The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/30075.
Carpathian gives us an excellent fill of the Monday slot: simple constructions in succinct clues, giving even the less experienced solvers a chance to complete, but with enough bite to keep more versed solvers happy.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | MASKED |
Disguised male questioned (6)
|
| A charade of M (‘male’) plus ASKED (‘questioned’). | ||
| 4 | RAREBIT |
Dish of unusual grain (7)
|
| A charade of RARE (‘unusual’) plus BIT (‘grain’ – “It doesn’t have a bit/grain of truth”). | ||
| 9 | SUCCULENT |
Uncle cuts up plant (9)
|
| An anagram (‘up’) of ‘uncle cuts’. | ||
| 10 | TERSE |
Short tenor getting refreshed on and off (5)
|
| A charade of T (‘tenor’) plus ERSE (‘rEfReShEd on and off’). | ||
| 11 | TASTE |
Sample bit of pasta stealthily (5)
|
| A hidden answer (‘bit of’) in ‘pasTA STEalthily’. | ||
| 12 | ELABORATE |
Make speech after European scientist’s workplace gets involved (9)
|
| A charade of E (‘European’) plus LAB (‘scientist’s workplace’) plus ORATE (‘make speech’). | ||
| 13 | PLACARD |
Bill quietly left a club? (7)
|
| A charade of P (piano, ‘quietly’) plus L (‘left’) plis ‘a’ plus CARD (‘club?’ – indication by example). | ||
| 15 | TURNIP |
Root of change I proposed initially (6)
|
| A charade of TURN (‘change’) plus ‘I’ plus P (‘Proposed initially’). | ||
| 17 | STATUE |
Effigy of union’s leader embraced by nation (6)
|
| An envelope (’embraced by’) of U (‘Union’s leader’) in STATE (‘nation’). | ||
| 19 | LACONIC |
Brief note concerning one Conservative snorting cocaine (7)
|
| An envelope (‘snorting’) of C (‘cocaine’) in LA (‘note’ of solfa) plus ON (‘concerning’) plus I (‘one’) plus C (‘Conservative’). | ||
| 22 | HERBAL TEA |
That woman sorted out table with a hot drink (6,3)
|
| A charade of HER (‘that woman’) plus BALTE, an anagram (‘sorted out’) of ‘table’ plus ‘a’. | ||
| 24 | GLADE |
Pleased with mouse finally finding space in forest (5)
|
| A charade of GLAD (‘pleased’) plus E (‘mousE finally’). | ||
| 26 | IRONS |
Smooths out chains (5)
|
| Double definition. “Clap him in irons’. | ||
| 27 | ASSAILANT |
Mugger is idiot upset by six footer (9)
|
| A charade of ASS (‘idiot’) plus AIL (‘upset’) plus ANT (‘six-footer’). | ||
| 28 | PENDANT |
Quibbler holds new medallion (7)
|
| An envelope (‘holds’) of N (‘new’) in PEDANT (‘quibbler’). | ||
| 29 | BEATEN |
Hammered bachelor put away (6)
|
| A charade of B (‘bachelor’) plus EATEN (‘put away’). | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | MISSTEP |
Fail to attend precious flipping trip (7)
|
| A charade of MISS (‘fail to attend’) plus TEP, a reversal (‘flipping’) of PET (‘precious’). | ||
| 2 | SOCKS |
Request for help involving Calvin Klein footwear (5)
|
| An envelope (‘involving’) of CK (‘Calvin Klein’) in SOS (‘request for help’). | ||
| 3 | EXUBERANT |
Former ride-share company worker is vivacious (9)
|
| A charade of EX (‘former’) plus UBER (‘ride-share company’) plus ANT (‘worker’). | ||
| 4 | RETRACT |
Withdraw from English area after start of revolution (7)
|
| A charade of R (‘start of Revolution’) plus E (‘English’) plus TRACT (‘area’). | ||
| 5 | RATIO |
Traitor I love in proportion (5)
|
| A charade of RAT (‘traitor’) plus ‘I’ plus O (‘love’). | ||
| 6 | BARBARIAN |
Pub ban before Scotsman gets savage (9)
|
| A charade of BAR (‘pub’) plus BAR (‘ban’) plus IAN (‘Scotsman’). | ||
| 7 | TEETER |
Former X contributor without sway (6)
|
| A subtraction: T[w]EETER (‘former X contributor’) minus (-‘out’) W (‘with’-). | ||
| 8 | DEFEND |
Protect upstanding US agent on border (6)
|
| A charade of DEF, a reversal (‘upstanding’ in a down light) of FED (‘US agent’) plus END (‘border’). | ||
| 14 | AFTERNOON |
PM behind expression of hesitation regarding accepting refusal (9)
|
| An envelope (‘accepting’) of NO (‘refusal’) in AFT (‘behind’) plus ER (‘expression of hesitation’) plus ON (‘regarding’). | ||
| 16 | RECOGNISE |
Try rising during sincere broadcast for Grant (9)
|
| An envelope (‘during’) of OG, a reversal (‘rising’ in d down light) of GO (‘try’) in RECNISE, an anagram (‘broadcast’) of ‘sincere’. | ||
| 18 | ENTRANT |
Competitor in event ran tirelessly (7)
|
| A hidden answer ‘in’ ‘evENT RAN Tirelessly’. | ||
| 19 | LIAISE |
Is a lie tricky to communicate? (6)
|
| An anagram (‘tricky’) of ‘is a lie’. | ||
| 20 | CHEAT ON |
Be unfaithful to Charlie with passion and touching (5,2)
|
| A charade of C (‘Charlie’, NATO phonetic alphabet) plus HEAT (‘passion’) plus ON (‘touching’). | ||
| 21 | SHRIMP |
Small person parking next to quiet verge (6)
|
| A charade of SH (‘quiet’ as a command) plus RIM (‘verge’) plus P (‘parking’). | ||
| 23 | AT SEA |
Disorganised leaders of army training session elicit apathy (2,3)
|
| First letters (‘leaders’) of Army Training Session Elicit Apathy’. | ||
| 25 | AWAIT |
Anticipate a pressure for auditor (5)
|
| A charade of ‘a’ plus WAIT, sounding like (‘for auditor’) WEIGHT (‘pressure’). |
Thanks Peter.
A small hours solve for me.
I liked ELABORATE, EXUBERANT and AFTERNOON. A couple of ants working today but there are more in my patio.
Thanks Carpathian.
Good fun; no obscurities and nothing too taxing. I didn’t understand TEETER, but should have. I was fixated that X had something to do with ten. I initially had WOOED for 24a. I don’t like “up” as an anagrind, but I’ve said this several times before and I really should stop.