NTSPP – 179

NTSPP – 179

A Puzzle by Wiglaf

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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.

A review of this puzzle by Prolixic follows.

Welcome back to Wiglaf with some wonderful wordplay for a warm weekend.  Its too hot to spend too much time typing at the computer so I will embellish later on when the temperature has dropped a tad.

Across

1 Reluctant to identify anonymous poems (6)
{AVERSE} –  The abbreviation for anonymous followed by another word for poems.

4 Group, after getting to grips with sport (American), all come back in stitches (7)
{SUTURES} – The abbreviation for rugby union (sport) goes inside (getting to grips with) a word for a group.  This is followed by an abbreviation for American.  Reverse the resulting letters (all come back) for the answer.

9 Heartless batsmen eat out causing interruption of action (9)
{ABATEMENT} – An anagram (out) of BATSMEN EAT with the middle letter (heartless) of batsmen removed.

10 Mad axer carrying the head of Thomas More (5)
{EXTRA} – An anagram (mad) of AXER with the first letter (head of) Thomas inside.

11 One loathes mischief amongst personnel (5)
{HATER} – The name of the Greek goddess of mischief goes inside (amongst) the abbreviation for Human Resources (personnel).

12 Milliner in play area rebuffed idle gossiper (9)
{CHATTERER} – Reverse a three letter abbreviation for a play area and put another word for a milliner inside.

13 Astrid and I played the recorder (7)
{DIARIST} – … such as Samuel Pepys.  An anagram (played) of ASTRID I.

15 Central group of Parsees returned to guard the Jewish queen (6)
{ESTHER} – The middle three letters (central group of) paRSEes are reversed (returned) and go around (guard) the THE from the clue.

17 Irregular haunts for Mormons? (6)
{UTAHNS} – … residents of the State most closely associated with the Mormons.  An anagram (irregular) of HAUNTS.

19 Live donkeys and squirrels (7)
{AMASSES} – The first person singular of the verb to be (live) followed by another word for donkeys.

22 Italian author is involved in the department to decrease spending (9)
{ECONOMISE} – The name of an Italian author (Name of the Rose, etc) followed by a word for a department or administrative area of modern Greece inside which you add the IS (involved in) from the clue.

24 Best of the Pre-Raphaelites (5)
{ELITE} – The answer is hidden inside (of) PRE-RAPHAELITES

26 Picture supplement that’s in circulation (5)
{IMAGE} – The abbreviation for that is (that’s) goes around (in circulation) a word for a supplement you find in the weekend papers.

27 Impertinence causes sin in another way (9)
{SAUCINESS} – An anagram (in another way) of CAUSES SIN.

28 Enzyme production is perennially held back (7)
{EREPSIN} – The answer is hidden and reversed (held back) inside PRODUCTION IS PERENIALLY

29 Not really in harmony having succeeded breaking alliance (6)
{UNISON} – The abbreviation for succeeded goes inside (breaking) another word for an alliance.

Down

1 One remains between the sheets in a state of embarrassment (7)
{ABASHED} – Another word for one followed by a word for the remains of a fire inside BED (between the sheets = IN BED).

2 Old lover gets something done? Absolutely correct (5)
{EXACT} – The abbreviation for an old lover followed by a word meaning gets something done.

3 Swimmer fears getting tangled with ship (9)
{SPEARFISH} – An anagram (getting tangled) of FEARS SHIP.

4 I was seated on top with a note to convey stuff (8)
{SATIATE} – A word meaning was seated goes on top of the I from the clue.  This is followed by the A from the clue and musical note.

5 Dose floozie up with injection of ecstasy (5)
{TREAT} – Reverse (up) a word for a floozie and include (injection of) the abbreviation for ecstasy.

6 Enter and observe upstanding people coming back home? (9)
{RETURNEES} – A word meaning “enter” (from the key you press on the keyboard to “enter” the information you have typed) is followed by a word meaning observe which has been reversed (upstanding).

7 Flight taking one into the Milky Way? (6)
{STAIRS} – Put an I (one) into the group of objects represented by the Milky Way.

8 Old hipster, English, falls in slippery patch (6)
{HEPCAT} – The abbreviation for English goes inside (falls in) an anagram (slippery) of PATCH.

14 Old navigational aid for a short amble to Lincoln (9)
{ASTROLABE} – The A from the clue is followed by a word meaning amble with the final letter removed (short) followed by the diminutive name of Abraham Lincoln.

16 And I acting crazily with great McGonagall was dubbed poet and this (9)
{TRAGEDIAN} – An anagram (acting crazily) of AND I GREAT.  The answer refers to the inscription on the tombstone of the notoriously bad poet who is infamous for his doggerel on the Tay Bridge Disaster.

18 Dons quickly acting to support brass on board (5,2)
{SLIPS ON} – Another word for acting (** stage) supports (goes under) a word meaning brass or cheek inside the abbreviation for steam ship (on board).

19 Archdeacon dressed in gold lamé finally makes an entrance (6)
{AVENUE} – The abbreviation for the formal title of an Archdeacon goes inside (dressed in) an abbreviation for gold and the final letter of lamé (without the accent!).

20 A family member treads under foot? (7)
{STEPSON} – Split 5, 2 this family member means treads underfoot.

21 Born on English Channel (or next to) (6)
{BESIDE} – The abbreviation for born followed by the abbreviation for English (see 8d) and a word for a TV channel (what’s on the other ****).

23 Old writer faces son and starts to bid (5)
{OPENS} – The abbreviation for old followed by a writing implement and the abbreviation for son.

25 It takes little energy writing articles (5)
{ITEMS} – The IT from the clue followed by an abbreviation for energy and the abbreviation for manuscript (writing).