The Age Cryptic by RM #20,423

What a gorgeous few days we've had! It's wonderful as we are all finally on vacation - yes even the resident workaholic has promised not to answer emails or his phone for a whole week, save for a few 6AM meetings. He knows how to Vacation that guy. Ok passive aggressive narkiness aside it's been wonderful and what better way to break into the fresh week of beachside sinshine - ok that was a random typo but I like it so it stays -  than with a breezy puzzle.

This puzzle had a few laughs which was great. I like a funny surface and it was a promising start:

For the most part oarsman is a tosser! (7)

I truly do admire and appreciate a smooth, humorous surface. I don't know who couldn't.

I've also opened up an old puzzle book I bought back in 2007 when I made my first New Years' resolution to try and learn how to solve cryptic crosswords. It's The Daily Telegraph's Big Book of Cryptic Crosswords #16. It's a good lesson in tight clueing as there are few words spared. It's also a very dry and dull tome to work through, some examples:

1) One titled man returns to show the flag (4)
2) An understanding of statuary (8)
3) Actors off-stage (6)

That's the style for the majority of clues in 240 puzzles but I'm persisting in the hopes it will train me to get better at recognising the smallest bits of clues because these puzzles seem to be mostly "Bits and pieces" clues and where do all those bits'n pieces come from? I mean, plenty of people must love these puzzles, they've publish over 16 collections. Now, with the help of the online community I can get those answers that in 2007 I couldn't. Back to the present and to RM, here's my pic:

1A - For the most part oarsman is a tosser! (7)
"Tosser" is the definition and "THe most part" = TH and "oarsman" = ROWER for a THROWER.

5,23A - You don't like Jimmy Barnes anymore? Mad! (3,4,6)
"Mad" is the definition and Jimmy Barnes is a famous Aussie rock star and if you no longer like him you could be OFF YOUR ROCKER.

9A - Someone who heads down to Sound City for the variety (9)
I got this with cross letters and figuring out "Variety" was the definition. Is it "someone who heads down" = DIVER  "sound city" is asking for a homophone of "city" = SITY for DIVERSITY.

10A - Count on getting child out of bed (3,2)
"Count on" is our definition and getting a "child" = TOT "out of bed" = UP for TOT UP.

11A - Sheen used to entice saint inside (6)
"Sheen" is the definition and "entice" = LURE with a "saint" = ST "inside" like this LU(ST)RE.

12A - Odysseus' wife and writer run off together (8)
"Odysseus's wife" is the one we need and a "writer" = PEN and to "run off together" = ELOPE for PENELOPE. (We'll not debate the apostrophe and just declare author's preference)

14A - Were we not in league with the innkeeper against the monarchy? (10)
"Against the monarchy" is our definition and I'm not sure about "were we not in league," but I could see "innkeeper" = PUBLICAN to give us REPUBLICAN. So how do we get the RE? Is it the "weRE we" bit? How does "league" fit in?

16A - In good health despite bad weather report (4)
 Homophones where one means "good health" and the other is "bad weather" is HALE/HAIL. Here we want HALE. The word "report" is our homophone signpost and I'm guessing because "bad weather report" has the signpost that's what makes "in good health" the definition we want in grid. Are there firm rules on writing homophone clues that pertain to this?

18A - Basic part of an element and anatomically essential (4)
Hidden word clue where "basic part of an element" is the definition and hidden inside "anATOMically essential" is ATOM.

19A - Trainee position at swinging hipster inn (10)
Anagram: "Trainee position" is the definition and "swinging hipster inn" is anagrind and fodder to give us: INTERNSHIP.

22A - Doctors claim twitch is weather related (8)
"Weather related" is the definition and "doctors claim" is anagrind and partial fodder to lead "twitch" = TIC like this (CLIMA)TIC.

26A - Take headscarf and demure coat on a light bender (5)
"A light bender" is the definition and "headScarf" is a one word instruction to take the first letter of Scarf and add it to "demure" = PRIM for PRISM. I'm guessing "coat" is being used as a "contents" signpost to get us to put the S into Prim,.

27A - To gain unauthorised access, need to sound commonplace (9)
"Commonplace" is the definition and "To gain unauthorised access," means to HACK if we think of computers and "need to sound" tells us we want a homophone of "need" for the end to give us HACKNEYED.

28A - Choosy about article when frightened (7)
"When frightened" is our definition and "choosy" = PICKY to be split "about article" = AN for PANICKY.

29A - Kind-hearted cook refused ride but expressed gratitude (7)
"Expressed gratitude" is the definition and "Kind-hearted cook, refused (-ride)" means to remove the letters "ride" from "kind-hearted" leaving KNHATED to be "cooked" giving us: THANKED.

1D - Wrestler half strangled strange 2 year old (7)
My first thought was how unusual for there to be a number in the clue rather than it being spelled out. Then I noticed the grisly surface. "2 year old" is our definition and "wresTLER half" = TLER, "Strange" = ODD and that's to be "strangled" or surrounded by the TLER like this: T(ODD)LER. I'm guessing the number was used instead of the word "two" to make it look less like an anagram with "strange" being an anagrind and "two year" being fodder. It would have been a good misdirection, though.

2D - Right salutations to use at these parties (5)
"Parties" is the definition and "right" = R and "salutations" = AVES for RAVES. See, playing video games can be helpful! In Fallout 3 the members of Caesar's legion often greet us with "Ave!"

3D - Go to a hospital room and steal stuff from the last closet (8)
"Closet" is the definition and "go to a hospital room"  = WARD and "steal stuff" = ROB with "thE last" = E all together for WARDROBE.

4D - Precipitate the pronouncement of royal rule (4)
Homophone clue and  "pronouncement" is the homophone signpost. "precipitate" = RAIN in the noun form,  and "royal rule" = REIGN. The clue wants the four letter word RAIN.

5D - Extend yoga exercise when inspired? (10)
Anagram: "Extend yoga exercise" = OXYGENATED to mean "when inspired?" in its verb form.

6D - Has sofa the right stuffing for Dad? (6)
Hidden word: We want to find a synonym for "Dad" hidden, or "stuffed" into "soFA THE Right" = FATHER.

7D - He expounds alternative medicine at reduced cost - tops every other course! (9)
This is the one clue I'm struggled to parse. The answer is OSTEOPATH which is a form of "alternative medicine" and I first tried to see if this is an odds/evens clue with both "alternative" and "every other" being in the clue. I think I finally got it with "reduced cost" = -C leaving OST, "tops Every Other" = EO, then "course" = PATH. I don't know the purpose of "He expounds," which looks like a homophone signpost.

8D - Agent left sweeter bits when sated (7)
"Sated" is the definition and  "agent" = REP, "left" = L and "sweETEr bits" = ETE for REPLETE.

13D - Diabolically shy infidel is converted (10) 
Anagram: "Diabolically" is our definition and "shy infidel is converted," is fodder and anagrind to give us: FIENDISHLY.

15D - Supply of expert oversight (9)
"Supply" is the definition and "expert" = PRO and I'm not as sure here because "sight" = VISION but not "oversight" which is an omission or error. Answer is PROVISION so how does the "over" in "oversight" work? Is it just to say "Pro" before "vision"?

17D - Lack of sleep is a minion's undoing (8)
Anagram: "Lack of sleep" is the definition and "a minion's undoing" is fodder and anagrind to get: INSOMNIA

18D - Coppola, when carefree, has a sweet bubbly spirit (7)
Anagram: "A sweet and bubbly spirit" is the definition and "Coppola when carefree" is fodder and anagrind to give us ALCOPOP.

20D - Dad attacked speech then joined procession (7)
"Procession" is our definition and I got this from definition and cross clues. I think "Dad attacked" is partial fodder and anagrind "speech then joined" is a homophone signpost for PAIRED/PARED giving us PARADED. Only that gives me an extra D if I use DAD+PARED so I'm not confident in that solution.

21D - Where planes pull up to sailor with a raincoat (6)
"Where planes pull up," is what we want and "sailor" = TAR and "raincoat" = MAC short for Mackintosh, to give us TARMAC.

24D - Boat known as yak? (5)
"Boat" is our definition and "known as" is usually abbreviated to AKA but that's "also known as" so here we just want the KA then ad the YAK from the clue for KAYAK.

25D - Dropping jazz singing (4)
Double definition: SCAT. This sent me on a morning of listening to Scatman Crothers hits all morning yesterday. He was delightful.

There we are, all done. Where yesterday was all Scatman, this morning I needed some angry piano and needed Amanda Palmer because no one can abuse a piano as beautifully as her.

Have a good day! No really, I hope you do have a great day.


Oh, in case you were wondering the answers to those clues are: 1) IRIS 2) PEDESTAL 3) EXEUNT