Typical Tuesday puzzle. Mostly easy clues with straightforward wordplays.
Enjoyable all the same because of the nice surface stories. Liked ELECTRIC, OSTENSIBLE, NAIL, CHEST, ALL THE SAME, AIR. Not to mention the well hidden AVOCADO PEAR. Thank you GURNEY.
Definitions in clues marked like this.
* anagram, + charade, – deletion, <= reversal, CD cryptic definition, DD double definition
ACROSS
1 Drops by outside – clever (6) BRAINY [BY outside drops=RAIN]
4 Exciting vote – Republican in charge after it (8) ELECTRIC [vote=ELECT + Republican + In Charge]
10 Show disapproval – right, one’s initially hurtful, insensitive (7) BOORISH [show disapproval=BOO + Right + one’s=1S + Hurtful]
11 Manxwoman suppressing source? Calumny! (7) SLANDER [Manxwoman=iSLANDER]
12 Scrutinise small tin (4) SCAN [Small + tin=CAN]
13 Pretended elite – snobs sadly (10) OSTENSIBLE [ELITE SNOBS]*
16 Talked every so often after excessively leisurely journey (6) TOOTLE [excessively=TOO + TaLkEd]
17 Rope old man installed having necessary ability (7) CAPABLE [rope=CABLE outside old man=PA]
20 Achievement associated with that woman: it’s of no great weight (7) FEATHER [achievement=FEAT + that woman=HER]
21 Son to be discriminatory (6) SEXIST [Son + to be=EXIST]
24 Be responsible for bringing back agent, favourite: resistance at base follows (10) PERPETRATE [agent=REP<= + favourite=PET + Resistance + AT + base=E]
25 Beloved daughter, listener (4) DEAR [Daughter + listener=EAR]
27 Wise men visiting home (European) in picture (7) IMAGINE [wise men=MAGI inside home=IN + European]
29 Don’t disturb avenue, British, in sheltered area (5,2) LEAVE BE [AVEnue + British inside sheltered area=LEE]
30 Writer, bombastic, I’d left at centre of Geneva (8) TURGENEV [bombastic=TURGid + gENEVa]
31 Piece of numerical data (transatlantic) illustrates prestige (6) STATUS [piece of numerical data=STAT + transatlantic=US]
DOWN
1 Takes care of relatively recent issue? (4-4) BABY-SITS [CD]
2 Fruit of havoc a dope aroused (7,4) AVOCADO PEAR [H]
3 Arrest upset some civilians (4) NAIL [H <=]
5 With difficulty salvages game here (3,5) LAS VEGAS [SALVAGES]*
6 Contemporaries using scams steal unfortunately (10) CLASSMATES [SCAMS STEAL]*
7 Such a card for Communist? (3) RED [DD]
8 Small number chasing dog – time to come in? (6) CURFEW [dog=CUR + small number=FEW]
9 Man’s in court box (5) CHEST [man’s = HE’S inside CourT]
14 Ready to fight? For a change, be gentler, I counsel in the end (11) BELLIGERENT [BE GENTLER I + counseL]*
15 Mile (almost) athlete runs with no break (3,3,4) ALL THE SAME TIME [MILe ATHLETE]*
18 Second chance to recover having power for time (8) REPRIEVE [recover=RETRIEVE with Power for Time]
19 Items to consume – comparatively sharp – aboard ship (8) STARTERS [comparatively sharp=TARTER inside ship=SS]
22 Damaged better price fuel at bottom of forecourt (6) SPOILT [better/starting price=SP + fuel=OIL + forecourT]
23 Purloined // scarf (5) STOLE [DD]
26 Inventor from Washington, abstainer (4) WATT [WAshington + abstainer=TeeTotaller]
28 Fellow moving away from impartial attitude (3) AIR [impartial=fAIR]
I read 15d as ALL THE TIME.
Coby @1, of course. Forgive the typo. Have corrected it since.
Thanks Bhavan and Gurney. As you say, not too taxing but I did have to google a list of Russian authors to get TURGENEV (I had the ‘enev’ ending so guessed Russian but am a bit lacking in knowledge of 19th century authors generally…)
I thought just ‘writer’ for 30a was unacceptably loose. It effectively means one of any nationality from any time in history – quite a selection! Given that turgid is not the most obvious synonym for bombastic and there is no indication that we need the middle three letters of Geneva, not just the E, I thought it a poor clue.
We were not looking for any synonym for “bombastic”, but one that ends in “-id”, which makes it easier.
Thanks Gurney and Bhavan
A really nice crossword that was over too quickly.
Finished with CURFEW, SLANDER and the very clever SEXIST. I had heard of Ivan TURGENEV and have been going to read his “Fathers and Sons” for ages … must do it !!