Train time (Solution No. 3,344)

The solution to The Nation puzzle no. 3,344 is below the fold.

I thought this week’s puzzle was not hard.  The wordplay was around the usual level of difficulty, but there were fewer misdirections or other tricks.  Since Hot was wondering how I appraise the degree of difficulty, maybe I should use the train trip as a reference.

Back in my first stint of taking the train to work, before I started solving cryptics, I often worked the puzzle from the daily newspaper on the ride home.  Being on paper rather than a computer or a mobile device, there’s no handy timer.  So I used the train as a timer.  If I had the puzzle all done by Wayne Junction, it was easy.  If it took a few more stops, it was moderate.  And if I didn’t finish it by the time I got home, it was hard.

With the The Nation puzzle, I usually type up the annotation on the train Friday and/or Monday.  Usually I can get almost but not quite half the puzzle (acrosses or downs) explained before I get to the city.  This one I got into the last across before I had to get off Friday morning.  I think that was farther than I ever got on a day the train wasn’t delayed.

Legend: “*” anagram; “~” sounds like; “<“ letters reversed; “( )” letters inserted; “_” or lower case: letters deleted; “†” explicit in the clue, “^” first or last letter or letters, “{“ relocated letter or letters; “§” heteronym, “¶” letter bank, “‡” Spoonerism

Across

1a	ALP*HABETIZATION	ALP (“mountain”) + *HABITAT ZONE I (anagram indicated by “restored”)
9a	RE(<GUL<)AR	<LUG< (“nut,” reversal indicated by “returning”) contained in (“seen in”) REAR (“back”)
10a	A S(PH)ALT	PH (“acidity”) contained in (“limited by”) A (†) + SALT (“chemical compound”)
11a	C ONE	C (“100”) + ONE (“1”)
12a	OPTI(MIST I)C	OPTIC (“visual”) containing (“involving”) MIST (“fog”) + hawai^I^ (last letter indicated by “east of”)
15a	DIP*LOMATS	DIP (“downturn”) + *ALMOST (anagram indicated by “perturbed”)
18a	*TYPE B	*BY PET (anagram indicated by “cured”)
19a	B LIMP	^B^oeing (anagram indicated by “originally”) + LIMP (“lacking in strength”)
20a	*SCOUNDREL	*CURLS DONE (anagram indicated by “a special way”)
21a	AT TEN*DANTS	AT TEN (“when it’s time for a coffee break”) + *STAND (anagram indicated by “awkwardly”)
23a	A M O S	^A^ncient ^M^oab ^O^bserved ^S^ome (first letters indicated by “leaders”)
26a	_ISH MAE L	_f_ISH (omission of first letter indicated by “beheaded”) + MAE (“west”) + ^L^ondon (first letter indicated by “at first”)
27a	IMPASTO	I’M PAST O (pun”)
28a	ESPRES(<SO MA<)CHINE	<AMOS< (cross-ref to 23a, reversal indicated by “flipped”) contained in (“in”) *HIS PRESENCE (anagram indicated by “smashed”)

Down

1d	A BRA(CAD)A BRA	A BRA A BRA (“one undergarment”) containing (with duplication indicated by “one on either side”) CAD (cross-ref to 20a: “scoundrel”)
2d	<PAG AN<	<NA (“North American”) + GAP (“retail chain”), reversal of the whole thing indicated by “exalted”
3d	A CLU_	A CLU_e_ (“what you’re reading,” omission of last letter indicated by “don’t finish”)
4d	*EUROPEAN	*A PURSE ONE (anagram indicated by “redesign”)
5d	IRA QI	IRA (“nest egg”) following (“supported by”) QI (“energy”)
6d	APP O IN TING_	APP (“piece of software”) + O (“nothing”) + IN (†) + TING_e_ (“color,” omission of last letter indicated by “largely”)
7d	<IN A (*STUP O)R<	RANI (“Indian queen”) containing (“grabs”) O (“ring”) + *PUTS (anagram indicated by “out”) The anagram isn’t necessary here, but “out” does make the clue read more smoothly.  Anyone want to complain about it?
8d, 26d	NOT ICE	Double definition Haven’t had many double definitions in this puzzle lately.
13d	COB BLEST ONE	COB (“ear”) + BLEST ONE (“venerated person”)
14d	COMPE(NSA)TE	NSA (“spies”) contained in (“entering”) COMPETE (“battle”)
16d	PR(*INT SH)OP	*HINTS (anagram indicated by “mysterious”) contained in (“breaking up”) PROP (“support”)
17d	*SHORT FILM	*FORTH SLIM (anagram indicated by “newly set”)
22d	AT LAS_	AT LAS_t_ (“finally,” omission of last letter indicated by “without end”)
24d	<MAS< SI	<SAM< (“uncle,” reversal indicated by “brought up”) + SI (“branch of computer science”) Systems integration?  There are areas of computer science that are IS too.
25d	_EPIC_	barke_EP ICE PIC_k (hidden word indicated by “requires this repeatedly”)
26d	see 8d