Toughie 1020

Toughie No 1020 by MynoT

Is there a nina?

+ – + – + – + – + – + – + – +

BD Rating – Difficulty **/*** – Enjoyment **/***

An acceptable though somewhat unexciting puzzle. The only minor problem was with 28 across where I had to make up the answer from the anagram. MynoT’s puzzles usually have a nina. If there’s one here I haven’t spotted it, but then I am one of the world’s worst nina spotters. I’m sure that if there is one some clever person will let me know.

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Across

1a    Active antibodies, the secret of a cheat? (1,3,2,3,4)
{A BIT ON THE SIDE} An anagram (active) of ANTIBODIES THE gives one’s partner in an extramarital relationship

9a    Re-dial, getting completely different line? (5-4)
{ABOUT-FACE} ‘Re’ + dial

10a    A doctor’s appeal providing scope (5)
{AMBIT} A + an abbreviation denoting doctor + sex appeal

11a    Vision of 500 with a sheet of paper each (5)
{DREAM} D (500) + 500 sheets of paper (i.e. one each for the 500)

12a    Old PM in the morning had no space for cheese (4)
{EDAM} Remove EN (space) from a former prime minister (1955-1957) + ‘in the morning’

13a    Some people always can make request (4)
{PLEA} Hidden in peoPLE Always

15a    Composer is otherwise in inn, drunk (7)
{NIELSEN} The surname of a Danish composer (1865-1931) = ‘otherwise’ inside an anagram (drunk) of INN

17a    Poet needing energy is falling behind on time (7)
{ELEGIST} E (energy) + IS after ‘on (in cricket)’ + T (time

18a    Band behind shelter staring lasciviously (7)
{LEERING} A band follows shelter

20a    In European hotel host upset about return of drudgery? On the contrary (7)
{GASTHOF} An anagram (upset) of HOST goes inside a reversal of drudgery

21a    Pay attention to male journalist (4)
{HEED} Male + journalist

22a    Picture of tin and pan primarily (4)
{SNAP} The atomic symbol of tin + the initial letters of And Pan

23a    Tree‘s no good? It’s given first-class oxygen (5)
{NGAIO} A NZ tree (best known as the first name of a writer of detective fiction} = ‘no good’ + ‘first-class’ + O (oxygen)

26a    Dough made from rope navy left (5)
{PASTE} Remove RN (navy) from the end of a rope used to tie up a horse by the leg

27a    East European lord brought in to play instrument (5,4)
{STEEL DRUM} E (East) + E (European) + LD (lord) inside ‘to play a guitar’

28a    Hazel’s weak arm gets tangled in garment (7-6)
{SHALWAR KAMEEZ} An anagram (tangled) of HAZEL’S WEAK ARM gives a S Asian outfit of loose-fitting trousers and a long tunic

Down

1d    A group playing every dance with electronic announcement, that’s diabolical (7,3,4)
{ABANDON ALL HOPE} A + group + playing + every + dance + E (electronic) gives part of the inscription at the entrance to Hell in Dante’s Inferno

2d    Teamed up, Italy will get nil (2,3)
{IN ONE} The IVR for Italy + nil

3d    Cheerful and confident I am first to enter measuring device (10)
{OPTIMISTIC} I’M + IST (first) inside a measuring device for alcoholic liquids

4d    Take advantage of spring, reflecting age (5,2)
{TRADE ON} A reversal of ‘to spring’ + an age

5d    Give a lift to the Spanish girl — and French when returning (7)
{ELEVATE} A Spanish word for ‘the’ + a girl’s name + a reversal of the French word for ‘and’

6d    Independent published here by 8 (4)
{IRAN} I (Independent) + ‘published’ gives a country by the 8 down

7d    Initially Eastern market ring is hard to change for the better (9)
{EMBELLISH} The first letters of Eastern Market + ‘to ring’ + IS + H (hard)

8d    Mozart fourths I play in important passage (6,2,6)
{STRAIT OF HORMUZ} An anagram (play) of MOZART FOURTHS I gives a passage linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman through which 20% of the world’s petroleum production passes

14d    Anecdotes about people, each inhabitant given short pseudonym (10)
{PERSONALIA} ‘Each’ + ‘inhabitant’ + a pseudonym with the last letter removed

16d    Cooked eels around seven perhaps? An entirely different snack (9)
{ELEVENSES} An anagram (cooked) of EELS round an anagram (perhaps) of SEVEN gives a snack that is definitely not taken at seven

19d    Crew observed machine making parallel cuts (4,3)
{GANG SAW} A crew + ‘observed’

20d    Time Out shows grand primate embracing unknown Arab (3,4)
{GAP YEAR} G (grand) + a primate round Y (unknown) + AR (Arab)

24d    Bird weighed down by silver suit (5)
{AGREE} A bird (a female ruff) goes below the atomic symbol of silver to give ‘to suit’

25d    Engraved ancient text concealed (4)
{VEDA} An ancient holy book of the Hindus is hidden in EngraVED Ancient

I’ve nothing more to add