Jason is this morning’s setter.
I only had a handful of across answers in on my first pass, but down solutions came a little easier, so I had plenty of crossers to help me get through the rest of the puzzle. My LOI was CARVER, because I couldn’t remember the name for the dining chair, but the crossing V helped.
Thanks, Jason.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | BASALT |
Bachelor, a wit, provides rock (6)
|
| B (bachelor) + A + SALT (“wit”) | ||
| 4 | MECHANIC |
Artisan’s small-minded about church in charge (8)
|
| MEAN (“small-minded”) about Ch. (church) + IC (in charge) | ||
| 10 | AMERICANO |
Drink with blooming nice aroma (9)
|
| *(nice aroma) [anag:blooming] | ||
| 11 | TIDES |
Bonds with 500 invested, these rise and fall (5)
|
| TIES (“bonds”) with D (500) invested | ||
| 12 | TRUE |
Genuine respite with cold avoided (4)
|
| TRU(c)E (“respite”) with C (cold) avoided | ||
| 13 | OVERCHARGE |
Do load too much (10)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 15 | FLAVOUR |
Goodwill must include opening of luscious relish (7)
|
| FAVOUR (“goodwill”) must include [opening of] L(uscious) | ||
| 16 | PLIANT |
Flexible one within flower (6)
|
| I (one) within PLANT (“flower”) | ||
| 19 | HERESY |
At this point society faces unknown contrary opinion (6)
|
| HERE (“at this point”) + S (society) faces Y (“unknown”, in mathematics) | ||
| 21 | FLEECED |
Jacket daughter ripped off (7)
|
| FLEECE (jacket) + D (daughter) | ||
| 23 | SECRETAIRE |
Cabinet which folds is hidden then mostly exposed (10)
|
| SECRET (“hidden”) then [mostly] AIRE(d) | ||
| 25 | PALM |
Conceal buddy with money (4)
|
| PAL (“buddy”) with M (money) | ||
| 27 | AVAST |
On board stop huge American first (5)
|
| VAST (“huge”) with A (American) first | ||
| 28 | DAMNATION |
Reviewing crazy state’s punishment (9)
|
| [reviewing] <=MAD (“crazy”) + NATION (“state”) | ||
| 29 | EMIGRATE |
A regime in chaos? About time to relocate (8)
|
| *(a regime) [anag:in chaos] about T (time) | ||
| 30 | ASSETS |
When stakes will become things of advantage (6)
|
| AS (“when”) + SETS (“stakes”) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | BLAST-OFF |
Launch for book finally postponed (5-3)
|
| B (book) + LAST (“finally”) + OFF (“postponed”) | ||
| 2 | SPECULATE |
Examine special cryptic clue near end of puzzle (9)
|
| Sp. (special) + *(clue) [anag:cryptic] + AT (“near”) + [end of] (puzzl)E | ||
| 3 | LAIR |
Left to express retreat (4)
|
| L (left) + AIR (“to express”) | ||
| 5 | EGO TRIP |
English received rent for what props one up (3,4)
|
| E (English) + GOT (“received”) + RIP (“rent”) | ||
| 6 | HITCHHIKER |
Potential passenger who’d put up problem (10)
|
| Somone who puts things up (hikes) would be a HIKER, so a HITCH HIKER could someone putting up hitches (“problems”) | ||
| 7 | NADIR |
Not available to clear up the lowest point (5)
|
| <=(N/A (not available) + RID (“to clear”),up) | ||
| 8 | COSTER |
Market trader who knows the value of everything (6)
|
| Double definition | ||
| 9 | CARVER |
Perhaps Gormley’s seat (6)
|
| Double definition, the first referring to sculptor Anthony Gormley and the second to a dining chair with arms. | ||
| 14 | LOVE LETTER |
Hold dear resident’s affectionate note (4,6)
|
| LOVE (“hold dear”) + LETTER (“resident”) | ||
| 17 | NECTARINE |
Mushy centre in a fruit (9)
|
| *(centre in a) [anag:mushy] | ||
| 18 | ODDMENTS |
Remnants left over by soldiers — empty tanks (8)
|
| ODD (“left over”) by MEN (“soldiers”) + [empty] T(ank)S | ||
| 20 | YEAR DOT |
Dear toy that’s been broken ages ago? (4,3)
|
| *(dear toy) [anag:that’s been broken] | ||
| 21 | FORUMS |
Regular meetings in favour of us taking minutes (6)
|
| FOR (“in favour of”) + US taking M (minutes) | ||
| 22 | ESCAPE |
Get away from Spain over southern headland (6)
|
| E (international vehicle registration code for “Spain”) over S (southern) + CAPE (“headland”) | ||
| 24 | COATI |
Fur possibly on head of indigenous omnivore (5)
|
| COAT (“fur, possibly”) on [head of] I(ndigenous) | ||
| 26 | NAGS |
Henpecks and hacks (4)
|
| Double definition, the second referring to horses in poor condition. |
Failed to get CARVER & NAGS. SECRETAIRE & COSTER were both new to me but gettable. Wasn’t sure in what context ‘stakes’ equates to ‘sets’ but l’m sure someone will elucidate.
Ditto Hovis @1; AI says you can stake out/set out a territory … hmm, spose so …
An enjoyable challenge from Jason, the top half going in smoothly enough but more thought was required for the remainder.
In the end, the puzzle was completed with just a few parsings eluding me (ASSETS – also shrugged at sets/stakes – and the second definition of CARVER), for which I thank Loonapick.
Favourites were NECTARINE, SECRETAIRE and EGO TRIP.
Cheers Jason.
Thanks Jason and Loonapick
30ac: Chambers 2016 p 1427 has set vt “… to cause to be; to plant; to stake; to embed; to frame; to mount …”. This seems to fit with p 1515 stake¹ vt “to fasten to or with, to protect, shut, support, furnish, pierce, with a stake or stakes”.