The Age cryptic by DA Friday 18th July

Is it someone's birthday? I just have to wonder because this puzzle was a gift! It had some easy clues, some generous parsing and a few naughty giggles. I solved all but five on my own, then went to the D.A. Trippers (DAT) for some hints. I learned some new definitions of words I've always used, but apparently not enough. 26A required Mort at DAT to explain the answer because I'm not classically trained nor religiously inclined.

I managed to get all the big answers in first. I know, how could that happen? I'm telling you, this was a gift. I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. We're going to get slammed next week, aren't we. Puzzle mind and soul crush.

1A - Exotic spice diets proven bug-killers (10)
Definition is "bug-killers" and "Exotic" is an anagrind. Mix up "spice diets" to reveal PESTICIDES.

7A - Flirt hosts bishop and uncle for breakfast (4)
I needed some help with this one as I'd initially put in the wrong answer, and thought it was a pretty good one (even though it ignored the "bishop and uncle") So Mort hinted "7A a three-letter word for “flirt” is around the usual abbreviation of bishop. Some have Uncle 7A for breakfast " That gives "Flirt" = TOY (as in to toy with someone, I hope) and we take the B from "bishop" to give TOBY, where Uncle Toby is a popular breakfast cereal brand.

9A - Republican inciting debate? (4)
I figured I was looking at "debate" to be the definition. I couldn't figure out what the clue wanted me to do. I had the cross letters and thesaurus listed "SPUR" as a synonym for "incite" and I thought, yeah, Republicans (Australian Liberals as if that's not confusing!) do like to put the boot heel in, why not add a spur? The real answer is SPAR, but I'll leave my political bias out there.


10A - Triple-cream cheese, melted on top, together casing fish. (10)
This clue made sense up until "casing fish" which I was convinced was some kind of anagram, but it's not. I then thought about (googled) triple-cream cheeses and what types there are because I have no idea - I'm not a cheese person. I'm a cake person. (I should become a cheese person, instead) "melted on top" means take the M from melted, "together" = AS ONE and "casing fish" can be read like encasing CARP to give M + AS (CARP) ONE for MASCARPONE.  Anyone else read that clue as if someone was spying on fish? Casing the fishtank for future fish rustling? Too much cartoon gangster crime?

11A - Flakes fall for this pirate on-line? (8)
I had cross letters and figured the beginning of the clue "Flakes fall" = SNOW  but wasn't sure of the rest. I put in SNOWDROP. Later checking the DAT and Arthur and Gayle both confirmed that another name stealing clothes from washing lines is known as Snowdropping. "pirate" being a thief and the "on-line" being a washing line, not internet.

12A - State is alert to screening vehicular fee (6)
We are looking for a state in the USA. "Is alert" = ON and "vehicular fee" = REGO (Aussie slang for registration) now I'm not sure if "screening" means to split the O and N but our answer is OREGON. I will scrutinise "screening" closer from now.

13A - An outfit storing bomb or house arrest requirement (5,7)
"House arrest requirement" is our definition and I got the answer with cross letters. ANKLE MONITOR is the answer. I can guess "storing a bomb" gives the middle part LEMON, but "an outfit" as ANKTOR?

17A - Vamp got influence kneeling (12)
"Vamp" is an anagrind and the definition is "kneeling" so rearrange "got influence" to reveal GENUFLECTION.

20A - Veto domestic Manx chook (6)
Definition is "chook" "Veto" = BAN and we can take the M from Manx, but I'm not sure how "domestic" = TA (territorial army?) to give BANTAM.

22A - Dylan pointlessly (and cryptically) suggests another singer (4,4)
"Dylan pointlessly" means remove the compass point from Dylan -N to leave DYLA (and cryptically) means to mix those letters into LADY and "suggest another singer" would be LADY GAGA.

24A - Darling turned to skillet for rabbit, a Japanese meal (10)
I may not know cheese, but I know Japanese cuisine! I got this with cross letters and had been searching for specific meal - time wasted! "Darling turned" = PET but backwards TEP "skillet" = PAN and "rabbit" = YAK (as in to rabbit on) and we need an I for the end to make TEPPANYAKI. (Is the I in the clue?)

25A - Fiddle 60 pre-50? (4)
Definition is "Fiddle" and I'm not wholly sure I get the roman numeral conversion but I think it's 6 = VI 0 = O and 50 = L for VIOL. I don't know what the "pre" is about. I also wasn't sure a Viol was a real thing and had to google. See, puzzles make us all smarter.

26A - Air of hostility ends calmness, essentially (4)
Definition is "Air" and "HostilitY ends" means take the first and last letters HY and "calmness essentially" means take the core from "calMNess" giving HYMN. But I didn't understand "Air" = Hymn until Mort helped out again "CC: Bach wrote an air on a G-string. " (Oh, now I have Pride and Prejudice yearnings)

27A - Supreme hand required to clean throne? (5,5)
What's the highest hand in poker that could also be said to clean the household "throne"? ROYAL FLUSH.

2D - Pole enters web-show before champion (8)
I got this with cross letters and a thesaurus. Definition is "champion" and the answer is EXPONENT and I can see "Pole enters" where the P is in the word, but I don't know what exonent means in regard to "web show"

3,14D - Expose town plight with hour to waste (5,5,4)
I got this with guesswork, but looking now I think "Expose" is our definition and "to waste" an anagrind leaving "TOWN PLIGHT with HOUR"  having 10 letters to remix gives THROW LIGHT UPON. This did not work in the anagram solvers and I had to do side by side comparisons and draw lines to each letter. That's not old school, that's pre-school, but we do what we have to do to get the solve.

4D - Paparazzi showed up noodles (9)
"Paparazzi" is the definition and "showed up" = CAME and "noodles" = RAMEN for CAMERAMEN.

5D - Cleaner prop for improv stand-up (7)
"Cleaner prop" is the definition and "improv" is an anagrind so rearrange "stand-up" for DUSTPAN.

6D - Residents polish a Korean soldier's hat (5)
I'd gone the long way and googled "soldier's hat" and got the answer that way and as I was writing that in, I thought "Residents" looked like a hidden word signpost (edited, thanks Robin!) and it is! hidden in "poliSH A KOrean" is the answer SHAKO. I was well chuffed I found the right word because I'd never heard of it before.

7D - Classified locale reviewed on island, closer to the north (3,6)
I'd lightly penciled in TOP SECRET and as the cross letters began to match, I put it in solid as the definition as "Classified" but how to get that from the clue, I cannot tell you. Is the island CRETE? Does "locale" = SPOT? Does "north" = TOP? Arg!

8D - Correct harp (4,2)
Because I'd had 7A wrong, this one went in last. We want to think of "harp" as to harp on about something, on and on and on...BANG ON. Mort helped out with "CC, 8D harp is a verb not an instrument. " Was good to have that confirmed.

15D - I melt lard, rotating! (9)
I'm so suspicious of these easy clues, it means something terrible is coming next week, right? Looking at this, though - it's a very clever because "I melt lard" is a gorgeous anagram of TREADMILL. "Rotating" serving as anagrind but treadmills do rotate.


16D - Striking to defile American with nothing to hide (8)
Wow, I needed help with this one. My brain jammed up with "defile American" and I couldn't go any further. Thankfully DAT Dave told me "1st word of 16d clue is def. ‘Defile’ is not a verb. " and I went to the dictionary to find out this mysterious other definition of "defile" = GORGE  it does? Wow! With "Striking" as the definition I could guess GORGEOUS where American = US and "nothing" = O

18D - Cocky-sounding deception? (7)
Risqué clue alert! Ooer!  Right, "cocky-sounding" = PHALLUS with "deception" as the definition we want a homophone-like answer FALLACY.

19D - Hardly how streakers operate (6)
I'm surprised this clue didn't have a question mark on the end. No real cryptic way to solve, answer is BARELY.

21D - Mimicked fashion house (5)
"Mimicked" is a homophone signpost and we want a word that sounds like a house and a fashion MANNER/MANOR, we want the answer with five letters. MANOR. (That and "house" is on the end of the clue and definitions are at the beginning or end of clues)

23D - Offered old insider a hearing aid? (5)
I liked this clue because I'd stared at it for ages, confounded and then Aha! The answer was there. I love those moments! Definition is "hearing aid" if we think of a hearing in the courtroom sense. "Offered" = GAVE and "oLd insider" means take the letter L from inside old to give us GAVEL.

Wow, we're done! I had this finished before the kids got back from school. Wonderful.

I'm sure next week will be in all Latin, every clue a pun and referenced from an Encyclopaedia Britiannica from 1947, with the odd whimsically slang Spooner just to make me cry.

Have a great weekend.