MOO kicks off the week…
A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle with a a few parsings that I probably haven’t explained very well but which I hope make a certain amount of sense.
Thanks MOO!
ACROSS
1. Citizen removing power from Trump perhaps (8)
RESIDENT
[p]RESIDENT (Trump perhaps, removing P (power))
5. Peculiar child… but likely to succeed? (4-2)
ODDS-ON
ODD (peculiar) + SON (child)
10. Charlie Baker and The Witches (5)
COVEN
C (Charlie) + OVEN (baker)
11. Bungling sees new pint knocked over (9)
INEPTNESS
(SEES + N (new) + PINT)* (*knocked over)
12. One always fuming blots Miró out (9)
STROMBOLI
13. James running back, protecting sister (5)
NURSE
([Jam]ES RUN[ning])< (<back, protecting)
14. Spot fashion designer briefly entering large house (6)
PICKLE
CK (fashion designer, briefly) entering PILE (large house)
15. Lagging behind, wasting time complaining (7)
RAILING
[t]RAILING (lagging behind, wasting T (time))
18. Chinese agent’s game (7)
HANGMAN
HAN G-MAN (Chinese agent)
20. Look good with Her Majesty in tow? (6)
GANDER
G (good) + AND ER (with Her Majesty in tow?)
22. Way to approach half-cut sultan in Arab city (5)
MOSUL
MO (way to approach) + SUL[tan] (half-cut)
24. Where undergraduate might be headed, at least in part (2,1,6)
TO A DEGREE
Double (cryptic) definition
25. Government put to death four imprisoned (9)
EXECUTIVE
EXECUTE (put to death), IV (four) imprisoned
26. Make fun of the Speaker’s letters (5)
TEASE
“t’s” = TEASE (letters, “the speaker’s”)
27. Article on diocese making you boil over (6)
SEETHE
THE (article) on SEE (diocese)
28. Disciple died in this place, guarded by soldier (8)
ADHERENT
(D (died) + HERE (in this place)) guarded by ANT (soldier)
DOWN
1. Secluded spot for a break (6)
RECESS
2. The king governs English island badly (9)
SOVEREIGN
(GOVERNS + E (English) + I (island))* (*badly)
3. Instruct comedian thus? You’re having me on (4,4,2,5)
DON’T MAKE ME LAUGH
Double (cryptic) definition
4. Boss a few may find offensive (7)
NOISOME
NO I (boss, number one) + SOME (a few)
6. Might this indicate new place of confinement? (9,6)
DETENTION CENTRE
Double (cryptic) definition
N (new) being at the centre of [dete]N[tion]
7. Promise Labour is changing at last (5)
SWEAR
SWEAT (labour) is changing at last (last letter changing from T to R)
8. Criminal gets gen on society’s reserves (4,4)
NEST EGGS
(GETS GEN)* (*criminal) on S (society)
9. Older Spaniard touring India (6)
SENIOR
SENOR (Spaniard) touring I (India)
16. Curiously, one anti-beer is drunk (9)
INEBRIATE
(I (one) + ANTI BEER)* (*curiously)
17. Dictionary in which one might look up ‘barrister’? (8)
CHAMBERS
Double (cryptic) definition
19. Idiot from Belfast? (6)
NITWIT
NI (from Belfast, Northern Ireland) TWIT (idiot) & lit
20. Progressive Indian educator (2-5)
GO-AHEAD
GOA HEAD (Indian educator)
21. Torn about city contemporary (6)
RECENT
RENT (torn) about EC (city, of London)
23. Acquiesce, needing to conceal incident (5)
SCENE
[acquie]SCE NE[eding] (to conceal)
I enjoyed this one, and recorded a good time, which always puts me in a good MOOd.
Not so convinced by SCENE = incident, 23(d);but very impressed with all other clues.
DETENTION CENTRE, 6(d), is very arch, but there are many more.
Super stuff, both teacow and Moo, surely a pairing that’s written in the stars.
An enjoyable puzzle with some very satisfying clues and fine surfaces.
Liked HANGMAN, CHAMBERS, NITWIT and GO-AHEAD.
Thanks to Moo and Teacow.
ENBoll& – crime scene is the site of incident, often shortened to scene.
I found this one of Moo’s more tractable puzzles.
Thank you to Moo and Teacow
Thanks Moo and Teacow
23dn further to Shanne@3: the Pocket Oxford 2013 p 815 has scene n. “3 an incident: scenes of violence“
Thank you to Moo and Teacow. A perfect way to start the week! Nothing too taxing with nice tight clues. A good crossword for beginners.