NTSPP – 220

NTSPP – 220

A Puzzle by Radler

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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

A review of this puzzle follows later today.

 A gentler Radler crossword this week with a linguistic theme in the answers to 1a, 12a, 16a, 1d, 4d, 5d, 6d and 18d.  Many thanks to him for an enjoyable solve.

Across

1 Take off, then endless space forever, I see Enterprise finally gets to boldly go? (5,10)
{SPLIT INFINITIVE} – An informal word meaning take off or depart is followed by a word for space that goes on forever with the final letter removed (endless), the I from the clue, the Latin abbreviation for see (from Vide) and the final letter of Enterprise.

9 Act of telling all but withholding name by otherwise dumb pair (5,4)
{BRAIN DUMP} – An anagram (otherwise) of DUMB PAIR with the abbreviation for name inside (withholding).

10 Purplish line drawn from centre on one of hipbones (5)
{ILIAC} – A colour that is purplish has the middle L (line) removed (drawn from centre).  The remaining letters go after (on) an I (one).

11 Withdraw, taking rap for one remaining (6)
{EXTANT} – Another word for withdraw or leave has the I (one) replaced by a word meaning rap or hit.

12 Rules caused pound to trail German mark and schilling (8)
{GRAMMARS} – Another word for pound or hit goes after (to trail) the abbreviation for German.  This is followed by a word meaning mark or spoil and the abbreviation for schilling.

14 For threefold experience of drugs culture I start to take Ecstasy (10)
{TRIPARTITE} – A word for the experience taking drugs gives you is followed by another word for culture, the I from the clue, the first letter (start to) of take and the abbreviation for Ecstasy.

16 Made a low noise when discussing feeling (4)
{MOOD} – A homophone for the sound made by cattle in the past tense (a low noise).

18 Advertisement for the supernatural monster? (4)
{PUFF} – Double definition, the supernatural monster being a magic dragon.

19 Fine-grained backup delivers fragments inconsistently (10)
{PULVERISED} – Reverse (back) UP and follow this with an anagram (fragments inconsistently) of DELIVERS.

22 Love largeness of body, excusing my voluptuousness (8)
{OPULENCE} – The letter for nothing or love is followed by a word meaning largeness of body without the initial COR (excusing my).

23 One half of Status Quo rocking with limited numbers (6)
{QUOTAS} – An anagram (rocking) of STA (half of status) QUO.

26 Grunts intermittently to fiend with marksman in the middle (5)
{OINKS} – The even letters (intermittently) of TO FIEND with the middle letters of MARKSMAN.

27 One can blame broadcast for bias (9)
{IMBALANCE} – An anagram (broadcast) of I (one) CAN BLAME.

28 Harry hastens redesign, seeing problem (15)
{NEARSIGHTEDNESS} – … for which you need glasses.  An anagram (harry) of HASTENS REDESIGN.

Down

1 Citizen, perhaps French (7)
{SUBJECT} – Double definition, the second being something you might study at school.

2 Hurried male wanting mother to get to the point (5)
{LEAPT} – Remove the MA (wanting mother) from MALE and follow this with a word meaning “to the point”.

3 I wasn’t outside getting upset and my teeth are fine (5,3)
{TENON SAW} – Put the wasn’t from the clue around (outside) ONE (I) and reverse the letters (getting upset).

4 It’s often common, and will be after United’s demotion (4)
{NOUN} – If you take this part of speech and drop the U to the end, you would end up with a word (3-1) describing something common.

5 Abandoned private pirate movie, having nothing to lose but a 16 (10)
{IMPERATIVE} – An anagram (abandoned) of PRIVATE MOVIE after removing the O (having nothing to lose).  Unfortunately, the anagram then has an extra V that is not accounted for in the wordplay.  It seems that the clue should have been “Abandoned pirate movie…”   [It does now say “pirate movie” – sorry for the typo.  BD]

6 Source of individuality in language and writing (6)
{IDIOMS} – The first letter (source of) individuality goes inside a language (an alternative to Esperanto) and this is followed by the abbreviation for manuscript (writing).  The whole clue is a definition of the answer.

7 They follow this rota, timing’s nothing on reflection (9)
{IMITATORS} – The answer is hidden and reversed in this rota, timing.

8 Lined up Norman from teenager’s complaint (7)
{ENCASED} – Reverse (up) the French (Norman) for “from” and a spotty complaint that teenager’s get.

13 Treatment of aching nuts stopping flow (10)
{STAUNCHING} – An anagram (treatment) of ACHING NUTS.

15 Largely eloquent interruption of neo-Nazi contagion (9)
{INFLUENZA} – A word meaning eloquent with the final letter removed (largely) goes inside an anagram (neo) of Nazi.

17 Worried and foolish, but older (8)
{TROUBLED} – An anagram (foolish) of BUT OLDER.

18 It is, say, not Charlie or Earl (7)
{PRONOUN} – Another word meaning say has the final (Charlie) and E (Earl) removed.  The whole clue is a definition by example as this part of speech stands in place of a person’s name.

20 Drives away vehicle after reversing. Is parking restricted? (7)
{DISPELS} – Reverse a type of winter vehicle and put inside (restricted) the IS from the clue and the abbreviation for parking.

21 Foams when Tory’s original cuts agreed (6)
{YEASTS} – Another word for when and the first letter (original) of Tory goes inside (cuts) a word meaning agreed.

24 Perfect? Has wound up energy (5)
{TENSE} – Double definition, the second being a description of something under stress.

25 Second offence? (4)
{ABET} – A cryptic definition of a crime where someone assists or backs another’s criminal enterprise.