The Age Cryptic by DH on 1/7/14

For whatever reason, I just could not get into this puzzle. Whether it was because I was distracted or I found it hard, I'm not sure. Also, I'm put off by the use of sexist terms, something this compiler has done before. I got 1D and 9A straight off but after that it was a fight. There are some words from the dusty corners of the dictionary in this one. After a couple of hours I'd managed 12/32 clues and did not see me finishing. I got a few more this morning but have quit with 21/32. Have a look:

I'm just going to rattle through as best I can and not over explain, if I can stop myself.

9A - Older fan a problem in lively French dance (9)
"Lively French dance" is our definition, "problem" is an anagrind and "Older fan a" the fodder for FARANDOLE, which I got with an anagram solver and dictionary confirmation.

10A - Nothing against love? Look for a convex architectural moulding (5)
"Nothing" = O and "love" = O but I'm not sure how we get the middle part VOL. I googled "convex architectural moulding" and got an answer from wikipedia.

11A - D'Urberville has time for mosaic units (7)
I knew TESS was going to be in there but the bit about time and mosaic units confused me. Answer was "time" = ERA for TESSERA, an individual tile piece. I never knew one had a name, I just called them tiles.

12A - Special brew when Elliott ate out (4,3)
With cross letters I got the three letter word TEA. Elliott confused me because I was thinking BILLY or TS but knew that was spelled Eliot. "Special brew" is the definition and we want HERB TEA. The Elliott in question required some Aussie knowledge.

13A - Satisfied yet, Hickory-Dickory-Dock includes some moral? (5)
Definition is "moral" and the word "includes" is a hint this is a hidden word clue. "yET, HICkory" ETHIC.

14A - Mates maltreated in Alien Bistro in Paris (9)
Definition is "Bistro in Paris" and the capitalisation of Bistro is misleading. "Mates maltreated" means  mix-up MATES + IN + "alien" = ET gives ESTAMINET.

17A - Survive the tenth wicket to fall (7)
I got this with cross letters. Definition is "survive" and I'm not a cricket person so I don't know how we get the answer OUTLAST but there it is. It is listed on thesaurus.com.

19A - Trains a wayward crooner (7)
Definition is "crooner" with "wayward" being an anagrind and "Trains a" the fodder to be mixed to give us SINATRA.

21A - Breaks the habit; floozie to get motor going (4-5)
Definition is "to get the motor going" "Breaks the habits" = KICKS and "floozie" = TART for KICK START which seriously is unnecessary and I'm wondering if this compiler has a thing for denigrating women. There are less vulgar ways to get us to answer ST ART, START,  STAR T, but no always with the prostitutes, hussies, tarts and now floozie. GTFO how's that for some vulgar letters to solve, mate.

24A, 8D- Maize Olle cooked for old French writer (5,4)
Definition is "French writer" and "cooked" is an anagrind with "Maize Olle" the fodder to be mixed up to get EMILE ZOLA.

25A - Celebration with Spanish aunt in old Roman province (7)
"Old Roman province" is our definition and "Celebration"  = GALA and "Spanish aunt" = TIA for GALATIA.

27A - Captain, he is against it. Nothing in British sheep (7)
I'm not exactly sure. I think "Captain" = C then I'm confused. The definition is "British sheep" and the answer is CHEVIOT.

28A - Pretend to be confident about steep promontory (5)
Double definition here. A word that means to fake confidence and is also a steep promontory? BLUFF

29A - Very poor quality T (5-4)
I'm not sure if this is a double definition or not. I don't know what the "T" means on its own. The answer is THIRD RATE. How to solve this cryptically eludes me.

1D - Out of trouble as telephone being used (3,3,4)
I got this clue first and it's a double definition. A phrase that means to escape being caught and also on the phone? OFF THE HOOK. I suppose with modern phone design, phones no longer have hooks.

2D - Senior officer supports quiet Australian model (5,3)
I guessed at the first word thinking GRASS didn't sound right. I got the end of the clue first "Quiet" = SH + A from "Australian" and "model" = T but _R_SS HAT wasn't working with Brig (brigadier) or Col. (colonel) so what "supports" are we looking for? BRAS?  BRASS HAT.

3D - Most disadvantaged people governed by division of society (10)
Again I managed the last half with cross letters of then struggled with the first and made a guess. I'm not sure if this is a double definition but it reads more like a quick clue than a cryptic one. UNDERCLASS.

4D - Spot time for foolish infatuation (6)
"Foolish infatuation" is our definition "spot" = DOT "time" = AGE for DOTAGE. I've only ever known of definition #1.

5D - Time ship treated for poisonous exhalation (8)
Definition is "poisonous exhalation" and "treated" is an anagrind with "Time ship" its fodder to mix up and render MEPHITIS. not I SIP METH.

6D - Grim function Ukranian religious leaders follow (4)
Definition is "Grim" and I had the O in place from 10A. "Ukranian" = U and "religious leader" = R but did I was SOUR or DOUR  or LOUR? How did "function" work? I'm no mathematician. DOUR is what the compiler wanted. Or does Function = DO? Like a wedding party?

7D, 18D - Tyrone's a top bat. Beaten in historic raid in 1773 (6,3,5)
Definition is "raid in 1773" and the word "Beaten" is an anagrind. Taking the whole first sentence "Tyrone's a top bat" and swirling it to get BOSTON TEA PARTY. Being from Massachusetts, this was easy pickings for me.

15D - Men to beat? Green Italian early operatic composer (10)
Definition is "early Italian operatic composer" and again we are to "beat "Men to"  MONTE and "green Italian" or green in Italian is VERDE, but MONTEVERDI is the composer so how do we turn the last E into an I? Am I supposed to be mixing my composers and jump to this Verdi instead? does "operatic" mean a homophone? I'm confused.

16D - Attempts to take in a waistcoat making grotesque imitations (10)
I pretty much gave up in this corner. I guessed "waistcoat" would mean VEST but if I'd continued I'd have seen "Attempts" could mean TRIES and "Take in A" means add an A into the mix for TRAVESTIES.

20D - Right in it? Trouble over father in region around Port of Spain (8)
"Right in it" means take the R from "right" and put that into "IN IT" and add an a synonym for "Father" = DAD for TRINIDAD a "port in Spain"

22D - "Old World plant with variegated leaves", Nat states.
Even with all cross letters this was beyond my ken. "Old World plant with variegated leaves" is our definition. "Nat" = Nat King COLE (I'm guessing) and "states" = US for COLEUS. Do I really need to become a horticulturalist to do these puzzles?

23D - Start eating! Friar's at home! (4,2)
"Friar" = TUCK "at home" = IN "Start eating"  = TUCK IN!

25D - Sailor turn about for island near Mallacoota (4)
"Sailor" = AB for "able bodied seaman" and is a common cryptic abbreviation "Turn" = GO and I guess we could think of games as in "It's your turn, it's your go" put GO "about" AB to get GABO, an island off Mallacoota.

26D - Into full production? Some Asian food? (4)
With just a four letter word it was difficult to figure out what was supposed to go "into" anything. Then I thought, remember to check for hidden words! And there it was "inTO FUll" TOFU, an Asian food.

There. Done. No looking back. Let's move on to today's DP and hope it's floozie and gigolo free.