass) appears in SLY (secret)
8. It’s amazing hugging diseased tree (6)
WILLOW
WOW (it’s amazing) hugging ILL (diseased)
14. Nothing very rash, yet remarkably rash! (9)
OVERHASTY
O (nothing) + V (very) + (RASH YET)* (*remarkably)
16. Diversion of road with loco in US river (8)
COLORADO
(ROAD with LOCO)* (*diversion of)
17. Nurse brought in a letter for visitor (8)
ATTENDEE
TEND (nurse) brought in (A + TEE (letter))
19. Four involved in ordeal — hardly worth mentioning? (7)
TRIVIAL
IV (four) involved in TRIAL (ordeal)
20. Cross with Gael, not furious (7)
TANGELO
(GAEL NOT)* (*furious)
A citrus hybrid of a tangerine and a pomelo
21. Expression of disappointment is awful where hospital closed off (6)
SHUCKS
SUCKS (is awful) where H (hospital) closed off
22. Superior dirty clothes ending in bin (6)
SNOOTY
SOOTY (dirty) clothes [bi]N (ending in)
25. Problem ending in tears, especially when upset (5)
REBUS
([tear]S (ending in) + UBER (especially))< (<when upset)
As Teacow has it, a gentle and solver-friendly puzzle, but I would have struggled without the crossers falling into place so helpfully.
I’m not so keen on the word “given”, in 26(ac), CROSSFIRE; not “wrong”, as such, just not nice.
Also, I felt a lot of the clues were a bit “samey”, as I was solving, but I didn’t back-check, so that may be nonsense.
At the end of the day, it’s a thumbs up with thanks, to Mudd & Teacow
Ian@1 The use of “given” as a juxtaposition indicator is well-precedented – see the Clue Clinic list here https://clueclinic.com/index.php/juxtaposition-indicators/
Bagpuss@2 -many thanks for reply and for the link. I just thought, something like ” Waspish, leading to sack, and hostile exchange”.
But, I am no setter.
Again, thank you for the heads up, it’s an interesting site, that I was not aware of.
Cheers , Ian
Thanks Mudd for the Monday enjoyment. Favourites included PERSEVERE, BOARD, WILLOW, OVERHASTY, and REBUS. Since I could parse everything it must have been a ‘gentle’ crossword. Thanks Teacow for the blog.
Nothing too difficult or obscure but somehow this seemed a bit lacklustre; not that we could put a finger on anything specific. It’s probably just how it seemed to us. We liked SUGAR BOWL, though.
Thanks, though, Mudd and Teacow.
Comment #6
As others have said, quite straightforward made easier with 7 anagrams. Thanks nonetheless Mudd
Gentle fare and enjoyable. NHO Inner Sole; always said Insole. Thought Tugboat clever. Thanks.
Thanks Mudd and Teacow.
I liked FLAGPOLE and FASHIONABLE.
Martin@9. I’m with you! Thank you all
Hadn’t realized there was a Mudd on offer. Pretty quick turnaround from last week.
Fair blasted through the puzzle and had it almost completed in about 10 minutes. Then got stuck in the SW corner with 21d, 22d, 26ac and 28ac holding me up. That took twice as long to figure out with 21d and 22d getting ticks.