Friday, April 15, 2016

Daily Nation Complex Crossword Of  Friday, April  15, 2016
By Edwin Korir. Eldoret, Kenya

Across

1a    Material for building split windscreen? (11)
BREEZEBLOCK: A type of brick by a play on words if you split windscreen 4,6. Lovely clue.

9a    Keep an eye on extra responsibility of a bishop (7)
OVERSEE: A charade of a 4 letter term for ‘extra’ and an area a bishop would look after.

10a    One amongst celebrities in flight (6)
STAIRS: Take the letter ‘I’ (one) and put it into (amongst) what celebrities are called. Not ‘slebs’ or ‘blisters (sic)’

12a    Hurried back to evaluate recount (7)
NARRATE: A 3 letter word for ‘hurried’ reversed (back) and a term for ‘to evaluate’.

13a    Mostly flog salmon, perhaps being greedy (7)
SELFISH: Take a 4 letter word to describe a sales transaction (flog) and remove the last letter (mostly) and add the general term for a salmon, brill etc.. It’s mine, all mine

14a    Quits after delayed start to rugby game (5)
EVENS: Take a form of Rugby Union with less players (rugby game) and remove the first letter (delayed start).

15a    Follow team’s first draw away (9)
SIDETRACK: A charade of a term ‘to follow, as in hunt’ and what a team is generally referred to, and move that to the front (team’s first).

17a    Stormy signs and poor outlook (9)
PROGNOSIS: Anagram (stormy) of SIGNS + POOR.

20a    Daughter has drinks in one! (5)
DOWNS: Usual abbreviation for ‘daughter’ and add a term for ‘possess’s’.

22a    Saw how the drinks may be served at room temperature? (7)
NOTICED: Split 3,4 the answer would be – the drinks lacked a cooling medium.

24a    Remark old boys initially are of use (7)
OBSERVE: Take the first letters (initially) of ‘old boys’ and a term used for ‘to wait upon’.

25a    Stop moving band around room for broadcast (6)
FREEZE: A homophone (broadcast) of a decorative band around the room. I got my knickers in a twist with this – so thanks to BD & Gazza for setting me straight.

26a    One might crow when nothing appears in the duty list (7)
ROOSTER: A 6 letter term for a ‘duty list’ and place ‘O’ (nothing) into (appears in) said duty list.

27a    What a builder might use to maintain equanimity? (6,5)
SPIRIT LEVEL: Cryptic &lit – Does what it says on the tin.

Down

2d    Monkeys developed scars around nails intermittently (7)
RASCALS: Anagram (developed) of SCARS and n(A)i(L)s (intermittently).

3d    Teams with points must get refreshments (9)
ELEVENSES: Another term for teams (not sides) in a numerical sense with 2 compass points added.

4d    Provides comfort stops after leader goes (5)
EASES: A 6 letter word for ‘stops’ with the first letter removed (after leader goes).

5d    Flier‘s feet all at sea (7)
LEAFLET: Anagram (at sea) of FEET ALL.

6d    Island company reproduced cars, importing one (7)
CORSICA: Standard 2 letter abbreviation for ‘company’ followed by an anagram (reproduced) CARS and placing (importing) the letter ‘I’ (one).

7d    Token piece of glass that’s put on bed (11)
COUNTERPANE: The ‘token’ here is an item that can be used in board games (Uckers, for one) and a piece of glass you would find in a window.

8d    University qualification needing source of cash for good rule (6)
DECREE: What you receive when successfully completing your education and swap the abbreviation for ‘good’ with the first letter (needing source) of ‘cash’.

11d    Poet or speaker as he develops (11)
SHAKESPEARE: Anagram (develops) of SPEAKER AS HE.

16d    Academic programme supporting police inspector’s discussion (9)
DISCOURSE: An academic programme you would undertake after (supporting, in a down clue) with an abbreviated police officer and the ‘s’ from the clue.

18d    Reveal cut in exposed rock (7)
OUTCROP: A 3 letter term for ‘reveal’ (as in coming ???) and term for ‘cut’ used in a barber shop.

19d    Kind of industry sounding fresh and comprehensible (7)
NUCLEAR: Homophone (sounding) of ‘fresh’ and ‘comprehensible’

20d    Get undressed, seeing bride’s worried about love (7)
DISROBE: Anagram (worried) of BRIDES containing (about) the score for ‘nothing’ in tennis (love).

21d    Conflict many think and hope originally generates affection (6)
WARMTH: A term for a conflict between armies and the single letter abbreviation for ‘many’ with the initial letters (originally) of ‘think’ and ‘hope’ shows (generates) the answer.

23d    Stayed, as doctor’s beginning on scar (5)
DWELT: Take the initial letter of ‘Doctor’ (doctor’s beginning) and a type of ‘scar’.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Daily Nation Complex Crossword Of Thursday, April 7, 2016
By Edwin Korir. Eldoret, Kenya

Across Clues

1a Earthenware pot bishop brought into model prison? (4-3)
TOBY-JUG – insert the chess abbreviation for bishop into an adjective meaning model or miniature then add an informal word for prison.

5a Policeman in charge on board tender (7)
OFFICER – put the abbreviation for ‘in charge’ inside (on board) a tender or bid.

9a Red-haired man, fine American attached to game (5)
RUFUS – the abbreviation for fine (as a category of lead pencils) and a two-letter abbreviation for American follow the abbreviation for the fifteen-a-side game (a game that I’ve no desire to discuss further after last weekend).

10a A speech about daughter’s deep love (9)
ADORATION – A (from the clue) and a formal speech contain D(aughter).

11a Perfectly at home always? Surely not! (4,1,5)
WELL I NEVER – string together three adverbs – the first meaning perfectly or thoroughly, the second meaning at home and the last meaning always.

12a Tooth extractor? Surgeon, at heart (4)
FANG – an extractor or ventilator is followed by the letter at the heart of surgeon.

14a Greatly superior ways associated with a school principal (7,5)
STREETS AHEAD – ways or routes precede A (from the clue) and a school principal.

18a Entered Miami, excitedly, before noon (4,8)
ANTE MERIDIEM – an anagram (excitedly) of ENTERED MIAMI gives us the Latin phrase which we normally use in its abbreviated form.

21a Character‘s parking technique (4)
PART – the abbreviation for parking followed by a technique or skill.

22a Discuss flop, and don’t mince words! (4,6)
TALK TURKEY – charade of a verb to discuss and a slang term for a total flop (especially a play or film).

25a Wrong choice before important game (3,6)
ICE HOCKEY – an anagram (wrong) of CHOICE followed by an adjective meaning important.

26a Girl employed by Carolina Diamonds (5)
NADIA – a bit of Googling reveals that Carolina Diamonds was the name of a (now folded) women’s softball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. A girl is hiding (employed by) in the name.

27a Pot volunteers drank, strangely (7)
TANKARD – the old abbreviation for our part-time soldiers is followed by an anagram (strangely) of DRANK.

28a Form of entertainment, Korean primarily, a Korean almost ruined (7)
KARAOKE – start with the first letter of Korean and add an anagram (ruined) of A KOREA[n].

Down Clues

1d Perplexed  cast (6)
THROWN – double definition, the first meaning perplexed or discombobulated.

2d Confound the Spanish female with extremely good climbing (6)
BAFFLE – string together a Spanish definite article, the abbreviation for female and a slang word meaning extremely good. Finally reverse the lot (climbing, in a down clue).

3d Boy appearing on stage at the last moment (4,2,4)
JUST IN TIME – a boy’s name precedes a stage or period. I really dislike ‘boy’, ‘girl’, ‘man’ or ‘woman’ as part of the wordplay with no further indication as to what the name is.

4d Grand party, of importance (5)
GRAVE – the abbreviation for grand ($1,000) followed by a noisy party with music.

5d So, no end to working alone (2,4,3)
ON ONE’S TOD – an anagram (working) of SO NO END TO. *** Sloan was an American jockey who rode many winners in England, leading to his name being adopted as Cockney rhyming slang for ‘own’.

6d Crescent, perhaps in decline (4)
FLAG – double definition, the first being the Turkish emblem which features a crescent.

7d Mate, ahead of meal, makes a drink (5,3)
CHINA TEA – Rhyming slang for a mate followed by an afternoon meal.

8d Traitor may cause awful danger, round East End initially (8)
RENEGADE – an anagram (awful) of DANGER contains [
separately the initial letters of the words East and End] the abbreviation for East and we finish with the initial letter of End.Thanks to Jean-Luc for the correction.

13d Compelling work, original in Prado, by mature English painter (4-6)
PAGE-TURNER – the first (original) letter of Prado is followed by a verb to mature and (possibly) the most famous English painter.

15d Organ, stained, put aside (9)
EARMARKED – charade of a bodily organ and an adjective meaning stained or blotched.

16d Trouble concealing blemish? The opposite with cosmetics (3,5)
WAR PAINT – ‘the opposite’ tells us that instead of the wordplay being ‘trouble concealing blemish’ we have to put a skin blemish around (concealing) a verb to trouble or hurt.

17d Political leader, one conducting operation involving centre of parties (8)
STURGEON – now that Vince Cable has lost his seat setters have adopted this lady as their stock politician. Put someone who operates in a theatre around (concealing) the central letter of parties.

19d Child put in very old snowmobile (6)
SKIDOO – this is a (mainly North American) motorised sledge. It was originally a trade name (3-3) but has become adopted as a generic term. It’s not a word I knew but the wordplay is clear. Insert an informal name for a child into an adverb meaning very. Finally add O(ld).

20d Wicket accepting your spin (6)
GYRATE – fear not, this is nothing to do with cricket. Wicket is a small opening which contains (accepting) the abbreviation for your.

23d Canoe up and down (5)
KAYAK – I’m sure that water sports enthusiasts will complain that the answer is not the same as a canoe but for crossword purposes it’s near enough. This one is a palindrome, i.e. it reads the same up and down, in a down clue.

24d Rubbish a work schedule (4)
ROTA – a word for rubbish or nonsense is followed by A (from the clue).

Thursday, March 16, 2016

Daily Nation Complex Crossword Of Thursday, March 16, 2016
By Edwin Korir. Eldoret, Kenya.

Across Clues

1a For reflection, left a minute in pilgrimage at mausoleum (3,5)
TAJ MAHAL – there’s some fiddly wordplay here. Start with L(eft) and A (from the clue) then insert M(inute) into one of the spellings of the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. Append AT (from the clue) and, finally, reverse the lot (for reflection).

6a River featuring during deputy’s leave (6)
DECAMP – the name of a river in East Anglia gets inserted into an abbreviation for deputy.

9a Night light is unfinished, causing chaos (6)
BEDLAM – start with a night light (3,4) and drop the last letter. The usual term for the light has ‘side’ in it and Chambers doesn’t list the shortened form required here.

10a One offering ‘A stew, sir?’, taking order (8)
WAITRESS – an anagram (taking order) of A STEW SIR. This sketch always cracks me up:

11a Marciano cooked food from the old country? (8)
MACARONI – an anagram (cooked) of MARCIANO. Rocky Marciano, undefeated as the world heavyweight boxing champion in the 1950s, was a US citizen born to Italian immigrants.

12a Greek man really discontented in practice? The opposite (6)
THEORY – a Greek male forename is followed by the dis-contented form of R[eall]Y.

13a Voices rant on possibly in this (12)
CONVERSATION – an anagram (possibly) of VOICES RANT ON.

16a In the style of a gnome? (12)
PROVERBIALLY – a cryptic definition where the setter wants to mislead us into thinking that a gnome is a small creature, whereas its meaning here is a maxim or pithy saying.

19a Actor    not fully developed (6)
CALLOW – double definition, the second an adjective meaning immature or inexperienced.

21a Current measure with hard Latin put in favoured treatise (8)
PAMPHLET – insert the abbreviation for a measure of electric current together with the abbreviations for hard and Latin into an adjective meaning favoured or cherished.

23a Transported con’s last in jail but being reformed (8)
JUBILANT – insert the last letter of [co]N into an anagram (being reformed) of JAIL BUT.

24a Pass by Italian ladies missing sun (6)
IGNORE – drop the abbreviation for sun from the plural form of the Italian word for lady.

25a Come to rest in seat with high back (6)
SETTLE – double definition, the first a verb to come to rest or plonk oneself down.

26a Broadcaster with kind of entertainment opening that’s over one’s head (8)
SKYLIGHT – charade of a satellite broadcaster and a type of entertainment requiring little mental effort to enjoy.

Down Clues

2d In regions, start to need stadia (6)
ARENAS – another word for regions with the starting letter of N[eed] inserted in it.

3d Island state engaged in formal talks (5)
MALTA – hidden (engaged) in the clue.

4d One presumably not having to deal with letter? (9)
HOMEOWNER – cryptic definition of someone who doesn’t have to pay rent to a landlord.

5d Crime world‘s wise old bird placed in criminal file (3,4)
LOW LIFE – place the name of the old bird that symbolises wisdom into an anagram (criminal) of FILE.

A wise old owl lived in an oak,
The more he saw, the less he spoke
The less he spoke, the more he heard,
Now, wasn’t he a wise old bird?

6d Meaning of piled-up snow (5)
DRIFT – double definition, the first a meaning or general intention.

7d Trade in a chippy? (9)
CARPENTRY – chippy is a slang term for a specific type of tradesman so the answer is his or her trade. We’re obviously meant to think of chippy as a chip shop but the clue doesn’t really cut the mustard for me – ‘trade of a chippy’ fine, but how does ‘trade in a chippy’ work?

8d Breakfast ingredient    to expand enormously (8)
MUSHROOM – double definition, the second a verb to expand quickly or snowball.

13d Polite composer broadcast — it’s for royalty’s benefit? (5,4)
CIVIL LIST – this is the annual sum of money provided by the taxpayer to keep our head of state in the style to which she’s become accustomed. An adjective meaning polite or courteous is followed by what sounds like (broadcast) a Hungarian composer.

14d Only fool wearing surprised expression — or glumness (9)
SOLEMNITY – start with an adjective meaning only or solitary then insert a fool or ninny into an expression of surprise.

15d Prize  honey (8)
TREASURE – double definition, the second a term of endearment.

17d Momentum one found with working of temp (American) (7)
IMPETUS – string together the Roman numeral for one, an anagram (working) of TEMP and a two-letter abbreviation for American.

18d Explore curved building in Kent? (6)
SEARCH – split the answer 2,4 and it could be a curved building or structure in the region of the UK where Kent is to be found.

20d Make material depiction of European in part of sea (5)
WEAVE – insert the abbreviation for European into what you may see on the surface of the sea.

22d Language in church in dispute (5)
HINDI – as often happens the final down clue features a hidden word.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Daily Nation Complex Crossword Of Wednesday, March 2, 2016.
By Edwin Korir. Eldoret, Kenya.

Across

1a    Course created by a man from St Andrews? (5)
ASCOT: We begin with a nice simple charade (or Lego clue if you prefer): just the A from the clue and then someone hailing from the part of the world where St Andrew lies.  The result is a racecourse oft seen in crosswords

4a    One’s time of arrival (8)
BIRTHDAY: The time of year – the exact date, in fact – when one arrived in the world

8a     Burly Pat reformed in a very sudden way (8)
ABRUPTLY: Our first anagram of the day is of BURLY PAT, indicated in the clue by reformed

9a    Team members’ weapons (8)
SIDEARMS: Another word for team or squad then some members, in this case limbs

11a    Soft-hearted moneylender who enters office uninvited (7)
USURPER: A niftily indicated insertion of P (soft-hearted) into a moneylender who would probably be charging excessive rates of 10d

13a     Need month off, as recovering (2,3,4)
ON THE MEND:  An anagram (off) of NEED MONTH.  Fun though it was, I hope the revellers at Saturday’s celebration don’t need anywhere near this long to recover!

15a    Fishmonger who has a monopoly? (4,11)
SOLE DISTRIBUTOR: Read one way, the answer means someone who deals with one particular type of fish; read another (s)he is the only fishmonger around.  The first word went straight in but I needed a couple of checkers for the second

18a     Ships  in which sherry may be served (9)
SCHOONERS: A pair of definitions that are often seen next to each other in crossword clues.  A sailing ship and a large sherry glass

21a     Marks exercises during exam, causing uproar (7)
TEMPEST: Inside (during) an exam, insert the abbreviations for (Deutsche) Marks and some school exercises (not the type requiring an exercise book)

22a    Courteous and kind?  Goodness me! (8)
GRACIOUS: Another brace of definitions, the first having a royal flavour.  The second one could loan its me to the answer without any meanings changing

24a    Boring task for the affluent (4-2-2)
WELL-TO-DO: The (de-hyphenated) answer could describe the situation if one had to bore a shaft for the purposes of obtaining water

25a     A translation that creates antipathy (8)
AVERSION: The A from the clue and (a) translation or edition

26a    Grounds which are worth seeing, one hears (5)
SITES: Another common homophone – a word which sounds like (one hears) nice views or tourist attractions

Down

1d    Secretary uses name Susan, I fancy (10)
AMANUENSIS: A literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.  Constructed by taking the letters in NAME SUSAN I and rearranging them (fancy).  A new word for me

2d    Musical  baggage carrier (8)
CAROUSEL: This is a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, from which comes You’ll Never Walk Alone.  It’s also something travellers spend ages watching in the hope that at some time their luggage will appear safe and sound and not turn out to have been send to Tibet.  (Unless they’re in Tibet)

3d    Maximum rate for a spinner? (3,5)
TOP SPEED: This means the maximum velocity for anything, but could possibly indicate the rate of revolution of a spinning children’s toy

4d    Equine animals making canine sounds (4)
BAYS: Reddish-brown or chestnut horses with black points.  Barks or howls

5d    Take things the wrong way? (6)
THIEVE: The wrong way here means immorally and so the answer is a word meaning pilfer

6d    Educational measure? (6)
DEGREE: An academic rank conferred by a college or university.  Or a measure – for example, of temperature or angle

7d    Boys may turn into aggressive teenagers (4)
YOBS: It’s an anagram, indicated by may turn into

10d    Return from the capital (8)
INTEREST: Monetary return on an investment

12d    Philosopher offers wine and gold when entertaining us (8)
ROUSSEAU: The philosopher is Jean-Jacques, French writer, composer and political theorist of the Enlightenment.  He is formed of a colour of wine into which is inserted (entertaining) the final word of the clue, all followed by the chemical symbol for gold.  Readers of the comments section may recall that Hanni recently experimented with making this type of wine using an unorthodox but apparently valid method.  The verdict: “awful”

14d    Misrepresented in edicts or orders (10)
DIRECTIONS: I had a momentary brain-fail here trying to work out how on earth the answer could mean misrepresented.  That is of course actually the anagram indicator, and the definition is underlined.  The rest of the clue gives the letters you need

16d    Business leader takes a walk to see source of blackberries (8)
BRAMBLES: Take the first letter (leader) of Business and then add a verb meaning walks for pleasure

17d    Become established down under? (4,4)
TAKE ROOT: Nothing to do with our antipodean friends – we are only penetrating a little way down here.  The cryptic part of the clue refers to the underground part of a plant which keeps it embedded

19d    It gives one who is stiff a ride (6)
HEARSE: A particularly pleasing surface for those with a certain kind of mind, but with the chestnut flavour meaning of stiff, the answer is something of an anticlimax.  This poor stiff is being transported to his or her final resting place

20d    Experts know them to be edible bulbs (6)
ONIONS: Those who are skilled or knowledgeable are said to know their these  They are edible bulbs, delicious in a multitude of preparations

22d    Miss going to a festival (4)
GALA: A lass and then the A from the clue

23d    Singer who is said never to give an encore (4)
SWAN: If the word song is affixed to the end of the answer there will be no further performance – not today, nor ever.  That term comes from a classical legend that this creature sings at death

Thursday, February 25 2016

Daily Nation Complex Crossword Of Thursady, February 25, 2016.
By Edwin Korir. Eldoret, Kenya.


Across Clues
7a Master criminal amusing friend endlessly, in the morning back inside (2,6)
FU MANCHU – string together an adjective meaning amusing and a friend without the final letter. Finally insert the abbreviation for ‘in the morning’ reversed and you’ve constructed a fictional Oriental criminal genius.

9a Boast about a century in Polish city (6)
CRACOW – a verb to boast or brag contains A (from the clue) and the abbreviation for century.

10a When one chooses a woven cloth (2,4)
AT WILL – A (from the clue) and a woven fabric.
11a Put one in mind of watch left Eisenhower (4,4)
LOOK LIKE – a verb to watch is followed by the abbreviation for left and the nickname of President Eisenhower.
12a Expecting interfering parents and their children to intervene (2,3,6,3)
IN THE FAMILY WAY – a phrase (2,3,3) meaning interfering or impeding one’s progress has a word for parents and their children as a unit inserted (to intervene).
15a Expression of incredulity seen originally in a poem (2,2)
AS IF – the first letter of seen goes inside A (from the clue) and the title of a famous Kipling poem.
17a Bird, headless chicken (5)
RAVEN – remove the first letter (headless) from an adjective meaning chicken or cowardly.
19a Fall in ditch (4)
DROP – double definition, the second a verb to ditch or dump.
20a Sponge made by winning team, unhappy with loaf (6-4,4)
UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE – string together an adverb meaning winning or ahead, a sporting team, an adjective meaning unhappy or depressed and a small loaf.

23a T.S. Eliot wrong about leading edge of table knife (8)
STILETTO – an anagram (wrong) of T S ELIOT containing the first letter (leading edge) of table.
25a Number collecting wood for burning (2,4)
ON FIRE – a small number contains wood from a coniferous tree.
27a Forms an opinion on    book (6)
JUDGES – double definition, the second being the name of an Old Testament book.
28a Musical item making racket — surefire winner, opening in Oliver! (8)
CONCERTO – knit together a slang term for a racket or swindle, an informal word for a sure-fire winner and the opening letter of Oliver! Strictly speaking it should be the wordplay that makes the definition, not the other way round.
Down Clues
1d Only son entering project (4)
JUST – the abbreviation for son goes inside a verb to project or stick out.
2d Drive away one’s husband following disqualification (6)
BANISH – the Roman numeral for one, the ‘S and the abbreviation for husband all follow a disqualification (from driving, for example).
3d Lower   middle (4)
BULL – double definition, the first a creature that lows and the second the round bit at the centre of a target.

4d Hard in small unfriendly place of learning (6)
SCHOOL – insert the abbreviation for hard (a category of pencil) into S(mall) and an adjective meaning unfriendly or frosty.
5d Dedicated hospital given permission (8)
HALLOWED – the abbreviation for hospital is followed by a past participle meaning given permission.
6d Sweated labour in New York — OK, possibly, if supporting daughter (6-4)
DONKEY-WORK – an anagram (possibly) of NEW YORK OK follows (supporting, in a down clue) the abbreviation for daughter.
8d Pick up telephone of rising Republican (4,3)
CALL FOR – start with a verb to telephone or ring, add the reversal (rising) of OF and finish with the abbreviation for Republican.
13d Flower in autumn? It’s out around end of November (10)
NASTURTIUM – an anagram (out) of AUTUMN IT’S contains the last letter of November.
14d Proposed relocation day (5)
MOVED – a relocation or transfer is followed by the abbreviation for day.
16d Strong wind getting up breaks safety device in part of plane (8)
FUSELAGE – a strong wind (rating 8 on the Beaufort Scale) is reversed (getting up) and inserted (breaks) into an electrical safety device.
18d Its effect in the sky gets no women excited? (3,4)
NEW MOON – this is an anagram (excited) of NO WOMEN. There is a theory (which isn’t supported by much scientific opinion and is probably bunkum) that women get friskier during the opposite phase to the answer so that could mean that they don’t get very excited in this phase. The question mark is certainly needed here.
21d Hate extremely delicate examination (6)
DETEST – the outer (extremely) letters of delicate are followed by an examination.
22d Connoisseur’s top bid for chest (6)
COFFER – the first (top) letter of connoisseur is followed by a bid or tender.
24d Individual touring clubs long ago (4)
ONCE – an individual goes round the abbreviation for clubs in card games.
26d Admire Riviera terraced houses (4)
RATE – the clue contains (houses) a lurker.

Friday, February 19 2016

Daily Nation Complex Crossword Of Friday, February 19, 2016.
By Edwin Korir. Eldoret, Kenya.

Across

1a     Congestion around street suffering high winds (3,6)
JET STREAM : A word meaning congestion, often applied to vehicles on the M25, surrounds an anagram (suffering) of STREET.

6a     Sweetener for guards ordered to ignore source of danger (5)
SUGAR : An anagram (ordered) of GUARdS loses the first letter of danger.

9a     Hint about European Union link (3,2)
TIE UP : A synonym for a hint (it appears on the heading for this puzzle) contains the abbreviation for European Union.

10a     Line adopted by new literary big guns (9)
ARTILLERY : An anagram (new) of LITERARY contains an extra L supplied by the abbreviation for line.

11a     Console jury, following prisoner and short internet abuser (7,5)
CONTROL PANEL : A word that describes a jury comes after a three letter prisoner and a word for an internet abuser that loses its last letter.

14a     Caprice married in one beat (7)
IMPULSE : The Roman numeral one, then the abbreviation for married and a beat, possibly given by the heart.

16a     Terrible mistake to have shot a student (3,4)
OWN GOAL : A word meaning to have or possess, then a word for a shot or a turn, A from the clue and a learner.

17a     Overturn marks in game played with matches (3)
NIM : Marks is the old German currency. We need the abbreviation for this, then IN from the clue and reverse it all.

18a     Return to take part in free lectures (2-5)
RE-ELECT : Return as you might do to your MP. The answer is hiding in the clue.

20a     Reveals attitudes struck by English Times (7)
EXPOSES : ‘Attitudes’ as an artist’s model might show, comes after the abbreviation for English and the mathematical symbol for multiplying.

22a     Compensation provided for variable costs in a Fiat (12)
SATISFACTION : An anagram (variable) of COSTS IN A FIAT.

26a     Rule established by limited company? (9)
OLIGARCHY : A cryptic definition of a government by a small exclusive class.

27a     Order forecast, ignoring PR (5)
EDICT : A word meaning to forecast has PR removed from its beginning.

28a     Try escorts, losing heart maybe (5)
ESSAY : The first and last letters (losing heart) of escorts and then a word meaning maybe, or for example.

29a     Row in estate perhaps about good fast food available here? (6-3)
DINING-CAR : A word for a row or loud noise, then IN from the clue, the abbreviation for good and what an estate could be an example of.

Down

1d     Project on energy in fibre (4)
JUTE : Project here is a verb and is followed by E(nergy).

2d     Part of golf course millions swarm around (4)
TEEM : The part of golf course where the action starts and the abbreviation for millions.

3d     Earth summit’s social oddly ignored (7)
TOPSOIL : A word for summit then the S from the clue and alternate letters of social.

4d     Precise demand (5)
EXACT : A double definition, the second meaning as used in the Milton quote ‘ Doth God ***** day-labour light deny’d’.

5d     Bad omen, supporting underground timekeeper (9)
METRONOME : An anagram (bad) of OMEN follows what the underground railway is called in some parts of the world.

6d     Seasonal depression somewhere in desert? (4,3)
SALT PAN : A cryptic description of an area sometimes found in deserts. Seasonal here refers to our most common food seasoning.

7d     Ecofriendly sign, to be building for growth (10)
GREENHOUSE : A colour that means ecofriendly and another word that is used to describe a sign of the zodiac.

8d     Hand making blue blood turn red? (5,5)
ROYAL FLUSH : An adjective describing somebody purportedly having blue blood, and a word meaning to take on a rosy complexion.

12d     Very little opportunity for viewer? (10)
MICROSCOPE : A word meaning very little or extremely small is followed by one meaning an opportunity.

13d     Redesigned part in apse belongs (10)
APPERTAINS : An anagram (redesigned) of PART IN APSE.

15d      Sent daughter to pursue opening (9)
ENTRANCED : An opening, or a doorway perhaps, is followed by an abbreviation for daughter.

19d     Price reduced by nothing in simple drug (7)
ECSTASY : A word meaning price is ‘reduced by nothing’ by having its O removed and appears inside a word meaning simple.

21d     Radio programme that’s mostly fraudulent — and popular (5-2)
PHONE-IN : A word meaning fraudulent or false loses its last letter then the two letter word for popular. We enjoyed the accurate description given by the surface reading.

23d     Hear working is an attempt to deceive (3-2)
TRY-ON : Hear as a magistrate might do, and a short word for working.

24d     Something of jazz included in metal? (4)
ZINC : It’s hiding in the clue.

25d     Wake up in cooler (4)
STIR : A double definition. The cooler here could be a pen, a can, porridge etc, etc.