MUDD kicks off the week…
A nice gentle start to a Monday. A couple of quirky clues, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks MUDD!
ACROSS
1. Put down date and location for game (6,5)
SQUASH COURT
SQUASH (put down) + COURT (date)
7. Lower allowance (3)
CUT
9. Revolting type with wind stifling belch, originally (5)
REBEL
REEL (wind) stifling B[elch] (originally)
10. Spy one with Mudd? That’s not quite wrong! (9)
PSEUDONYM
(SPY ONE with MUD[d] (that’s not quite))* (*wrong) & cryptic definition (MUDD being a pseudonym)
11. Sort letter (9)
CHARACTER
12. Lecturer’s space full (5)
WHOLE
“hole” = WHOLE (space, “lecturer’s”)
13. Tool let us in after some wiggling (7)
UTENSIL
(LET US IN)* (*after some wiggling)
15. Having consumed last of sangria, the drunk can’t stand (4)
HATE
(THE)* (*drunk) having consumed [sangri]A (last of)
18. Dodge rogue, back away! (4)
SCAM
SCAM[p] (rogue, back away)
20. Appropriate language ending in applause (7)
GERMANE
GERMAN (language) + [applaus]E (ending in)
23. A pedal for brewing (5)
AFOOT
24. A viola playing after mass, unsuccessfully (2,2,5)
TO NO AVAIL
( A VIOLA)* (*playing) after TON (mass)
26. Gamble in rush to pen cryptic clue (9)
SPECULATE
SPATE (rush) to pen (CLUE)* (*cryptic)
27. Still sweltering in centre of Napoli (5)
PHOTO
HOT (sweltering) in [na]PO[li] (centre of)
28. Some draw: I need — a better result? (3)
WIN
29. Test of verbal skills that would have wizard buzzing? (8,3)
SPELLING BEE
Double (cryptic) definition
DOWN
1. Evergreen, happy — and tidy (6,2)
SPRUCE UP
SPRUCE (evergreen) + UP (happy)
2. Just rubbish bin used, article thrown in (8)
UNBIASED
(BIN USED)* (*rubbish), A (article) thrown in
3. Dance while repeatedly spinning around leader in lambada (5)
SALSA
(AS)< (while, <spinning) repeatedly (so, SA SA) around L[ambada] (leader in)
4. Bread invested in US state — money! (7)
CAPITAL
PITA (bread) invested in CAL (US state)
5. Find a little bureau near Thanet (7)
UNEARTH
[burea]U NEAR TH[anet] (a little)
6. Write date anew, current (9)
TIDEWATER
7. Preserve that valley (6)
CANYON
CAN (preserve) + YON (that)
8. 11 in fit of pique (6)
TEMPER
14. Tool set with saucer to smash up (9)
SECATEURS
(SET with SAUCER)* (*to smash up)
16. Lion, say, on a search for underground chamber (8)
CATACOMB
CAT (lion, say) on A + COMB (search for)
17. Good job, anything but rare! (4,4)
WELL DONE
Double (cryptic) definition
19. Hair parted by the explosive gas! (7)
METHANE
MANE (hair) parted by (THE)* (*explosive)
20. Mannerly dope with blunted sword (7)
GENTEEL
GEN (dope) with [s]TEEL (sword, blunted)
21. 4 had been identified by hostilities? (6)
WARSAW
SAW (had been identified) by WAR (hostilities)
22. Serious mix of lemons or melons (6)
SOLEMN
(LEMONS)* (*mix) or (MELONS)* (*mix)
25. Poplar appearing, Scots pine evidently not, initially (5)
ASPEN
A[ppearing] S[cots] P[ine] E[vidently] N[ot] (initally)
Very enjoyable from Mudd, raising a few grins over morning coffee.
PSEUDONYM, CATACOMB, SOLEMN, UNEARTH, AFOOT, PHOTO and HATE (last two for their surfaces) all had ticks.
Thanks to Teacow and Mudd.