ACROSS
1 Bachelors up to no good — one fears confinement (13) CLAUSTROPHOBE*
10 Subject will return from Muscat in a month (5) OMANI [T<=]
11 A drink with date leading to a battle scene (9) AGINCOURT {A}{GIN}{COURT}
12 Breed a tea garden variety (5,4) GREAT DANE*
13 One from the family tossed coins (5) SCION*
14 Turn over — new student losing heart for writing (7) ENTRUST STU(-d+r)RENT*
16 The cart moved — moved by degrees in one direction (7) RATCHET*
18 He inspects dimension, it's all gold plated (7) AUDITOR {AU}{D}{IT}{OR}
20 Wade through a river and perish (7) EXPLODE {EX{PLOD}E}
22 Serf or servant detailed to go back (5) HELOT {HEL
24 Too enthusiastic and keen to pursue the end (9) OVEREAGER {OVER}{EAGER}
26 Site for gimmicks (9) NOVELTIES SITE* &lit
27 Replace Frenchman and woman (5) RENEW {RENE}{W}
28 Having an upper hand, as I'm departing on ground (13) PREDOMINATING*
DOWN
2 Thinnest grass in front of home (7) LEANEST {LEA}{NEST}
3 One will believe in such investment (4,5) UNIT TRUST {UNIT} {TRUST} &lit
4 Mad gladiator shunned gold crown (5) TIARA
5 It holds symbols of peace (5,4) OLIVE TREE [GK]
6 Cuts number of reporters (5) HACKS [DD]
7 Beastly subject — losing interest for top university (7) BRUTISH BR(-i+u)UTISH
8 Lambasting the French, say, as fish remains inside (6-7) TONGUE-LASHING {TONGUE}-{L{ASH}ING}
9 Strangely not these birds — I'm surprised (5,3,5) STONE THE CROWS {NOT+THESE}* {CROWS}
15 Extremist action essentially protects broken mirrors (9) TERRORISM {
17 Overturned vessel limits discharge — keep it to yourself (3-6) TOP-SECRET {TOP<=}-{SECRET
19 Socialist uprising has to survive — you must give it to them (7) DELIVER {DE{LIVE}R<=}
21 Keeping an eye, say on a set of principles in philosophy (7) ORGANON {ORGAN}{ON}
23 Paved it up in front (5) TILED {TI<=}{LED}
25 German town provides half the basic things (5) ESSEN ESSEN
Reference list
Writing = R, Dimension =D (as in 2D/3D), Gold = AU;OR, Woman = W, Interest = I
GRID
Almost an hour but no comments still.
ReplyDeleteInteresting enjoyable Arden- a little on the tougher side. For example, I got the crows but did not stone them.
I had nothing to crow about! Beacause I could score only 60%. :(
DeleteAn excellent crossword from Arden - yet again! Had a great time solving it. Thanks to Arden and to DG!
ReplyDeleteI am not fully convinced by EXPLODE = perish. I thought it might be EXPLORE=wade through, but couldn't parse it with the rest of the wordplay.
Also, should 16a be RATCHETED to fit the definition starting with "moved"? (That's assuming its RATCHET as a verb - if its intended as a noun, then I'm not sure how to interpret it.)
The second 'moved' should have been 'move'
DeleteRatchet - to move by degrees (often fol. by up or down).
Can't understand your doubts about explode= perish. When something explodes it goes to pieces, it perishes
DeleteThe original clue was ' the cart moved- it moved by degrees in one direction' . The 'it'
inadvertently was left out by me. Yes...a silly mistake
Wonderful puzzle yet again:enjoyed the long ones;was stuck for omani a long time..quite devious...
ReplyDeleteVery nice puzzle, Arden. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHad BULLISH for 7D for quite a while before the penny dropped!
A rare Arden samosa day for me. Very happy!
ReplyDeleteWhere's every one ? Why's it that each day, the number of comments get lesser and lesser for such a wonderful array of long words and phrases built in by Arden in his grid? Unfair to his efforts ! I enjoyed immensely! Thanks Arden and DG and the THCC ONline facilaitator !!
ReplyDelete