28 across: Steadfast 13-down (Taswegian) blessing (4)
Who’s the personification of steadfastness? David Clarence Boon of course. DA gets this exactly right: steadfast Tasmanian = boon = blessing.
14 down: Wharf dock snack (3)
This one showcases why DA is better than your run-of-the-mill compiler. Here, DA chooses two words within the same semantic range to sow the seeds of confusion before the realisation is made that polysemy is the currency of cryptics, and we get wharf = pier so that wharf dock = pie = snack.
16 across: Cold insurance contract minus cutback (3)
This one’s clever: insurance contract = policy, cut = lop, cutback = pol and insurance contract minus cutback = icy = cold.
23 across: She wrote this bloody spirit up (6)
This might have been more difficult if The Shining weren’t so popular, but it’s still a quality clue. Bloody = red and spirit = rum so that bloody spirit up = murder = she wrote this (which is a reference to that terrible TV show, Murder, She Wrote).
17 across: Impressive quartet scraps opening recital (7)
Another brilliant aural DA clue! Quartet = foursome and quarter scraps opening = oursome so that quartet scraps opening recital = awesome = impressive.
10 across: Beating loan, 6-downing (embracing) one in stock output? (8)
DA gets topical with loan = sub, stock output = dung and embracing one in stock output = duing giving loan embracing one in stock output = subduing = beating.
1 across: Pork topping fine to a 13-down (Taswegian)? A butcher oddly endorsed (5, 5)
DA being cute: a butcher oddly endorsed = auce and fine to a Tasmanian = apples (as in “she’s apples”) so that fine to a Tasmanian? A butcher oddly endorsed = apple sauce = pork topping.
Update: TH highlighted an oversight in the comments, and now I’m rectifying the situation.
7 down: Last true 13-down (Taswegian) urinating on the rocks (9)
I still take great delight in telling people that I’m Tory Plan B is an anagram of Tony Blair MP. What I won’t be telling people, though, unless I meet a particularly annoying hippy, is that urinating is an anagram of Truganini.
Re 10 across. Why does loan = sub? Does it have to do with the sub-prime loan crisis?
That’s what I figured.
Especially with stock output = dung.
That’s why DA is in a class of his own. This clue would have worked even when the share market was booming, with cows and sheep in mind, but how much more apt at the moment. Topicality is often a DA feature.
I still think sub = loan is a bit of a stretch though, unless it is common slang. Doe anyone ever say “Mate, could you sub me $20 until pay day”?
Interesting. I just figured it was a reference to the subprime stuff, but as it so happens, it’s actually slang: sub really does mean a loan, or more specifically an advance against your wages.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sub
The best DA cryptic clues work on a number of levels and this one is a classic example. Quite amazing really.
Surely a special mention has to go to DA for working out that Truganini was an anagram of urinating?? Although, as I mentioned to AS via SMS, he’s probably going to hell for it…
Sorted and updated.