Toughie No 91

Toughie No 91 by Notabilis

A nice easy one today

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BD Rating – Difficulty ** – Enjoyment ***

Most of you should not need much help today!

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Across hints

7a Italian romance fools around or somehow pulls one in (7,7)
An anagram of “fools around or I”, giving an Italian romantic poem

9a Flowery growth of grand music for large group, in small part (10)
G(rand) nonet (music for large group) in mite (small part) giving a flowery growth

11a Brunette departs with rescue ship (4)
D(eparts) + Noah’s ship

12a Pity 16 in Verdun (3)
A French (in Verdun) road (16 across)

13a Biscuit variety with flower on its back? (6,4)
Brand (variety) + ysnap (pansy on its back) giving a variety of  biscuit

16a Pole spanning a thoroughfare (4)
Rod (pole) around (spanning) “a”

17a Sound of a bell ringing new year: it’s often on a rooftop (7)
Chime (sound of a bell) around (ringing) n(ew) + y(ear)

18a Defender’s small cry, a hesitant sound (7)
S(mall) weep (cry) + er (hesitant sound)

20a Joint originally named after king (4)
K(ing) nee (originally named )

21a Dull, archaic breed lives in top of St Paul’s (10)
Breed is rear and lives is “is”, the answer is an archaic word for dull

23a Declamatory music criticism (3)
The kind of music we all love to hate!!

24a Large country without a prominent feature (4)
The largest country, less its final “a”

25a Poles are flat out in this work, missing start and being behind schedule (10)
(J)ob (work, missing start) and lateness (being behind schedule)

28a To stimulate a single woman, the Spanish spin around (4,2,4,4)
Turn on (to stimulate) one (a single) she (woman) el (the, Spanish)

Down hints

1d Train I halt on the hour, taking the high ground? (6-4-4)
An anagram (train – is there no end to anagram indicators?) of “I halt on the hour”

2d Morally pure but heartless family group (4)
Morally pure is clean

3d Many quotations are attributed so shortly (4)
Short for anonymous

4d Loads of money promoting song (7)
For (promoting) tune (song)

5d Dominant nation which defines a comic-book hero? (10)
How America is often described

6d Inhospitable region’s line in unusual wines (reds) (10)
An anagram (unusual) of “wines reds” around l(ine)

8d Moving top of leg, arm etc, it’s used (8,6)
Another anagram (moving) of l(eg) arm etc its used

10d Strange description of … (3)
Another word for strange that describes the answer to 14 down

14d … house next to prime minister’s that cleared soldiers out? (6,4)
Military slang for a purgative pill

15d Let opponent score when stress can no longer be supported (5,5)
Dual meaning – the score is a point

19d Discovered in hotel, lingerie is significant (7)
Hidden in the clue

22d That is embodying cold (3)
A cryptic dual meaning – ie (that is) around c(old)

26d Test temperature in the form of Kelvin (4)
T(emperature) as (in the form of) K(elvin)

27d Imperative for audience attacked with 20 (4)
Sounds like (for audience) kneed