A relatively difficult challenge from the usually gentle NEO.
FF: 7 DD: 9
mini theme around len deighton's spy stories.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | PROPHESY |
Oracle to support dissent on being excluded (8)
|
|
PROP ( support ) HEreSY ( dissent, without RE – on ) |
||
| 9 | ASPERGES |
Sprinklers keep grass high — potassium lacking (8)
|
|
[ kEEP GRASS ( without K – potassoum ) ]* |
||
| 10 | OSCARS |
Limousines perhaps for Hollywood event (6)
|
|
cryptic def; read OS ( oversize ) CARS |
||
| 12 | EMERY |
Polish gallery remembers retrospective exhibits (5)
|
|
hidden, reversed in "..gallerY REMEmbers.." |
||
| 13 | MARGARITA |
Drink to spoil walking style around river area (9)
|
|
MAR ( spoil ) [ GAIT ( walking style ) around R ( river ) ] A ( area ) |
||
| 14 | ESTHER |
Job following this husband entering compound (6)
|
|
H ( husband ) in ESTER ( compound ) |
||
| 16/29 | FUNERAL IN BERLIN |
Happy Days composer holds nothing back in film (7,2,6)
|
|
[ FUN ( happy ) ERA ( days ) BERLIN ( composer, irving ) ] containing reverse of NIL ( nothing ) |
||
| 19 | SEDATED |
Out to some degree in chair touring Land’s End (7)
|
|
SEATED ( in chair ) around D ( LanD, end letter of ) |
||
| 21/4 | PADDLE STEAMER |
Confuses crew coming in by boat (6,7)
|
|
[ ADDLES ( confuses ) TEAM ( crew ) ] in PER ( by ) |
||
| 23 | ESPIONAGE |
Psychic powers in time assimilating old 3 5’s business (9)
|
|
[ ESP ( psychic powers ) IN AGE ( time ) ] containing O ( old ) |
||
| 25 | COMMA |
100 rounds fired in retreat — this gives pause (5)
|
|
C ( 100, roman numerals ) OMMA ( reverse of AMMO – rounds ) |
||
| 26 | BAOBAB |
Graduates gathering round black tree (6)
|
|
[ BA BA ( graduates ) around O ( round ) ] B ( black ) |
||
| 27 | ATTENDEE |
One present a shirt for nurse to wear (8)
|
|
[ A TEE ( shirt) ] around TEND ( nurse ) |
||
| 28 | EGGNOG |
Drink and say medal should be returned (6)
|
|
EG ( say ) GNOG ( medal = GONG, reversed ) |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | PLAYER |
Musician in quiet band (6)
|
|
P ( quiet ) LAYER ( band ) |
||
| 2 | OPPRESSED |
Subdued reviews seen in newspaper article (9)
|
|
PRESS ( reviews ) in OP ED ( newspaper article ) |
||
| 3/5 | HARRY PALMER |
16 29 spy brings plague to pilgrim (5,6)
|
|
HARRY ( plague ) PALMER ( pilgrim ) |
||
| 6 | ABSTAINED |
A bishop in disgrace made Lenten observance? (9)
|
|
A B ( bishop ) STAINED ( in disgrace ) |
||
| 7 | MIAMI |
City article blocking delicate Parisian sewer? (5)
|
|
A ( article ) in MIMI ( delicate parisian sewer? ) |
||
| 8 | RASCALLY |
Wretched like Conservative in political meeting (8)
|
|
[ AS ( like ) C ( conservative ) ] in RALLY ( political meeting ) |
||
| 11 | GRAF |
Airmen under gravitational effect in Zeppelin? (4)
|
|
G ( gravitational effect ) RAF ( airmen ) |
||
| 15 | HOT POTATO |
Mutton dish at last in bistro — contentious issue? (3,6)
|
|
HOT POT ( mutton dish ) AT O ( bistrO, last letter ) |
||
| 17 | ROLE MODEL |
Cake embracing European form, for example (4,5)
|
|
ROLL ( cake ) containing [ E ( european ) MODE ( form ) ] |
||
| 18 | ASSEMBLE |
American ship with incomplete device put together (8)
|
|
A ( american ) SS ( ship ) EMBLEm ( device, incomplete i.e without last letter ) |
||
| 20 | DRAW |
No winner in this lottery? (4)
|
|
double def |
||
| 21 | PRESTON |
Fast train’s terminus in Lancashire location (7)
|
|
PRESTO ( fast ) N ( traiN, end character ) |
||
| 22 | TAVERN |
Faulty TV near bar (6)
|
|
[ TV NEAR ]* |
||
| 24 | PRONG |
Point behind — no good (5)
|
|
PRO ( behind ) N ( no ) G ( good ) |
||
| 25 | CREWE |
Wife pulled into North American railway town (5)
|
|
W ( wife ) in CREE ( north american ) |
||
Enjoyed this one … didn’t think I would finish but just got there within the hour…. I still don’t understand the Harry Palmer clue!