Like other Neo puzzles, one that’s not a pushover. In fact, I needed the Nina up high at the top and down low at the bottom, to help me with the last few. Thanks, Neo. Definitions are underlined in the clues.
Across
8 Brief recovery of dead cat black one! (6)
BOUNCE : B(abbrev. for “black”) + OUNCE(the snow leopard of the cat family).
Answer: In finance, a small brief recovery in the price of a declining share. Derived from the idea that even a dead cat will bounce if it falls from a great height.
9 Last at Crucible to come in had chance for clearance (8)
HEADROOM : Last letter of(Last at) “Crucible ” contained in(to come in) [HAD + ROOM(a suitable opportunity;a chance) ].
10 Cover the skin (4)
HIDE : Double defn.
11 Language removed by editor after power abused (10)
PERSECUTED : [ ERSE(the Celtic language) + CUT(removed;excised) plus(by) ED(abbrev. for “editor”) ] placed after(after) P(abbrev. for “power” in physics).
12 Young lady lives in Marks & Spencer? (4)
MISS : IS(lives;exists) contained in(in) M and S(abbrev. for retail chain, Marks and Spencer).
13 Where lucre’s filthy this cleans up! (10)
LAUNDERING : Cryptic defn: Reference to the figurative laundering of dirty;ill-gotten money;filthy lucre.
17 Ultra-conservative parties (4)
DODO : DO,DO(2 x a party;a function).
Answer: An ultra-conservative person;one with outmoded ideas.
18 Ruin everything (5)
TOTAL : Double defn: 1st: As in to “total your car in an accident”.
19 Gather food (4)
TUCK : Double defn: 1st: To gather dress material into folds; and 2nd: Slang for food.
21 Pages wrong about Shakespearean forest produce (6,4)
GARDEN PEAS : Anagram of(wrong) PAGES containing(about) ARDEN(the forest in central England, serving as a setting for Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” ).
Answer: Vegetable produce.
23 Examine register (4)
READ : Double defn: 1st: To study;examine in order to understand; and 2nd: To register a quantity, as in “the thermometer read 12 degrees C).
24 Bird grabs hot dog that’s rancid, or very dodgy (5-3-2)
TOUCH-AND-GO : TOUCAN(large-billed bird) containing(grabs) H(abbrev. for “hot”) + anagram of(that’s rancid) DOG.
28 Problem to face in Isaac Newton (4)
ACNE : Hidden in(in) “in Isaac Newton “.
Answer: A medical skin problem, especially on the face.
29 Returned without delay to study area this one’s in the US (8)
PASADENA : Reversal of(Returned) ASAP(acronym for “as soon as possible”;without delay) plus(to) DEN(a study;a room to retreat to) + A(abbrev. for “area”).
30 Answer to new clergyman in Peak District (6)
ANDEAN : A(abbrev. for “answer”) plus(to) N(abbrev. for “new”) + DEAN(a clergyman).
Answer: Relating to the area around the peaks of the Andes.
Down
1 Schemer, drunk in charge, in serious trouble? (8)
POLITICO : [ LIT(slang for being drunk) + IC(abbrev. for being “in charge”) ] contained in(in) POO(excrement;serious trouble, as in “I’m in deep shit”).
2 Taken as 23, serving also to separate sons and daughters (10)
UNDERSTOOD : UNDER(serving;subservient to) + [ TOO(also) contained in(to separate) S,D(abbrevs. respectively for “sons” and “daughters”) ].
Defn: Taken as read(the answer to 23 across)
3 To an alpine resort to find an Italian (10)
NEAPOLITAN : Anagram of(resort) TO AN ALPINE.
Answer: An Italian from Naples.
4 Husband in vehicle supplies fish daily! (4)
CHAR : H(abbrev. for “husband”) contained in(in) CAR(a motor vehicle). Double defn: 1st: A fish related to the trout and salmon ;and 2nd: A woman who comes in to clean daily.
5 Shock for commentator runner coming into form (4)
HARE : Homophone of(for commentator) “hair”(the shock growing on one’s head).
Answer: A running animal that goes into a form, its resting place.
6 Language doctor up in posh university (4)
URDU : Reversal of(up, in a down clue) DR(abbrev. for a doctor) contained in(in) [ U(representing the upper class;posh) and U(abbrev. for “university”) ].
7 Youngster beneath wee vessel shows spirit (6)
POTEEN : TEEN(short for “teenager”;a youngster) placed below(beneath, in a down clue) PO(a vessel used to unrinate into instead of going to the toilet;a “chamber pot”) .
Answer: Unlawfully distilled Irish liquor.
14 Release head departing BBC (5)
UNTIE : 1st letter of(head) deleted from(departing) “Auntie”(the term used for the British Broadcasting Corporation).
15 Having mistaken opinions, cat seizes American in wood (10)
DELUSIONAL : [ LION(a member of the cat family) containing(seizes) US(abbrev. for things American) ] contained in(in) DEAL(timber).
16 Android mad to consume black goo is slowing down (10)
RITARDANDO : Anagram of(mad) ANDROID containing(to consume) TAR(black gooey stuff).
Answer: Musical instruction to play gradually slower.
20 Shops saying cut certain with this item (8)
CHAINSAW : CHAIN(a series of shops under the same owner or selling the same merchandise) + SAW(a saying;an adage).
22 As modernist works in solo after a fashion, one discarded (6)
ATONAL : “alone”(solo) placed below(after, in a down clue) TON(a fashion;a style) minus(discarded) “one”.
25 Langley folks love Berlusconi’s farewell (4)
CIAO : CIA(abbrev. for the US Central Intelligence Agency headquartered in Langley, Virginia) + O(the letter representing 0;love in tennis scores).
Answer: Farewell as said by Berlusconi and his Italian compatriots.
26 Once more with sheep tails docked (4)
ANEW : “and”(with) + “ewe”(sheep) minus their respective last letters(tails docked).
27 Cheerless Celtic poet sent up (4)
DRAB : Reversal of(sent up, in a down clue) BARD(one of an ancient Celtic order of composers and reciters of poetry).
Thanks Quixote and Neo – a good challenge.
Should the “wee vessel” in 7d be PO rather than POT. Otherwise you have an extra T in POTEEN? Apparently, PO is slang for the same vessel in the UK.
You’re right, declanor – a careless mistake. Blog corrected
OOPS – I meant thanks to scchua and Neo I scrolled too far up and carelessly picked up Quixote from the Independent link.
Thanks Neo for the crossword and scchua for the blog.
declanor @3: It would certainly be interesting to read the result if Quixote ever blogged one of Neo’s puzzles, but I suspect that Don Manley does not have the time to spare for this.
As to today’s puzzle, much of what one expects from Neo – that is generally very enjoyable but variable quality in the double definition clues, as follows:
10ac: Really good. The best type of double definition in my view, where two words of different origin have converged in spelling.
19ac: Two meanings of the answer under the same root word in Chambers, but the meanings have diverged sufficiently to make this a satisfying clue.
18ac: “Ruin” as a meaning of total really comes from “destroy everything”, so the two meanings were not really far enough apart for me. Yes, verb and noun, but to me that does not really help. Indeed, the clue as a whole could read as a fairly straight single definition of the answer.
23ac: Again, two very similar meanings, and this time both work as verbs.
4dn: Here we have two meanings from different roots, but full wordplay as well. A very nice clue.
17ac: Pleasing misdirection. It looks like a double definition, but is not.
That, anyway, is my opinion. As always, I have no quarrel with those whose opinions differ from my own.
Have to agree with s lot of Pelham’s misgivings 10 & 29 lead me to valid but ultimately wrong answers. Shame i normally really like neo’s stuff – i see he gives himself a namecheck in 3d. Thanks PB and scchua
Well Flash, you’re actually disagreeing with Pelham about 10, which he likes, and he doesn’t say anything about 29, which is in any case a charade.
As to those double defs there were a lot in this puzzle, got my foot stuck under that throttle somehow, but they are all distinct definitions as given in either Chambers or Collins, and we do try to provide a bit of quality, even in the easy ones. But you can still dislike them, I don’t mind. Neo just messenger of meaning, and pawn in game of life.
Thanks for PO and Nina recognition, thanks for bothering to deconstruct the dds, thanks for an excellent blog, thanks, in fact, to all participating.