Cryptic crossword No 2,278

Explanation in reply … spoilers …

Very nice puzzle! I got the Nina halfway through solving.

Congrats on the achievement Coot. There was I, expecting a puzzle themed on bus passes and you deliver this. Nicely accessible with some fun surfaces. 22a made me laugh and is COTD. 2d and LOI, 17d, make up the podium. Thanks. PM

Happy birthday Coot! (And shared with Araucaria!) Great stuff, faves include 16a, 24a, 1d, 3d, 6d, 15d, 17d, 20d & 22d. Nice timing too 🙂

Very nice, thanks Coot and many happy returns! Impressive foresight to time this correctly 🙂. I probably enjoyed the reveal the most, otherwise favourite clues were 9a, 14a, 4d (simple, but nice that every word means something different in the surface and wordplay), 17d and 23d.

Silky smooth puuzzle. Happy birthday.

Happy Birthday! And what a way to celebrate. To coin a phrase, “the grid’s the star” but lots of lovely clues too as ever. I especially liked 22a, 26a, 4d, 17d and 22d 👏

Thanks Coot & congratulations on a milestone birthday. I found this crossword very enjoyable with my top picks being 11a, 22a, 25a, 1d (once I got the wordplay), 3d, 17d, and 20d. I needed your notes to parse 12a which I guessed when I had 5 letters in place! More in reply.

Happy birthday. I happen to like 10a and 13a quite a bit.

I tip my cap to you for your commitment to the bit, bravo! A lovely puzzle and some lovely clues too, particularly 10a (very neat), 12a (def nicely integrated), 13a (neat), 19a (likewise), 22a (fun), 26a (likewise), 2d (smoothly done), 4d (very neat), 6d (smooth) and 21d (neat). Thanks for a most entertaining solve at just the right level of difficulty

Thanks Coot, and a very belated HB!. A great deal to like as ever. A couple of NHO’s held me up so I needed a handful of reveals in the end, but what’s new? Many faves included 10a, 16a, 19a (COTD), 26a, 2d, 5d (love wordy tome), 6d, 17d, 21d, 22d. For the first time in a while, some questions (possibly quiblets)…

Happy birthday, Coot! My fave was 26a for the hilarious surface, and both 22s . thanks!