Apologies for the slightly tardy posting. I started this early this morning but was interrupted.
I seemed to sail through the puzzle without any particular difficulty. No less enjoyable for that, and a very pleasant Sunday solve, all in all.
| Across | ||
| 1 | NEPHEW | A relative newcomer’s first record takes shape (6) |
| N[ewcomer] + EP + HEW. | ||
| 5 | PROVERBS | This book‘s in favour of look and say for example (8) |
| PRO + VERBS. | ||
| 9 | SNEAK THIEF | He pinches the knife as arranged (5,5) |
| (THE KNIFE AS)*. | ||
| 10 | EDGE | Rubbish collector lacking doctor’s sharpness of mind (4) |
| [dr]EDGE. | ||
| 11 | STET | Let it stand to harden over time (4) |
| T in SET. | ||
| 12 | DEBILITATE | Make weak Labour leader object after immigration initially enters argument (10) |
| (I[mmigration] + L[abour] + IT) in DEBATE. | ||
| 14 | AGENDA | Time not available to check Democrat’s plan of things to be done (6) |
| D in (AGE + NA). | ||
| 16 | LIKEABLE | Pleasant short story primarily about residing in an Oxford college (8) |
| LI[e] + (A[bout] in KEBLE). | ||
| 18 | HELSINKI | Harry’s source has priest going around to drink port (8) |
| H[arry] + (SINK in ELI). | ||
| 20 | OUTSET | Dismissed going on TV for a start (6) |
| OUT + SET. | ||
| 22 | ON THE BLINK | To back down from a confrontation after working with most of them is out of order (2,3,5) |
| ON + THE[m] + BLINK. | ||
| 24 | AWAY | At first Andrew wanted another year off (4) |
| A[ndrew] W[anted] A[nother] Y[ear]. | ||
| 26 | BOWL | Clay mostly covering Welsh vessel (4) |
| W in BOL[e]. | ||
| 27 | COLLATERAL | Head of Lloyds recently employed by betting firm’s subsidiary (10) |
| (L[loyds] + LATE) in CORAL. | ||
| 29 | INFRINGE | Neglect to obey popular call to invade the borders of France (8) |
| IN + (RING in F[ranc]E). | ||
| 30 | KINDLE | Switch linked to light (6) |
| LINKED*. | ||
| Down | ||
| 2 | ERNST | Rex fills in French street artist (5) |
| R in (EN + ST). Max Ernst. | ||
| 3 | HEARTEN | Encourage Teheran for a change (7) |
| TEHERAN*. | ||
| 4 | WITHDRAWN | Shy when in the company of Haggard (9) |
| WITH + DRAWN. | ||
| 5 | POI | Some cheap oil in a dish (3) |
| [chea]P OI[l]. | ||
| 6 | OFFAL | Refuse to be unfriendly to Capone (5) |
| OFF + AL. | ||
| 7 | ELECTRA | Energy needed by Lear excitedly holding court in this play (7) |
| CT in (E + LEAR)*. A play by Sophocles. | ||
| 8 | BAGATELLE | A table leg spattered with trifle (9) |
| (A TABLE LEG)*. | ||
| 13 | BELLINI | Remain unchanged at home with ailment brought about by drink (7) |
| BE + (IN + ILL)<. | ||
| 15 | GREENHORN | Inexperienced fellow soldiers overwhelmed by information on warning device (9) |
| RE in (GEN + HORN). | ||
| 17 | KNOCK BACK | Reject support after strike (5,4) |
| KNOCK + BACK. | ||
| 19 | SCHOLAR | A student of Mark admitting endless depression (7) |
| HOL[e] in SCAR. | ||
| 21 | TRADE IN | It’s given as part payment for a couple of trollops I found in port (5-2) |
| TR[ollops] + (I in ADEN). | ||
| 23 | BACON | Food company in town needing no introduction (5) |
| CO in [o]BAN. | ||
| 25 | AVAIL | Take advantage of Virginia getting into trouble (5) |
| VA in AIL. | ||
| 28 | LEE | General practice eventually established in the middle of Anglesey (3) |
| [practic]E in [ang]LE[sey]. | ||
* = anagram; < = reversed; [] = removed; underlined = definition
No comments, so far.
Perhaps, the right time to say that this puzzle by Poins (and not just this one) is very much up to the standard of what I think is a “good crossword”.
His crosswords are in the same category as, say, Dac.
If Dac gets rounds of applause all the time, and he does, Poins deserves the same kind of credit.
Actually, in my opinion, Poins has even more finesse.
Sometimes, simple things light up my life – today it was 30ac.
Thanks, Simon.