For personal reasons I had to try to solve this in a hurry, and nearly succeeded… special thanks to mc_rapper67 for some support!
I’m afraid that I am still rather busy; that, along with being nearly stranded in London last night due to train issues meant I almost ran out of time for completing and blogging this. After an earlier couple of quick goes and a few going in, I managed to fill most of the grid except, inexplicably, for 18a and 19d. Luckily our esteemed mc_rapper67 was able and willing to assist, so many thanks to him for that.
Thanks also and as ever to Cyclops for the puzzle.
Across
| 8 | UNSEATED | Not fully satisfied about Farage finally thrown out of parliament? (8) UNSATED (not fully satisfied) about E (Farage finally). |
| 9 | GOBLET | Overturned toilet – hindrance or aid to the drinker? (6) GOB (bog i.e. toilet, overturned) + LET (hindrance). |
| 11/12 | CRASS STUPIDITY | What many of Trump’s actions amount to? US districts pay off (5) Anagram (off) of US DISTRICTS PAY. |
| 13 | AUDITORIA | One making financial checks on inept, asinine leaders’ conference venues? (9) AUDITOR (one making financial checks) + I[nept] + A[sinine]. |
| 14 | CANON | Law of prison taking negative turn (5) CAN (prison) + ON (no i.e. negative turn[ed]). |
| 15 | SERIOUS | Drug-taking senior with debts that will lead to grave (7) A charade of SER, an insertion (taking) of E (drug) inside SR (senior) + IOUS (debts). |
| 18 | SOLVENT | Merger of the Sun and Express, which some might sniff at (7) SOL (Sun) + VENT (Express). |
| 21 | INDIE | Music‘s accepted decline? (5) IN (accepted) + DIE (decline). |
| 23 | INCAPABLE | Pissed sailor snuggles into awfully nice lap (9) An envelope (snuggles into) of AB (able bodied i.e. sailor) inside INCAPLE, an anagram (awfully) of NICE LAP. |
| 26/27 | CORPORATE IMAGE | Nasty ICE operator impounds a periodical – which multinationals try to present in a good light (9) An envelope of MAG (periodical) inside CORPORATEIE, an anagram (nasty) of ICE OPERATOR. |
| 28 | MOSLEY | See 2d. |
| 29 | PEPERONI | “Hot stuff” Penny grabbed by Lords member, perversely in love (8) A charade of PEPER, an envelope (grabbed by) of P[enny] inside PEER (Lords member), plus ONI – IN + O (love), perversely. An unusual (to me at least) spelling of one of my favourite spicy pizza toppings, valid per Chambers, from the plural of the Italian for bell peppers. |
Down
| 1 | OUTCLASS | Best unfashionable educational unit (8) OUT (unfashionable) + CLASS (educational unit). Definition/solution as a verb. |
| 2/28a | OSWALD | Lawless, moody, stupid old fascist (6) Anagram (stupid) of LAWLESS MOODY. |
| 3 | FALSETTO | “FAKE, EXCESSIVE, BACKWARD” is rather shrill (8) FALSE (excessive) + TTO (OTT, ‘over the top’/excessive, backward). |
| 4 | TEASER | One who winds up getting arse thrashed after the election starts (6) T[he] E[lection] + ASER (anagram/thrashed of ARSE). |
| 5 | ZODIAC | Old banger’s heavenly belt (6) Double definition. It took me ages to remember the car, unsurprisingly as they’d been discontinued for a while before I was born. |
| 6 | ALLIANCE | Coalition parties’ leaderless flirtation (8) [D]ALLIANCE (flirtation). |
| 7 | STAYIN | To adhere to lockdown rules, possibly is to shatter sanity! (4,2) Anagram (shatter) of SANITY. |
| 10 | HUMANS | People causing stink with abrupt response (6) HUM (stink) + ANS (abbreviation/abrupt ‘response’). |
| 16 | REDCROSS | Furious-looking, mad wartime medics (3,5) RED (furious-looking) + CROSS (mad). |
| 17 | SPIRAL | Wicked Paris with large behind, producing wind (6) Anagram (wicked) of PARIS + L[arge]. Definition & solution as verbs again. |
| 19 | LOPSIDED | Spoiled duke screwed off balance (8) Anagram (screwed) of D (Duke) and SPOILED. |
| 20 | THEMEDIA | Subject: “Aid rejected” – slated by Trump (3,5) THEME (subject) + DIA (Aid, rejected/reversed). |
| 21 | INCOME | Revenue generated by hot orgasm (6) IN (hot) + COME (orgasm). |
| 22 | EXOCET | It can hit ships once round about eastern end of strait (6) EX (once, as in ex-girlfriend) + O (round) + C (about) + E[eastern] + strai[T], for the type of anti-ship cruise missile. |
| 24 | CLEVER | Chlorine always makes you smart (6) CL (chemical symbol for Chlorine) + EVER (always). |
| 25 | BEACON | Live with a Tory? Danger alert! (6) BE (live) + A + CON (Tory). |
Thanks for the blog , not too much politics or smut this week but a lot of good clues . CRASS STUPIDITY a very neat anagram , ZODIAC cars turn up in The Sweeney , usually for the villains .
This was good fun – but then Cyclops’ creations always are.
I particularly enjoyed FALSETTO, GOBLET and the surface of UNSEATED, whilst CRASS STUPIDITY was satisfying on various levels (which can never be said for the thing itself).
When we were very little my Dad had a Ford Zodiac, and the car he got after that was a Zephyr. Somebody at Ford clearly liked Zs…
Thanks to Cyclops – and a 21-gun salute to the simonbyc/mc_rapper67 blog-collective, for soldiering on despite the obstacles
Nice crossword. My aged Aunt had a Zodiac. Terrifying, she was so short she would peer at the road through the steering wheel.
Thanks bloggers, and all understood.
I had a few stumbling blocks with this, but as usual Mrs. E saw them straight away.
I’m not making a dalliance/alliance count any more than I am a resident/president one, so no one need worry.