A seemingly light challenge from XELA with just a small number of clues preventing an easy ride.
FF: 8 DD:6
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | LONGSHORE DRIFT |
Process that removes fine bits from Lord of the Rings, possibly (9,5)
|
| [ LORD OF THE RINGS ]*; i had no clue about the clue | ||
| 10 | INSTA |
Social media app partially reinstalled (5)
|
| hidden in “..reINSTAlled” ; instagram | ||
| 11 | PEPPERONI |
Spicy snacks go with beer from Italy (9)
|
| PEP ( go ) PERONI ( beer from italy ) | ||
| 12 | SHELLAC |
That lady rebuffed demand for varnish (7)
|
| SHE ( that lady ) LLAC ( reverse of CALL, demand ) | ||
| 13 | RESTYLE |
Take 5 years — primarily lacking enthusiasm — to do a makeover (7)
|
| REST ( take 5 ) Y ( years ) LE ( “..Lacking Enthusiasm..”, starting letters of ) | ||
| 14 | NABOB |
Wealthy individual sobs endlessly after arrest (5)
|
| NAB ( arrest ) OB ( sOBs, without end characters ) | ||
| 16 | TATTOOIST |
Permanent marker? (9)
|
| cryptic def | ||
| 19 | STRETCHES |
Throws up after first couple of stiff warm-up exercises (9)
|
| ST ( STiff, first couple of ) RETCHES ( throws up ) | ||
| 20 | NOTED |
I hear you like music? (5)
|
| cryptic def | ||
| 22 | CANTHUS |
Part of the eye is able to shut freely (7)
|
| CAN ( able ) [ SHUT ]* | ||
| 25 | FACTION |
Dissension following legal proceeding (7)
|
| F ( following ) ACTION ( legal proceeding ) | ||
| 27 | UNDERWEAR |
Boxers maybe subject to deterioration (9)
|
| cryptic def; read as UNDER WEAR ( subject to deterioration ) | ||
| 28 | ELITE |
English low-calorie cream (5)
|
| E ( english ) LITE ( low-calorie ) | ||
| 29 | BESIDE THE POINT |
Where you might find the on/off switch is irrelevant (6,3,5)
|
| cryptic def | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 2 | OYSTER BAR |
Seafood restaurant in new bay resort (6,3)
|
| [ BAY RESORT ]* | ||
| 3 | GRAIL |
Good mass transit option is something highly sought-after (5)
|
| G ( good ) RAIL ( mass transit option ) | ||
| 4 | HOPSCOTCH |
Aspire mostly to put the kibosh on kids’ game (9)
|
| HOPe ( aspire, mostly ) SCOTCH ( put the kibosh on ) | ||
| 5 | ROPER |
Right loop for every cowgirl, perhaps (5)
|
| R ( right ) O ( ~loop ) PER ( for every ) | ||
| 6 | DRESS DOWN |
Don’t don smart attire for lecture (5,4)
|
| double def | ||
| 7 | IRONY |
Club comedy ultimately displaying wry humour (5)
|
| IRON ( club ) Y ( comedY, last letter ) | ||
| 8 | TRIDENT |
Missile is very loud when losing its tip (7)
|
| sTRIDENT ( very loud, without its tip ) | ||
| 9 | LIES IN |
Doesn’t rise until at the end? That is wrong (4,2)
|
| L ( untiL, last letter ) IE ( that is ) SIN ( wrong ) | ||
| 15 | BUTCHERED |
Tough European revolutionary killed in a brutal manner (9)
|
| BUTCH ( tough ) E ( european ) RED ( revolutionary ) | ||
| 17 | TASK FORCE |
Time to request church group on a mission (4,5)
|
| T ( time ) ASK FOR ( request ) CE ( church ) | ||
| 18 | INTUITION |
Gut feeling this is how teachers make money? (9)
|
| cryptic def; read as IN TUITION ( how teachers make money ) | ||
| 19 | SUCCUMB |
By the sound of it, be really awful and, er, give in (7)
|
| sounds like SUCK ( really awful ) UM ( er ) | ||
| 21 | DINNER |
Duke joining private for meal (6)
|
| D ( duke ) INNER ( private ) | ||
| 23 | NODES |
Set up some centralised online connection points (5)
|
| hidden, reversed in “.. centraliSED ONline..” | ||
| 24 | SPELT |
It’s like W-H-E-A-T (5)
|
| cryptic def? i am surely missing something here | ||
| 26 | CREDO |
Republican bound by firm belief system (5)
|
| RED ( republican ) in CO ( firm ) |
1ac was a new term for me but it is the process of the tide moving sediment ( pebbles and sand )along the shore.
SPELT is a cereal and the clue shows wheat being spelled.
Rather an enjoyable puzzle.
Thanks XELA and Turbolegs.
Haven’t seen Xela in a while and this grid was a most welcome return.
I loved SPELT, and appreciated PEPPERONI, GRAIL, OYSTER BAR (neat anagram) and DINNER (nice surface).
Didn’t know 1a but with all of the crossers in place, it was fair enough to guess.
Thanks to Xela and Turbolegs.
LONGSHORE DRIFT was LOI and needed all the crossers: I think I first became aware of it on visiting Chesil Beach on a childhood holiday. What a remarkable anagram spot – I wonder which came first, the solution or the anagram (and suspect the latter). I have seen the SPELT idea before but it is a very neat one. PEPPERONI, OYSTER BAR, STRETCHES, TATTOOIST, UNDERWEAR and BUTCHERED all earned ticks.
Thanks both
LONGSHORE DRIFT & CANTHUS were my only speed bumps. All else ran smoothly and was good fun.
I was hoping for a Friday Xela as I opened the FT app and there it was. I thought this was great. The LOTR anagram’s a miraculous find. NOTED was an intriguing surface, then I got it from the crossers and was briefly baffled then loved it. “Permanent marker” seemed like it could have been a few things and I was toying between HEADSTONE and TOMBSTONE so I as pleased to find the actual answer was cheerier and wittier. Thanks X and T