Clue No Clue Checking Thoughts Answer

Right, I’ll try starting with Puzzle 3. It might well be the hardest, and need some time to stew while I try the others.

1a 1. Swimmer means to keep fit moving about (7) Some sort of fish (there are so many). Nothing suggests itself – move on

5a 5. My attempt to finish off Times Jumbo’s beginning at home (2,5) MY TRY? … J …? IN ….? Nope – move on

9a 9. Light, refreshing tins of beer (not British) (3,2,4) ‘Beer’ = ALE? ‘Refreshing’ could indicate an anagram, perhaps of TINS OF (b)EER, to mean ‘light’? Likely but can’t come up with it.

10a 10. Revolutionary stuff we’re obliged to back in turn (5) Revolutionary stuff’ = CRAM backwards, or RAM? Yikes, there seem to be three possible reversal indicators. No idea – move on

11a 11. Weapon person loaded, initially failing, secures mark (1–4) (1–4) with an M (mark) in … E–MAIL? No, it’s not a weapon. Can’t think of anything – move on

12a 12. Ancient Greek pitchers acquired from underworld chief, one containing coded instructions (9) Clue too long to get a handle on – ‘underworld chief’ could be DIS, both ends of the clue look like a definition – move on

13a 13. Mystery fellow to leave ranks of unemployed during trip (3,4,2,4) Mystery fellow’ – MR X, MR E? No, that’s silly. Not much to grasp at here – beginning to get seriously worried. Try the down clues

8d 8. Euro–list has varied people on edge (8) Might well be an anagram of EURO–LIST. People on what sort of edge? Come on, think – bother, another probable anagram that I can’t do yet

3d 3. Count below one thousand is low (7) Must be something after IM (= ‘one thousand’). IMMORAL? IMPOUND? No. Not sure. Sketch in IM– for the sake of putting something in the grid

1d 1. Old gift–bearer setting box underneath roughly (6) Surface sounds like the magi – probably not relevant. Move on

2d 2. Getting back, winger and first couple of attackers to hold defensive structure (3,3,3) ‘First couple of attackers’ = AT. Could it be TIT FOR TAT, that’s quite defensive? Actually, it’s defined as ‘getting back’. ‘Winger’ = TIT, ‘defensive structure’ = FORT. Phew, I’ve begun. Let’s focus on these checking letters TIT FOR TAT

1a 1. Swimmer means to keep fit moving about (7) ––T–––– ‘Moving about’ might be an anagram indicator?

9a 9. Light, refreshing tins of beer (not British) (3,2,4) ––T –– –––– Anagram of TINS OF (b)EER is … SET ON FIRE (= ‘light’). Good SET ON FIRE

1a 1. Swimmer means to keep fit moving about (7) ––T–I–– This swimmer has to be a CATFISH now, surely. Anagram of FIT in … CASH (= ‘means’? OK, fair enough, if devious) CATFISH

3d 3. Count below one thousand is low (7) I–N–––– This can’t begin IM– now! Thousand COULD be K or G as well, aha IGNOBLE = ‘low’, so ‘Count’ = NOBLE (sounds like definition by example, but it must be right) IGNOBLE

4d 4. Personnel admitting Scottish team gets this shock treatment (9) H–I–––––– Shock treatment’ is normally HAIR–something, and HAIRSTYLE would fit. Scottish team? Personnel can be HR sometimes, so I’d need a 7–letter Scottish team beginning AIR–, must be AIRDRIE. Wow, that does make a word (and even one associated with a football treatment!) HAIRDRIER

11a 11. Weapon person loaded, initially failing, secures mark (1–4) – –O–B Some sort of BOMB from ‘Weapon’, and it has an M (mark) in. Not quite sure of the wordplay (is BOB a ‘person’?) so fill in BOMB and wait for 1d to decide if it’s an A–BOMB or an H–BOMB or something else. –BOMB

1d 1. Old gift–bearer setting box underneath roughly (6) C–S––– One of the Magi is CASPAR, and ‘box’ = SPAR. So CA must = ‘roughly’ (yes, ‘circa’). Which gives us A–BOMB at 11a. CASPAR

13a 13. Mystery fellow to leave ranks of unemployed during trip (3,4,2,4) T–E –––– –– –––– Begins with THE, but that doesn’t narrow it down. Could be a work of fiction like THE WOMAN IN WHITE (which doesn’t fit), too many possible words, move on

12a 12. Ancient Greek pitchers acquired from underworld chief, one containing coded instructions (9) D–––––––– Still a very complicated clue. DIS– looks better than ever, maybe try 5d with an S at the end

5d 5. Bring fortune to Bob so reduced to nothing? (5) ––E–– BLESS might be ‘Bring fortune to’; some sort of cleverness going on with ‘BOB’ here. Take out a B, maybe. Ah, ‘B–LESS’, take out both B’s, and BOB becomes O (nothing) BLESS

5a 5. My attempt to finish off Times Jumbo’s beginning at home (2,5) B– ––––– BY –––––? If ‘Jumbo’s beginning’ is J, an oath with a J, BY JOVE, BY JUPITER? BY JINGO! How does that work? BY = ‘Times’, IN = ‘at home’ and GO = ‘attempt’ to finish it all off BY JINGO

6d 6. Decisive round of negotiations mounted (4–3) J––– ––– JACK –something? JACK–POT? Something like a PLAY–OFF for a decisive round? Can’t be JACK–OFF, that’s rude, but it could be JUMP–OFF – oh, I see, it’s a lovely cryptic definition, with showjumping jumps being ‘negotiations mounted’. Great clue JUMP–OFF

10a 10. Revolutionary stuff we’re obliged to back in turn (5) M–––– MARAT was a revolutionary (killed in his bath). How could it be him? Oh yes, RAM was going to go backwards, where does AT come from? ‘We’re obliged’ = TA, yes, I suppose it could mean that, and both elements ‘back’ in turn MARAT

8d 8. Euro–list has varied people on edge (8) O–T––––– And those people on the edge are of course OUTLIERS (a favourite book of mine) OUTLIERS

7d 7. American agent in drama sealing off part of Circle Line (5) N–R–– American agent’ can be FED or G–MAN, ‘Circle Line’ is often ‘O RY’, ‘drama’ could be NO or NOH? Ah, if I put ARC in NO, I can get NARCO, which is an American drugs agent NARCO

12a 12. Ancient Greek pitchers acquired from underworld chief, one containing coded instructions (9) D–S–O–O–I Well the only word that can fit is … DISCOBOLI, I thought they were discuses, but they must have been the throwers (that sort of pitcher). DIS is the God of the underworld, and COBOL is the ‘coded instructions’. Top half done now. This is a clever puzzle; I hope I have enough checking to get going in the bottom half DISCOBOLI

13a 13. Mystery fellow to leave ranks of unemployed during trip (3,4,2,4) T–E –I–– –F –––R THE something OF something, still. Ah, THE SIGN OF FOUR, Holmesiana always popular in the Times crossword. SIGN OFF can mean ‘leave ranks of unemployed’ (brilliant) and TOUR = ‘trip’, so HE = ‘fellow’ THE SIGN OF FOUR

15d 15. Stop member papering over cracks (5,4) O–––– –––– ‘Stop’ suggests ORGAN (as does ‘member’ and ‘paper’), but not much else

17a 17. That’ll teach one to go out to lunch with temperature falling! (5–8) ––T–– –R–––––– Looks like a cryptic definition, or a long phrase minus T, or with the T moved? ‘Out to lunch’ = MAD? No idea

14d 14. Close one’s border, briefly, as horses go over (9) N–––––––– My subconscious is shouting NEIGHBOUR, but I don’t know why, and it’s not always right – and that exhausts any answer I have checking for. Not good, bad start to the bottom half, cold solving required again

16d 16. Follower abandoning line for a time to become one? (8) Something minus L? ‘To become one’ could be UNIFY or similar? No

18d 18. Solver rage, missing answer that no one’s getting (7) rage missing answer’ = RGE? ‘Solver’ = YOU? Looks like a cunning definition at the end. No

19d 19. Pub offered no stimulation to audiences within the Hull area (7) Pub’ = INN or BAR? What’s ‘the Hull area’? HUMBER? NE? Reference to a ship? No again

21a 21. Appeal to get Low Church primate, supposedly (9) Appeal = SA or SOS? Primate = APE? No, nothing doing

24a 24. Dump garbage, emptied out in gorge (5) garbage, emptied out’ = GE? Aha, with BIN (dump), that can make BINGE (which can mean ‘gorge’) BINGE

15d 15. Stop member papering over cracks (5,4) O–––N –––– Must be ORGAN– now, ORGAN LOFT or ORGAN PIPE? Yes, an anagram of PAPERING + O for ‘over’. ‘Papering over cracks’ – clever ORGAN PIPE

19d 19. Pub offered no stimulation to audiences within the Hull area (7) ––B–––– BAR could be in EMBARGO, which sounds suitably maritime? No, can’t see why it should be that

28a 28. Trot down to see country cousin? (7) ––––E–– ‘Trot’ could be RED, ‘down’ could be BLUE. What sort of ‘country cousin’ could be RED? A REDHEAD? No, but a REDNECK? Yes, and ‘to down’ is ‘to NECK’ a drink REDNECK

20d 20. Ornament and letters surrounding CD found on floor (6) –E–––K Can’t fit ‘CD’ into that? Is it translating (through time) into LP or EP?

14d 14. Close one’s border, briefly, as horses go over (9) N–––––––R It looks even more like NEIGHBOUR now, maybe my subconscious was right. The definition fits, I’ll come back to the wordplay if I need to (and NEIGH is to do with horses). NEIGHBOUR

17a 17. That’ll teach one to go out to lunch with temperature falling! (5–8) ––T–– –R–I–––– The second word could be TRAINING or TRAINERS which would fit with TEACH. And out to lunch’ could be … NUTTY, POTTY, yes, POTTY–TRAINING. Ah, now I see the meaning of that innocent little word ‘go’. POTTY–TRAINING

16d 16. Follower abandoning line for a time to become one? (8) –P–––––– ‘Follower’ can be APOSTLE, which isn’t long enough, but there’s a word like it … APOSTATE. Yes, it’s a substitution with a very clever definition. What a great puzzle this is APOSTATE

18d 18. Solver rage, missing answer that no one’s getting (7) Y–––––– I still like YOU + R(a)GE? No. Maybe a synonym for RAGE without ‘answer’ – (a)NGER? Yes, nobody’s getting any younger, perhaps the best definition yet. YOUNGER

21a 21. Appeal to get Low Church primate, supposedly (9) S–––U–––– SOS or SA for ‘appeal’, MOO for ‘low’, CE or CH for ‘Church’, APE for ‘primate’? No, can’t see anything here.

25a 25. Agent of MP, as recalled, regularly dropped in (5) A–––G AMONG is one of the few words that fit, and yes, I can see it in alternate letters going backwards AMONG

27a 27. Snatch old banker’s clothing quietly (7) E–––R–– I bet it’ll be EMBARGO or EMPEROR. But ‘old’ makes me think EX–something, a ‘snatch’ could be EXCERPT, and yes, a CERT is a ‘banker’. EXCERPT

22d 22. Resilient character clings to ice bags (5) ––O–C Looks like STOIC, and there it is hidden. STOIC

21a 21. Appeal to get Low Church primate, supposedly (9) S–––U–––– ‘Primate, supposedly’ looks like the definition. SOS–U––––? No, wait, there’s a Bigfoot thing, SASQUATCH. And ‘low’ = SQUAT. SASQUATCH

23d 23. Place for occupation by 17 graduates, not one intended for tenants (2,3) T– ––T TO LET obviously, given the mention of tenants. The old standard of TO(I)LET clearly, though one doesn’t often consider toilet–users to be graduates of anything! Brilliant again TO LET

26a 26. Double disturbance of lake with oil incurring fine (9) L–O–––I–– Anagram of ‘double’? Or two instances of L for ‘lake’? What words fit? Oh, yes, LOOKALIKE, an anagram of OIL and LAKE with OK in – and ‘double’ is the definition. LOOKALIKE

19d 19. Pub offered no stimulation to audiences within the Hull area (7) I–B–A–D I suppose it must be INBOARD, which is a ship reference. OK, “inn bored” (which actually isn’t a homophone in my London RP!) INBOARD

20d 20. Ornament and letters surrounding CD found on floor (6) –E–E–K Some old word like REBECK? No, wait ‘floor’ looks like DECK and BEDECK can mean ‘ornament’ as a verb. Why would ‘BE’ be ‘letters surrounding CD’? Oh, alphabetically! BEDECK

This whole puzzle felt like about ten minutes, which is slower than I was hoping – but it is a hard puzzle, and frankly, a brilliant one. The slow start was a problem, but actually that’s probably less costly than agonising over a final word. Let’s try Puzzle 2 next.

1a 1. A lot of fruit juice in “dry” House, finally what the Speaker sought? (2,3,5) ORDER for ‘what the Speaker sought’? No I don’t know any (2,3,ORDER) phrases that fit

1d 1. I bowled expertly at start of spell, line and length subduing slurs (5) I + B with an S for ‘start of spell’? No

2d 2. Muses all told to support writer of clues grabbing shuteye on a floor? (9) The ‘Muses all told’ were NINE. Is there a floor that ends in –NINE? Oh, yes, MEZZANINE. ME + ZZ + A – it all fits though ZZ for ‘shuteye’ seems dubious. Bit of a lucky guess with NINE there MEZZANINE

10a 10. Variety of quiz competition for people vying to pass round cards (7) ––Z–––– Given the Z, could we be looking at a QUIZ anagram? It would have to be in those great Scrabble words, CAZIQUE or BEZIQUE – yes, BEE and BEZIQUE are there BEZIQUE

3d 3. Mixed liqueurs in a set cocktail (7,7) ––Q–––– ––––––– It’s a long anagram, and it must be alcoholic … TEQUILA! TEQUILA SLAMMER would fit but probably isn’t in the dictionary, so TEQUILA SUNRISE. Nice anagram TEQUILA SUNRISE

1a 1. A lot of fruit juice in “dry” House, finally what the Speaker sought? (2,3,5) –– M–T ––––– Eh? What’s that second word? MAT? MET? I still can’t think of anything that fits.

12a 12. Green state imposed penalty, probing gross sales (9) ––A–I–––– LEAFINESS? Yes, FINE in an anagram of SALES LEAFINESS

1d 1. I bowled expertly at start of spell, line and length subduing slurs (5) ––B–L Line and length? To get two L’s in, it must be LIBEL or LABEL. Given the ‘slurs’, probably LIBEL. Yes it works if E is ‘expertly at start of spell’, I see. Nice phrasing LIBEL

1a 1. A lot of fruit juice in “dry” House, finally what the Speaker sought? (2,3,5) L– M–T ––––– The checking looks stranger and stranger, unless it’s a foreign phrase. LE MOT – JUSTE, of course. LEMO(n) and JUS in TT with the last letter of ‘House’ LE MOT JUSTE

4d 4. Raise Albanian cash Romanian’s ready to bank with European issuer of notes (7) U–E–E–– USELESS fits but I don’t see why. Not worth risking

5d 5. Tree is too tall — going head over heels out of it is the end of baby (7) T–––S–– ‘The end of baby’ is probably Y, but I can’t think of anything that fits and is plausible.

14a 14. Check in with a pal from Cheapside? (5) ––I–A CHINA is a Cockney mate, and there’s all its components CHINA

17a 17. Managing not quite to meet requirements when introduced to former First Lady (9) ––E–U–––– EXECUTIVE would fit and means ‘managing’, sort of. EVE is ‘First Lady’, so EX–EVE surrounds CUT I(t) – ‘to meet requirements’. Clever clue. That was a lucky guess by me from the checking EXECUTIVE

14d 14. Speciality of the Cornish side that’s perfect with new wingers (5,4) C–E–– –––– What’s a ‘speciality of the Cornish’? Clotted cream, emmets, scones – oh yes, CREAM TEAS, which shares its innards with DREAM TEAM (‘side that’s perfect’). That’s beautiful CREAM TEAS

27a 27. The dead moved here remain without a marker for burial place (4) S––– STYX as a place for the dead? Yes ST(a)Y, plus a cross STYX

21a 21. Instant return agent’s given one low in spirits (5) M–––R MO for ‘instant’? ‘Agent’ could be FED or SPY. Something to do with MORALE?

22d 22. Hatless electrician on the chilly side (5) ––––Y ‘Electrician’ is SPARKS or even SPARKY, so this is clearly PARKY PARKY

21a 21. Instant return agent’s given one low in spirits (5) M–P–R MOPER is ‘one low in spirits’, and REP is the agent MOPER

25a 25. Is a shrub creeping over a wide expanse? (7) E–R–S–– It must be EURASIA as the wide expanse. IS A RUE backwards, plus another A EURASIA

18d 18. Knock current, disheartened rival around gym (7) I–––A–– ‘Current’ is I, ‘disheartened rival’ could be RL – IMPEARL? No, I doubt it, but if ‘gym’ is PE, perhaps IMPEACH? Yes, MA(t)CH for ‘rival’ and IMPEACH must be able to mean ‘knock’ IMPEACH

28a 28. A fair diversion that leads straight on to crash? (5,5) –H––– ––––– Something at a fair, presumably, some sort of roller coaster?

19d 19. Hastily retired from the fourth estate? (7) E–––––– EX–PRESS clearly EXPRESS

23a 23. For exam re–mark, send this book? (9) P–P–––––– Presumably PAPERBACK? Oh yes, send ‘paper back’ for re–marking, very neat, and even topical PAPERBACK

26a 26. Around playground, what lecher will do that’s repelled old master (2,5) E– ––––– For some reason, only some painters are often referred to as ‘old masters’, but EL GRECO is definitely one. OGLE and REC are the components EL GRECO

24d 24. Familiar name to have attached to king (5) K–O–– KNOWN from the definition and checking, K + N + OWN KNOWN

28a 28. A fair diversion that leads straight on to crash? (5,5) –H–S– ––––N Fairground ride: must be GHOST TRAIN. It’s an anagram, and a glorious one GHOST TRAIN

9d 9. I decline to be engrossed by Dartmoor landmark, entering a bay that’s lovely! (1,3,2,3,5) – ––– –– ––– R–G–T Must end in RIGHT, some modern phrase, I’M ALL RIGHT? Aha, A BIT OF ALL RIGHT, I + FALL in TOR, all in A BIGHT. Presumably the ‘lovely’ is a girl, or is that sexist (of me to think so)? A BIT OF ALL RIGHT

16d 16. Artist exited out of shot (3,6) ––– –A–E–A The second word looks like CAMERA, which fits with ‘shot’. But phrases with CAMERA have two–letter words first, IN or ON – or, I suppose perhaps OFF. Yes OFF CAME R.A., fabulous wordplay OFF CAMERA

20a 20. Manoeuvre to fly very high (5) L–F–– LOFTY – simple anagram LOFTY

15a 15. Look ahead, five short of turning forty–seven (4,5) –––– F–O–– FACE FRONT? No, hang on, it’s a clever anagram, subtracting V EYES FRONT

11a 11. Gold coin left at the side of a road (7) ––B–––– OR + BIT … must be ORBITAL, yes ORBITAL

7d 7. Outrageous! Passport retracted again (5) ––T–– OUTRE, probably? RE is again. No, I can’t see why ‘passport’ is TUO

13a 13. Soldiers about to be overrun by crack unit (5) T–––– The TA, or some other soldiers? Not really sure

8d 8. Minds meeting and recording in a little wood, and still upset about it (9) ––L–––T–Y YET backwards around the outside of something … TELEPATHY! EP in LATH on the inside TELEPATHY

6a 6. Has announced French Opening (4) –––T VENT? It means ‘opening’ and other things in French? I won’t risk it

13a 13. Soldiers about to be overrun by crack unit (5) T–––P TROOP would fit – OR backwards, in TOP TROOP

7d 7. Outrageous! Passport retracted again (5) ––T–O Not OUTRE then. DITTO? Yes, OTT retracted, with ID for ‘passport’ DITTO

6a 6. Has announced French Opening (4) –D–T EDIT, I suppose, DIT is French for ‘(has) announced’. No, wait, ADIT is a better opening, and A DIT better French. That’s a sharp clue ADIT

4d 4. Raise Albanian cash Romanian’s ready to bank with European issuer of notes (7) U–E–E–E Not USELESS as expected. These Albanian and Romanian currencies can be LEU, LEV, LEI or LEK, I think. Two of them plus an E could make UKELELE (which can be spelt that way as well as UKULELE), what a vicious definition. Good dictionary knowledge getting me out of trouble there UKELELE

5d 5. Tree is too tall — going head over heels out of it is the end of baby (7) T–O–S–E Hard to think of a word that fits … how about TOOTSIE? Oh, the ‘end of baby’, OK. And it’s a reverse hidden! Why are some hiddens so hard to spot (because they’re brilliantly written normally) TOOTSIE

Now that puzzle went well. Despite it being a tough set of clues, I had some great(/lucky) guesses early on, and very few clues that took several readings. Probably just less than five minutes this time – very much back on track. And now over to Puzzle 1.

1a 1. Queen, say, on channel’s better programme? (8) So many possibilities for ‘queen, say’. No, yet another failure on a 1 across.

1d 1. Junk bond rate dropping at first (6) LITTER would fit, from (g)LITTER or (f)LITTER? No

5a 5. Go off riding after setback (4,2) SNAG? No, but ‘riding’ is normally UP, so perhaps BLOW UP for ‘go off’? Yes, BLOW is a ‘setback’ BLOW UP

6d 6. Despicable dope (3–4) L–– –––– LOW–DOWN. Bit of an old chestnut, using ‘dope’ as in information. Handy to come across a familiar treatment early on LOW–DOWN

7d 7. Best way to follow topsy–turvy argument (5) W–––– It’s another chestnut to use ‘best’ and ‘worst’ synonymously (verbs), though it’s stunning th efirst time you see it, and this is ROW reversed and ST for ‘street (way)’ WORST

8d 8. Meat and endless aperitif can be welcoming sign (8) P––––––– PORK? Or another meat? Can’t see it

10a 10. Assertion proved wrong? A must for Sod’s Law, oddly (6,4,5) –––––– –––– W–R–– WORDS, WORTH, WORLD? ‘Assertion proved wrong’? ‘Oddly’ suggests an anagram – OK, FAMOUS LAST WORDS looks right FAMOUS LAST WORDS

12a 12. Fish in lake caught by chap in dinghy? (7) ––O–T–– An L in that to make a fish must be BLOATER. That works BLOATER

9d 9. Whole of continent cut up about extremely bizarre queen (8) –S–B–––– ‘Extremely bizarre’ must be BE from B(izarr)E, so the only queen that fits must be ISABELLA. Yes ALL ASI(a) reversed around the BE ISABELLA

1d 1. Junk bond rate dropping at first (6) ––F––– If not LITTER, then … REFUSE? Aha, OK, FUSE for ‘bond’ with RATE minus AT. Neat clue REFUSE

2d 2. Return as what? (4,5) ––M– ––––– COME AGAIN. Sometimes answers just shriek at you… COME AGAIN

1a 1. Queen, say, on channel’s better programme? (8) R–C––––– …and sometimes they don’t

11a 11. Sister ringing to criticise husband’s language (7) S–A–––– What language fits? SPANISH (I didn’t think of SWAHILI)? Yes, PAN = ‘criticise’ in SIS + H SPANISH

4d 4. Emerson, perhaps, beginning to read unfinished letter (5) ––L–H RALPH (Waldo) Emerson, R + ALPH(a). I could have got that name with less checking too RALPH

3d 3. Care for amusing person (7) ––U–I–– CAUTION. I didn’t need the checking there either CAUTION

1a 1. Queen, say, on channel’s better programme? (8) R–C–C–R– A Queen could be a FACE–CARD, have I got 1d wrong? No. Then what sort of CARD? OH, a RACECARD, a programme for a better! Lovely definition RACECARD

13a 13. Conservative woman one party recalled being a man–eater (8) –A–N–––L CANNIBAL, clearly. Just be careful it’s not HANNIBAL (Lecter), no, it’s not (C + ANN + I + LAB backwards) CANNIBAL

8d 8. Meat and endless aperitif can be welcoming sign (8) P–S–R––– PASTRAMI. But why? The RAM is a sign, and I think PASTI(s) is an aperitif PASTRAMI

15a 15. Cinema ordered to remove English digital TV system (5) N–––M NICAM fits, and might well be a word now. Yes, a subtractive anagram NICAM

18a 18. Pick up cat for twins (5) ––N–– OUNCE? Something to do with GEMINI? Dunno

14d 14. Second hour in great discomfort after lifting? (8) B––––––– BACKACHE would give quite a specific definition. Oh yes, BACK + H in ACE, handy guess there BACKACHE

20a 20. Reform movement to meet about stopping appeal (8) C–A––––– Unless ‘appeal’ is SA or SOS again, I’m not seeing any helpful crosswordese here

16d 16. Popular snack sliced, as and when prepared to be eaten (6,3) C––––– ––– SCOTCH EGG would have fitted before the C, can’t think of another obvious snack that’s 6,3

23a 23. Heavily built thug shot by stream close to delta (7) ––––––A GORILLA would fit the definition and has a RILL in. And there’s GO and (delt)A. Let’s hope for another lucky guess on the long one next GORILLA

26a 26. Make news with article on strike leaders concealing policy (3,3,9) ––– ––– H–––––––– ‘Make news’ could be HIT THE HEADLINES. Yes, that’s it (HIT + THE + LINE in HEADS), excellent HIT THE HEADLINES

17d 17. Becomes less enthusiastic with it as a leading product (8) –––G–H–– FLAGS? Yes, FLAGSHIP can be a leading anything, presumably. HIP is ‘with it’ FLAGSHIP

24d 24. Short tempered king daft to lose head (5) R–T–– Must be RATTY. Not quite sure why though. OK, R + (b)ATTY (not SCATTY) RATTY

27a 27. Exercise books you collected for native of Mexico (6) P–Y––– Mexican tribes beginning P–Y? Or a plant that’s native there, yes presumably PEYOTE, a cactus I think, and a drug. Does that have variant spellings, not sure? I can see PE outside, and YE and OT inside, but it doesn’t quite work. Got it – PE, then OT in YE PEYOTE

18a 18. Pick up cat for twins (5) L–N–– ‘Pick up’ meaning ‘hear’, so it’s “lynx” = LINKS. ‘Twins’ is a verb. Excellent phrasing in the clue LINKS

19d 19. His talk is all about a stovepipe (4,3) S–L– H–T A stovepipe must mean the hat, I expect. SOLA HAT? No it’s a complete anagram SILK HAT

16d 16. Popular snack sliced, as and when prepared to be eaten (6,3) C––––– N–– Still not sure, what’s the clue doing? Perhaps AS and WHEN need to be rearranged, aha yes CASHEW NUT

20a 20. Reform movement to meet about stopping appeal (8) C–A–––S– Still not seeing this – not CLARISSA, surely?

28a 28. Absolute dopes bamboozled by jerk (8) –––––T–– Must be an anagram of DOPES with something? PODEST––? DEPOST––? What’s the ‘jerk’? TIC? Yes DESPOTIC

22d 22. Sweet white wine in bag kept under counter (6) –––S–C This is the grid spot that caused me trouble in puzzle 3. Nice to get it quickly this time. Yes, BARSAC is a wine BARSAC

25a 25. In short study spot possibly fatal infection (7) ––––E–A One of the big diseases fits, doesn’t it? Yes, CHOLERA, which has a HOLE in CRA(m) CHOLERA

25d 25. Become impatient — it’s hot in tea–room (5) C–A–E CHAFE, though I wouldn’t have been immediately sure if it was CHAFE or CHAFF without the checking, as both can be pronounced the same and CAFF can mean CAFÉ CHAFE

21d 21. Premier eating muffin and tart (7) ––O–L–P Well, TROLLOP is a tart who fits – yes, ROLL in TOP TROLLOP

20a 20. Reform movement to meet about stopping appeal (8) C–A–T–S– CHASTISE fits now, and might mean ‘to reform’, I suppose. No it doesn’t feel quite right. Oh, how about CHARTIST? Or perhaps CHARTISM? CHARTISM is more likely as a noun, and yes it’s SIT reversed in CHARM. That was the hardest clue in all three puzzles – surprising to find it in this slightly easier (but still very clever) puzzle. Phew. CHARTISM