Sydney Morning Herald 2025-06-26

Lots of anagrams, but all very smooth!

Across

1
Unfortunately hotel is very unfriendly (7)
HOSTILE — anagram (unfortunately) of HOTEL IS
5
Bad pirates trudge (7)
TRAIPSE — anagram (bad) of PIRATES
9
Aussie singer and model talk inside (5)
DELTA — hidden inside moDEL TAlk
10
Tiny measurement meant reno was bungled (9)
NANOMETRE — anagram (bungled) of MEANT RENO
11
Insignificant sounds after I feed inquisitive bird (5,5)
NOISY MINER — homophone of MINOR (insignificant) after I inside NOSY (inquisitive)
12
Wager assumes a defeat (4)
BEAT — A inside BET (wager)
14
Occasionally, events of yore reimagined (5,2,5)
EVERY SO OFTEN — anagram (reimagined) of EVENTS OF YORE
18
Undesirables eat barbarian for breakfast (5,3,4)
BACON AND EGGS — CONAN (barbarian) inside BAD EGGS (undesirables)
21
Surround sound (4)
RING — double def.
22
Seems miser redesigned entrances (10)
MESMERISES — anagram (redesigned) of SEEMS MISER
25
Ruthlessly cut back big industry testing (9)
EXAMINING — reversal (back) of AXE (ruthlessly cut), MINING (big industry)
26
Sampled the range in eating delicious starters (5)
TRIED — first letters of The Range In Eating Delicious
27
Horse feeder understands verbal backchat (4,3)
NOSE BAG — homophone of KNOWS (understands), then reversal (back) of GAB (chat)
28
Crowds right into beachwear (7)
THRONGS — R (right) inside THONGS (beachwear)

Down

1
Hushing up hammering (6)
HIDING — double def.
2
Second Ferrell movie: that is me on film? (6)
SELFIE — S (second) ELF (Ferrell movie) IE (that is)
3
Touring in teeny van regardless (2,3,5)
IN ANY EVENT — anagram (touring) of IN TEENY VAN
4
Even keen end up in boredom (5)
ENNUI — even letters of kEeN eNd Up In
5
Teens seen transforming US state (9)
TENNESSEE — anagram (transforming) of TEENS SEEN
6
Points at sloth with odd mask (4)
AIMS — AI (sloth) with odd letters of MaSk
7
I bug rising specialists and those being treated (8)
PATIENTS — reversal (rising) of I TAP (bug), ENTS (specialists)
8
Voting in building, switching right to left (8)
ELECTING — ErECTION (building), r (right) -> L (left)
13
Spooner's one incorrectly quoting composer (10)
SONGWRITER — Spoonerism of WRONG CITER
15
Trended when dropping fringe band depiction (9)
RENDERING — tRENDEd without outside letters, RING (band)
16
Wild bear finds its home outside English or Scottish city (8)
ABERDEEN — anagram (wild) of BEAR, DEN (its home) outside E (English)
17
Disgraces company head in summer shoes (8)
SCANDALS — C (first letter of company) inside SANDALS (summer shoes)
19
Leo's one chasing top marks for set task (6)
ASSIGN — SIGN (Leo's one) after AS (top marks)
20
Confidential remarks for best teams (6)
ASIDES — cryptic def.
23
May's power (5)
MIGHT — double def.
24
Bumping head, scale branch (4)
LIMB — cLIMB without first letter