I found this more of a challenge than the usual Sunday puzzle. Very enjoyable it was too. Thanks Hypnos.
| Across | ||
| 1 | REGIONAL |
Like some food, best kept by drink on reflection (8)
NO I (number one, best) inside (kept by) LAGER (drink) |
| 5 | PAWPAW |
Twice clumsily handle fruit (6)
PAW (handle clumsily) twice |
| 10 | BARISTA |
Coffee server is getting thanks behind counter (7)
IS with TA (thanks) following BAR (counter) |
| 11 | ASOCIAL |
Disinclined to mix with spies in revolutionary Laos (7)
CIA (spies) in LAOS* revolutionary=anagram |
| 12 | LOCK |
Quotation of philosopher, element in pack (4)
sounds like (quotation of) Locke (john Locke, philosopher) – a lock is a forward in rubgy, one of the pack |
| 13 | MARBLE ARCH |
Labour politician nearly arrested by protest in London landmark (6,4)
BLEARs (Hazel Blears, Labour politician) nearly=unfinished inside (arrested by) MARCH (protest) |
| 15 | AUTOBAHN |
Golf in Germany might adopt this fast course? (8)
cryptic definition – a German car on aGerman motorway |
| 16 | OFFAL |
Edible parts of an animal rotting by a lake (5)
OFF (rotting) by A L (lake) |
| 19 | FUTON |
Fine place in Bedfordshire disposing of large sofa bed (5)
F (fine) LUTON (place in Bedfordshire) missing L (large) |
| 20 | ANTEROOM |
Retired footballer faced by six-footer in waiting area (8)
Bobby MOORE (footballer) reversed (retired) behind (faced by) ANT (six-footer) |
| 23 | PROMONTORY |
Film to boost Northern Conservative head (10)
PROMO (film to boost something) N (northern) TORY (Conservative) |
| 25 | SPAR |
Pole in dispute (4)
double definition |
| 27 | SCOUSER |
Bishop, perhaps, caught in pickle by rector (7)
C (caught) in SOUSE (pickle) by R (rector) – I don’t know whao or what the definition refers to |
| 28 | IRKSOME |
Annoying smirk one heartlessly contrived (7)
anagram (contrived) of SMIRK and OnE (heartless) |
| 29 | ERRAND |
Task in US hospital facility managed before day (6)
ER (US hospital facility) RAN (managed) before D (day) |
| 30 | CHEERFUL |
Bright singer possessing energy to roll up right away (8)
CHER (singer) contains (possessing) E (energy) then FUrL (to roll up) missing (away) R (right) |
| Down | ||
| 1 | RABBLE |
Female writer having head obscured in crowd (6)
Margaret dRABBLE (female writer) missing head (first letter) |
| 2 | GERICAULT |
Artist showing man in Roman territory close to sunset (9)
ERIC (man) in GAUL (Roman territory) with sunseT (closing letter of) – Theodore Gericault |
| 3 | OUST |
Expel some murderous tyrant (4)
some of murderOUS Tryant |
| 4 | AGA SAGA |
A funny story about South Africa, a form of rural fiction (3,4)
A GAG (funny story) about SA (South Africa) and A |
| 6 | ABOVE BOARD |
In the open like a successful surfer? (5,5)
double/cryptic definition |
| 7 | PRIOR |
Erstwhile authority in retreat? (5)
double/cryptic definition – a religious retreat |
| 8 | WOLF HALL |
Bring up current, model historical novel (4,4)
FLOW (current) reversed (bring up) HALL (model, Jerry Hall?) – one of my favourite books ever |
| 9 | CARBON |
Element in Ferrari, say, good at Le Mans (6)
CAR (Ferrari, say) BON (good in French, at Le Mans) |
| 14 | JOHN MOTSON |
Tony B’s predecessor not so devious for commentator (4,6)
JOHN M (John Major, predecessor of Tony Blair) then (NOT SO)* anagram=devious – TV football commentator |
| 17 | FOOLPROOF |
Infallible measure put shortly on record? It might get slated (9)
FOOt (measure. shortened) on LP (record) then ROOF (it might get slated) |
| 18 | OFF PISTE |
Side street in confusion, away from regular runs? (3-5)
OFF (side, in cricket) ST (street) in PIE (confusion) |
| 20 | ARTERY |
Something that could be clogged in a foreign network before turn of year (6)
A then RTE (Raidio Teilifis Eireann, foreigh network) before YR (year) reversed (turn of) |
| 21 | TARNISH |
Dull mountain lake of a sort? (7)
TARN (mountain lake) – ISH (of a sort) |
| 22 | ORDEAL |
Poor grades in exam, a trying experience (6)
D and E (poor exam grades) in ORAL (exam) |
| 24 | ODOUR |
Repute gained by French bishop with old city (5)
ODO (Bishop Odo of Bayeux, brother of William the Conqueror) with UR (old city) |
| 26 | SKYE |
Island broadcaster mentioned (4)
sounds like (mentioned) SKY (broadcaster) |
definitions are underlined
Thanks for explaining 12ac. I got it from the homophone, didn’t know the rugby meaning.
Apart from that, I can remember nothing about this puzzle.
Re 27A – the comedian John Bishop perhaps?
4d. There are two “g” s in Aga Saga. The explanation above only provides one, if I have read it correctly.
However, I do not have a better explanation.
Gaga, in the sense of crazy, might be a solution, but I am not at all convinced by this.
A + Gag + SA + a
hashertu – there was a typo in 4d – it should have read GAG not GAS
Thanks all. Nothing so obvious, as the obvious made obvious.
I struggled with the crossing pair of Gericault, of whom I had never heard, and Lock, with whose philosophy I am familiar but whose association with rugby had previously escaped me! I completed it eventually, though.