Carefully crafted clues made for a satisfying solve
Across
1 BUCKAROO cowboy BUCK (money) A (one) ROO sounds like RUE (regret)
5 PAELLA food AL (Capone) LEAP (bound)< (come back)
9 DEBONAIR urbane D (Dutch) IAN (fellow) in ROBE< (dressing gown)
10 SCOTCH put end to OT (books) C (Cuba) in SCH (school)
12 EDIFY morally improve – hidden in [expect]ED IF Y[ou]
13 ON PURPOSE intentionally (UPON POSER)*
14 SLACKS neglects duty LACK (shortage) in SS (ship)
16 TRIBUNE champion of popular rights UN (a French) in TRIBE (people)
19 ATTEMPT shot AT E (English) MP (politician) in [se]TT[le]
21 ORNATE elaborately decorated OR (gold) TAN< (brown) [th]E
23 TAKE A HIKE dd
25 FORCE lean on FOR (meant to be) CE (church)
26 LEEWAY room EE (drugs) in YAWL< (boat)
27 MANIFOLD performing several functions (IF OLD MAN)*
28 AILING unwell IN (home) in (GAIL)*
29 BRIGHTON city BRIGHT (promising) ON (against)
Down
1 BADGER dd
2 CABRIOLET carriage CABRIOLE (leap) T[he]
3 ANNOY trouble ON< (cricket side back) in ANY (a bit)
4 ORISONS prayers S (son) in ORIONS (hunters)
6 ACCORDION instrument ACCORD (agree) I (Italy) ON (about)
7 LET GO free LET (allow) GO (to travel)
8 ACHIEVED accomplished (EACH DIVE)*
11 SPOT dd
15 COME AGAIN what did you say C (about) ‘OME ([h]ouse) AGAIN (once more)
17 UTTERMOST best UTTER (speak) S (second) in TOM<
18 MANTILLA head cover ANT (worker) in MILL (factory) A
20 TRIM dd
21 OPEN-AIR outdoors OPEN (public) AIR (display)
22 HEAD-ON without compromise HEAD (principal) ON (operating)
24 KNELL bell heard before death – sounds like NELL (girl)
25 FLING try F (force) LING (heather)
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
Thanks, Peto, for a good one, and to Jed. I do have a quibble because of a long head-scratching: a knell doesn’t precipitate a death in any of my dictionaries: usually it announces (and in 1613 it forewarned); but precipitate? Iffy.
I had the same quibble as Hornbeam. I saw the figurative meaning of death knell but I agree that it presages rather than precipitates death.
Thanks Jed. TRIM defeated me, I can’t see why. I didn’t worry about KNELL at the time, but now I think about it Hornbeam has a good point.