Some of the best clues were the theme ones. It's sad to think so many solvers would have known the theme and just put the answer from definition and denied themselves the fun of working out the whole clue. Here's my pic:
1, 5A - Solver cut out a domestic security appeal on air (8,6)
"Solver" is who we are looking for (It's not us) and "cut" = SHEAR "out A" means drop the A leaving SHER. "security appeal on air" is asking for a homophone of "lock homes!" to make SHERLOCK HOLMES.
10, 29A - 1-across's ally teased lad's entire acceptance of so-called ghost (9,8)
"1-across's ally" is who we're looking for. Not being a massive Sherlock fan apart from the recent movies and BBC shows and having never read the books (I tried when I was a teen and was horrified by the drug use and stopped reading.) I googled "Sherlock Holmes ghost" and got a wiki including a cast list. So much cheat, but hey. "teased LADS ENTIRE" is anagrind and partial fodder that will "accept" or take in a homophone "so-called ghost" = spectre / "SPECTOR" to make IN(SPECTOR) LESTRADE
11A - Even I quit game after lame final (5)
"Even" is our definition and here I'm not very sure what's going on. I'd figured "after lamE final" meant the first letter was E and then cross letters came in and I guessed the answer was EQUAL but how "I quit game" makes QUAL I'm not sure. OH! Is it a game bird QUAIL dropping its I?? That makes sense. I did waste time trying to even/odd an answer from this.
12A - Soldier during passover identifies 1-across's power (5)
"Sherlock Holmes's power" is what we're needing to find. Again I had all the cross letters and I knew "soldier" = GI but where "passover identifies" gets LOC (or is it COL? is "passover" a reversal signpost?) I don't know. Answer is LOGIC.
14A - Erratic compass I's repair (9)
"Erratic" is our definition and this was my clue in the grid. Thank you DA for throwing a few bones to get us newbies started. "COMPASS I'D repaired" is fodder and anagrind to make SPASMODIC.
15A- Beatitude is made of this! (5)
An &lit clue! The whole clue is the definition and it's a hidden word clue - wait is it a hidden word or an &lit or can it be both? - as "beatitude" is a "supreme blessedness" and other religiously inspired awe. "beatituDE IS Made" hides DEISM... a belief in god as as a creator who then goes away and doesn't interfere. I guess looking at the clue it was created - intelligent design - never mind. I'm getting itchy just thinking about it all.
18A - Issue tracker extremes in light radar component (9)
"Radar component" is our definition and "issue" = MAG and "TrackeR extremes" = TR which goes "in light" = NEON to make MAG(NE(TR)ON) I had to look up the definition because all I could do was say "Magnetron!" in loud robot voices. Sounds like a Transformer name.
19A - Hard eastern ruler, 22-down? A horrible one (5)
This was one of my last clues in but when I got it - Hot Dog! "Hard" = H (which means if I see "soft" in a clue it could be and S?) "eastern ruler" = AGA and 22-down was "right" = R to make HAGAR - "a horrible one" is the famous cartoon viking Hagar The Horrible! That's who I'd mistakenly put in for 19D last week instead of Hogan. I must be psychic! Or DA reads my blog. (I know compilers make these puzzles months in advance, but it could happen!)
21A - Eccentric meals an integral part of boxing (9)
I'm not very sure what's going on here. Is this a very oblique double definition? I had the last five letters in place when "boxing" twigged for me - not pugilism but actual packing of stuff into boxes. "The integral part of boxing" = CARDBOARD. How "eccentric meals" works I'm not sure unless it's a euphemism for crap freezer food.
24A - Comic noble turned on laptop (5)
"Comic" is our definition and "noble turned" = LORD reversed to DROL and "Lap-top" = L for DROLL.
25A - Should ducks have wings clipped? (5)
"Should" is our definition and "ducks" = OO which are NOUGHTS and we must "clip wings" or remove the first and last letters leaving OUGHT.
26A - Your old doctor welcoming in old carnivore (9)
"Old carnivore" is what we're looking for and "your old" (No you're old!) as in your in ye olde language is THY then "doctor" must be LACE but I do not know why - someone will have to explain that, but the LACE will be "welcoming" the word IN to make THY(LAC(IN)E). Could the doctor = lace be like "doctoring" a drink or slipping a mickey?
28A - 20 went out, dressing to impress Cross? (6)
"Cross" is our definition and "20 -WENT out" = 20 as TwentY with its "went" dropped. The TY will be "dressing" or wrapping around "impress" = ETCH to make TETCHY. A popular word in Scotland but when I looked it up it said its origin was unknown but possibly German.
1D - Soviet leader took out expert (7)
"Expert" is our definition and "Soviet leader" = S and "took out" means KILLED to become SKILLED.
2D - Liberal contrarily taxing arrival (9)
"Liberal" is our definition and "contrarily taxing arrival" means we want the opposite of those last two words to become EASY GOING.
3D - Swimmer showed up 5-across' player (3)
"Holmes' player" means we want an actor with three letters who has played Sherlock Holmes and whose name is, when reversed (showed up), is a "swimmer" is Christopher LEE.
4D - Ripped one's flesh (5)
"Flesh" is our definition and "ripped" = CUT as in the muscular bodybuilding and low body fat kind and "one's" = IS as one is usually an I and the S just tags along to make CUTIS. New word for me!
6D - Amazed possibly, stuffing up one method (4-7)
"Amazed" is our definition and someone please clarify - is "possibly stuffing" or just "stuffing" our anagrind with "UP ONE METHOD" the fodder to make OPEN-MOUTHED. I don't see the need for "possibly" unless to help make "stuffing" a stronger anagrind or just for surface. Possibly has its own uses as a signpost so I wasn't sure.
7D - A heap found to undergo sexual reassignment (5)
"A heap" is our definition and the word "Found" is to "undergo a sexual reassignment" meaning it drops the F to get an M instead and become MOUND.
8D - 12-across is not grand, needing new radical element (7)
"Element" is what we're needing and "LOGIC IS not Grand" means to drop the letter G leaving LOIC IS but it's "needing New" = N and I think "radical" in an anagrind to make SILICON. I've not seen "radical" as an anagrind so I'd appreciate clarification if anyone has this or something different.
9D - Shoot, arrow tip piercing boyfriend of 5-across? (2,6)
This clue has brought some discussion to the DATrippers. I got it from the definition "Boyfriend of Holmes" and knew it was DR WATSON but I'd never made any connections to the gents being gay. I have "girlfriends" but they're just friends so "boyfriend" didn't register with me in any other way than male friend. I still couldn't parse the clue fully, only that "Arrow tip, piercing" = A getting in the middle but I had that from 14A. I think Celia Fate at DAT has the best solution "Read it as two words “boy friend”: boy->letters 6-8, shoot->letters 1,2,4,5 & arrow tip->3. Definition is “friend …”" which plays with DA's love of combining words that work best apart in the solving.
13D - Quaint hamper pack for 5-across player (11)
"Holmes player" is who we're after again and "hamper" = CUMBER and "pack" = BATCH as in a bundle to make Benedict CUMBERBATCH. "Quaint" has no other use so far as I can see or at least I didn't need it to have one.
16D - Miro abstract, thus described by 5-across nemesis (8)
"Holmes nemesis" is who we need and "MIRO abstract" is partial fodder and anagrind but I don't understand how "thus described" = ARTY. I don't know if MORIARTY was an artist but I thought he was a gangland leader of sorts. Is it "arty" in the "artful" manner of sly and crafty?
17D - Overseas, miss neglectin' pickup, as parked outside (9)
This clue was holding me up in the SE corner and I asked Celia Fate for a hint. I love having puzzle friends! Her advice was "ignorin' the commas helps. Defn 1st two words." What DA and CF don't realise is it's very common to slang write with an apostrophe at the end because in Boston we drop letters everywhere and write like we tawk. I ignored it as normal. Silly me! "Overseas miss" is our definition and "neglectin'" = IGNORIN' as Celia hinted in her reply. "pickup AS parked outside" means the letters AS will be on the outside and reversed to make S(IGNORIN)A.
18D - 1-across's brother so estranged from PC firm's audit (7)
See, once we know the theme these become easy. It's an exercise in reverse solving, but what a clever clue this is! It seems rude to not bother solving through it even if the answer is obvious. "Holmes's brother" is who we want and work this backwards "PC firm" means we want MICROSOFT the main PC software people (those "other people" as I say since we're Mac slaves here) "SO estranged" means to drop the letters -SO leaving MICROFT and "audit" is a homophone signpost getting us to our answer MYCROFT. It's a sweet clue.
20D - Sub console (7)
Double definition: RELIEVE. A substitute teacher is called "relief" staff and to console someone is to "relieve their pain. I guess I'm a bit unsure about how "relief" gets to "relieve" but I'm not overly bothered. Should I be?
22D - Just liturgy quoted (5)
"Just" is our definition and this is a homophone clue where a "liturgy" is a public form of ritual worship or a RITE which sounds like "quoted" RIGHT.
23D - Party near Christmas - turn-out for 5-across inventor (5)
"Holmes inventor" is who we want and a "party" = DO and "near Christmas" = YULE but with the "turn out" and I know from previous puzzles the "turn" = U for a U-turn which leaves YLE for DOYLE.
27D - Bill exhibits a bed, empty (3)
"Bill exhibits" is our definition and "A bed empty" = A COT but the "CoT" is empty leaving an ACT which we'd see listed in a playbill.
There we are! A good Friday was had but getting the theme helps a whole bunch in this one. Next two weeks are a muddle with the kids on holiday - it feels like they only just went back! - and I'll be chaperoning a gang of teens to Supanova - help me? No? Coward. and seeing friends in Melbourne. I'll be posting less I wager over this time. We'll see.
As always leave tips and alternate solutions in the comments below. Enjoy any time off you happen to get and have a great weekend.
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