Times Quick Cryptic 1071 by Pedro.

April 16, 2018, 5:17 pm

≪ Previous: Times Quick Cryptic 1070 by Joker

Spoiler alert. If you’d prefer to solve the grid with no thematic hint then please press the reveal button only after completion.

Thank you, Pedro, for this well appreciated reminder of the wit and wisdom of the great Douglas Adams and the question of Life, the Universe and, well, just Everything (5, 8, 11). Our 'star' Arthur Dent (18, 16, 19) makes his appearance (perhaps appropriately) toward the bottom end of the grid.

The number of the puzzle - 1071 - translates to 42F in hexadecimal. I’m sure HHGTTG fans will find plenty to think about in that. Actually, this is as irrelevant as what anyone had for dinner a week ago - but do enjoy whatever you do (without harming anyone else).

Improbably, all this became clear only after completing the grid which took 12 minutes and felt like I was making heavier weather of it than I should (which made me REALLY depressed - brain the size of a planet and I miss the 10 minute target). There doesn’t seem to be much which is obscure - except maybe the word play of 13dn but the definition was clear, and the clever hidden at 11ac. The experience of others would be interesting.
Cod to 8ac for first making me realise the connections.

So long and thanks (in advance) for all the comments.

ACROSS

1. Mea culpa - it’s my fault ('We apologise for the inconvenience'). Copper (CU) interrupting dinner, say (MEAL) with secretary (PA).
5. Life (don’t talk to me about it) - biography=life story/life. Story (LIE) encompassing fine (F).
8. Universe - a lot of space - 'Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space'. Place to study (UNI), poetry (VERSE).
9. Wing - faction of party. Success (WIN), (G)overnment.
11. Everything - all. In the clue (ingredients of) som(E VERY THIN G)ruel.
14. Lariat - cowboy's accessory - a rope used as a lasso or for tethering. US city (LA), lowlife (RAT) carrying one (I).
15. Newton - scientist. Fresh (NEW) measure of mass (TON). Measure of mass works for me but if there are any doubts it also means a freight ton which is often taken as 40 cubic feet, 1 cubic metre, or 1000 kilograms.
17. Popularity - mass appeal. Anagram (crazy) of PLAY I TOUR containing power (P).
20. Hoop - ring. Hard (H) work (OP) containing old (O).
21. (Agatha) Christie - crime writer. Vica(R) in church (CH), is (IS), restriction (TIE).
22. Dark - sinister. Vessel (ARK) pursuing daughter (D).
23. True Grit - John Wayne movie. Time (T), to regret (RUE), stones (GRIT).

DOWN

1. Maul - (loose) scrum. Ponder endlessly (MUL)l around a (A).
2. Arid - (a description) of desert regions. Area (A), free (RID).
3. Unenviable - in no way admired. Anagram (working) of IN LAB VENUE.
4. Pastry - some baking. Father's (PAS), attempt (TRY).
6. Initiate - make a start on. One (I), idiot (NIT), I (I), took in (ATE).
7. Engaging - double definition.
10. Streetwise - in tune with the city. Is (IS) surrounded by an anagram (various) of TWEETERS.
12. Slipshod - taking little care. Quietly hands over (SLIPS), brick carrier (HOD).
13. Trap-door - area of stage. Elevated (upwards) of cross (ROOD - a crucifix, esp one set on a beam or screen at the entrance to the chancel of a church) and section (PART).
16. (King) Arthur - regal figure. Craft (ART), almost injured (HUR)t.
18. Star - big name (in the movies). Debut cut short (STAR)t.
19. Dent - evidence of collision. (D)riv(E), (N)o(T) - both disheartened.

↧

Times Cryptic 27014

April 16, 2018, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Quick Cryptic 1072 by Teazel

≪ Previous: Times Quick Cryptic 1071 by Pedro.

I needed 67 minutes for this one and found it very hard.

As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]

Across
1	Wearing precious stones and nothing else is wrong (9)
	INJUSTICE - IN (wearing), JUST (and nothing else), ICE (precious stones - slang for diamonds)
6	What’s swallowed by staff about to provide treatment (5)
	REHAB - EH (what?) contained (swallowed) by BAR (staff) reversed [about]
9	The work of a man of letters? (10,5)
	EPISTOLARY NOVEL - Cryptic definition. NOVEL went in early and I realised the type of book I was looking for but it took me ages to bring the first word to mind.
10	Quartet's cover of tune with musical style (6)
	TETRAD - T{un}E [cover], TRAD (musical style - jazz)
11	Lets rip violently, Yankee, like father (8)
	PRIESTLY - Anagram [violently] of LETS RIP, Y (Yankee - NATO alphabet)
13	John, punched by cad, gets shiner: this hinders movement (5,5)
	WHEEL CLAMP - WC (John - U.S. slang) contains [punched by] HEEL (cad), LAMP (shiner). Very hard work with much time lost trying to work 'loo' or perhaps 'cur' into the answer somewhere.
14	American’s not eating in country (4)
	TOGO - TO GO (American’s not eating in - takeaway food). More correctly these days known as ‘Togolese Republic’ or ‘République Togolaise’.
16	I won't and I will retreat (4)
	NOOK - NO (I won't), OK (I will). Clever stuff!
17	Nitwits excited, receiving marks for test (10)
	ASSESSMENT - ASSES (nitwits), SENT (excited) containing [receiving] M (marks)
19	Provided drug, having made crack (8)
	EQUIPPED - E (drug), QUIPPED (having made crack). One of the easiest clues in today's bunch.
20	He'll go on record initially, interrupting old man (6)
	PRATER - R{ecord} [initially] contained by [interrupting] PATER (old man). Not in everyday use perhaps, but valid as an agent noun. The definition was by design rather misleading.
23	Communist Chinese dish, mostly poultry, takes shape (9,6)
	FRIEDRICH ENGELS - FRIED RIC{e} (Chinese dish) [mostly], HEN (poultry), GELS (takes shape). His role as co-author (with Karl Marx) of 'The Communist Manifesto' probably justifies this somewhat loose definition.
24	He hates company failure, changing central direction (5)
	LONER - LO{s)ER (failure) [changing central direction, S → N]
25	Names covering brown walls of the famous residence (6,3)
	NUMBER TEN - NN (names) containing [covering] UMBER (brown) + T{h}E [walls of]. Outside the UK one probably needs to add 'Downing Street' for anyone to stand a chance of spotting the reference.

Down
1	Spin around, lacking velocity still (5)
	INERT - IN{v}ERT (spin around) [lacking velocity]
2	Something articulated about remedy for politicians’ proposal (5,10)
	JOINT RESOLUTION - JOINT (something articulated), RE (about), SOLUTION (remedy). Defined by Collins as: a resolution passed by both houses of a bicameral legislature, signed by the chief executive and legally binding. So now we know.
3	Eat basil in a stew, potentially getting full (8)
	SATIABLE - Anagram [in a stew] of EAT BASIL. Not as reference to Mr Brush, I trust.
4	Key passage without its opening note (4)
	ISLE - {a}ISLE (passage) [without its opening note - A]. 'Key' is a low island, sandbank or reef.
5	English skill behind film's sound engineering device (3,7)
	EAR TRUMPET - E (English), ART (skill), RUMP (behind), ET (film)
6	Guide was in touch with royalty (6)
	RANGER - RANG (was in touch with), ER (royalty - HMQ). Senior Guides are called 'Rangers' apparently.
7	Drink port, 24" bottles, and move clumsily (4,3,4,4)
	HAVE TWO LEFT FEET - HAVE (drink - as in 'what will you have... ?') , TWO FEET (24") contains [bottles] LEFT (port). This took some unravelling!
8	US money and yen received, clutching a buck (5,4)
	BILLY GOAT - BILL (US money), Y (yen), GOT (received) containing [clutching] A. Lots of male animals are called buck. Apart from the goat, others include deer, antelope, ram, hare, rabbit, ferret, rat and kangaroo.
12	Scot waggles bum, meeting countryman? (10)
	GLASWEGIAN - Anagram [bum] of WAGGLES, IAN (countryman). What an image the surface reading conjures up!
13	Wicked bats flew round (9)
	WONDERFUL - Anagram [bats] of FLEW ROUND. Loathsome usage.
15	Drive away from route through European mountains (8)
	ESTRANGE - ST (route) contained by [through] E (European) + RANGE (mountains)
18	Military group swims, coming up for a rest (6)
	SPIDER - RE (military group) + DIPS (swims) reversed [coming up]. It's a type of rest used in e.g. snooker.
21	Grown son wearing nothing from Dior? (5)
	RISEN - S (son) contained by [wearing] RIEN (nothing from Dior - yer actual French)
22	Seamstress may add one attention-seeking remark (4)
	AHEM - A seamstress may add A HEM

↧

Quick Cryptic 1072 by Teazel

April 17, 2018, 5:30 pm

≫ Next: Times 230365 - when sausages had taste and puzzles had orchises.

≪ Previous: Times Cryptic 27014

Breezed through most of this enjoyable puzzle from Teazel until I was left with the 18a / 19d pairing at the end, which took me an age to work out. (Well, once 18a was finally cracked then 19d really couldn't be anything else - but the obscurity of 19d contributed to my troubles in resolving 18a).

Not sure why 19a was so elusive - having eventually got it, I kicked myself for making such a meal of it. Maybe it's because I tend to think of said currency in terms of notes rather than coins, or maybe the 'initially' referring to the following - as opposed to previous - word threw me, or maybe I was just having a bad hair day. Who knows. Anyway, that's how it was for me.

Some good stuff in here, most notably (as I see it) the ambitious and very well disguised hidden at 13d, which gets my COD.

Look forward to seeing how you all got on. I'm locked away in an all day 'head down bum up' event today so may not be able to field comments until late evening, so apologies for that.

Thanks to Teazel for a very nice puzzle.

Definitions underlined: DD = double definition: anagrams indicated by *(--): omitted letters indicated by {-}

Across
1	Thus swallow one’s pride? (3,6,3)
	EAT HUMBLE PIE - Cryptic definition, with 'swallow' pointing us to a phrase that might have something to do with ingesting
9	Month with alien group (5)
	OCTET - OCT (month) + ET (alien)
10	Machine controller wrongly alerted (7)
	TREADLE - *(ALERTED) with "wrongly" signalling the anagram
11	Irritable-sounding carpenter (7)
	CHIPPIE - Sounds like "chippy". i think 'chippy' for 'irritable' is in pretty wide usage, but I'm not sure - we shall see...
12	Second drink for pig (5)
	SWINE - S (second) + WINE (drink)
14	But a grey also may be so unfancied a runner (4,5)
	DARK HORSE - Cryptic definition based on the fact that a dark horse does not actually have to be, well, dark
18	Angry about receiving initially unusable coins (5)
	EUROS - SORE reversed (angry about) with U (initially Unusable) inserted (receiving)
20	Biographer’s book’s half excellent, Americans say (7)
	BOSWELL - BO[ok} (book's half) + SWELL (excellent, Americans say). I invite our USA correspondents to tell us whether Americans do actually still say "swell" - or is it a bit like stating that the English say "top hole"?
21	Country where actor fails — rival oddly failing to follow (7)
	CROATIA - *(ACTOR) - with "fails" signposting the anagram - and IA (rIvAl oddly failing - i.e. every other letter missing)
23	Pressure on public transport, so have long walk (5)
	TRAMP - P (pressure) goes 'on' TRAM (public transport)
24	Critical what biography covers (4-3-5)
	LIFE-AND-DEATH - If something is critical then it can be said to be a matter of life and death. 'What biography covers' is also intended to give us a steer towards the answer, although sticklers for precision might point out that there are an awful lot of biographies of living people out there which (unless they are engaging in morbid prrescience) do not deal with death as such. But hey, this is crosswordland so let it pass...

Down
2	Achieve reversing revolutionary loss of rights (9)
	ATTAINDER - ATTAIN (achieve) + RED reversed (reversing revolutionary) giving a word I dimly recollected from A level history in terms of Bills of Attainder issued by despotic monarchs (or bodies under their sway) to deprive named individuals of their legal rights, usually rersulting in a most unhappy ending for said individuals
3	Percy associated with Tottenham (7)
	HOTSPUR - Sir Henry Percy, generally known by his nickname Hotspur to generations of schoolboys (and girls I'm sure) bored rigid by enforced study of Shakespeare's Henry IV. And then there's the football team who are doing rather well these days.
4	No food in her cupboard? Do them rhubarb, stewed (6,7)
	MOTHER HUBBARD - *(DO THEM RHUBARB) with "stewed" indicating the anagram
5	City shelter — doss on the outside (5)
	LEEDS - LEE (shelter) + DS (outside letters of DosS)
6	Cushion in one’s flat? (3)
	PAD - Two definitions, the main one being cushion but with 'flat' also giving us a steer
7	For hearing, one that’s leaving city (6)
	EXETER - Sounds like (for hearing) EXITER (one that's leaving) - depending on your pronunciation, I suppose. But I've come across looser homophones in these here parts before now so let's not get unduly excited about this one.
8	Purse lip finally: that hurt (5)
	POUCH - P (liP finally) + OUCH (that hurt)
13	Fine leg anticipates cut that’s awkward (9)
	INELEGANT - Hidden in (cut) fINELEGANTicipates. And a very fine hidden it is, too.
15	Prize flower over centre of pattern (7)
	ROSETTE - ROSE (flower) goes 'over' (in the context of a Down clue) TTE (centre of paTTErn)
16	Page nice to edit at length for writer (6)
	PENCIL - P (abbrev. page) + *(NICE) - with "to edit" suggesting the anagram - + L (length)
17	Incline to spill liquid over end of table (5)
	SLOPE - SLOP (to spill liquid) goes 'over' (in the context of a Down clue) E (end of tablE)
19	Spruce, as kit is reorganised (5)
	SITKA - *(AS KIT) with "is reorganised" pointing to the anagram. This tree was totally unknown to me, but the anagram fodder was pretty obvious so with all the cross checkers in place it was unlikely to be SKTIA.
22	Old fines cancelled (3)
	OFF - O (old) + FF (fines - more than one F, the abbreviation for Fine)

↧

Times 230365 - when sausages had taste and puzzles had orchises.

April 17, 2018, 10:11 pm

≫ Next: Times 27016 - we'll do our best

≪ Previous: Quick Cryptic 1072 by Teazel

The first qualifier puzzle for the 2018 TCC is published today, so this puzzle from yesteryear* appears in the online section instead. (I'll blog the qualifier after the closing date for entries). I can't say I enjoyed it. Even when after a few tries I thought I had a version with all the answers correct, going on to explain each one precisely, in the way we would for a contemporary puzzle, proved even more of a headache. Certainly, in whatever year this was, solvers needed more leaps of imagination, as well as TLS type knowledge, to get through. Maybe some of you who were doing puzzles then will be more adept, I've only had the time to solve regularly since retiring from full-time work (or becoming unemployable).
Please excuse me therefore if the blog seems a little vague here and there. Definitions underlined, where they exist; CD = cryptic definition, DD = double definition.
* the puzzle number suggests it was 23 March 1965.

Across
1	Nip across for a bun (7)
	POPOVER - POP OVER to see a neighbour, I suppose. Apparently a popover is a kind of pastry, I'd never had the pleasure but Mrs K knew about them, being a retired Home Economist.
5	Conversely, what did the vegetarian eat: can you beat it? (7)
	PULSATE - Well, vegetarians ATE PULSE, so conversely that sounds like PULSE ATE I think.
9	Ship’s writer (5)
	LINER - I presume a DD, Someone who writes lines could be a liner? There are several meanings of 'liner' in Collins, as you can imagine, and one of them is "a person or thing that uses lines, esp in drawing or copying".
10	Associate oneself with Robbie in a cheeky appearance (9)
	SIDEBURNS - I did think of our Scottish poet friend, but then thought he would have been Rabbie not Robbie (or Robert). Then guessed the answer from SIDE (with) = associate (with). And it was said poet.
11	The whale belongs to him generically speaking (6)
	ORCHIS - ORC is a version of ORCA, the killer whale. HIS = belonging to him. I knew orchis was Greek for testicle and that the genus of plants, orchids, were so called because of the shape of their tubers. So is the definition just orchis as an example of a genus = generically speaking?
12	Have a fruit drop! (8)
	WINDFALL - Vague cryptic definition.
14	One of the glossies? (5)
	ELEMI - Another vague cryptic definition I think. I knew ELEMI was a resin from an Asian tree (Chinese olive) which has very glossy green leaves. Once I had EEI I wrote it in. But how one is supposed to get to that without any checking letters, in a world full of glossy things, is a mystery.
15	They make a deep impression? (9)
	ENGRAVERS - Not very cryptic definition.
18	Good chap, he goes to the masthead full of fire (5,4)
	SAINT ELMO - Self explanatory, if you knew about St Elmo's fire, which I did.
20	Envious rent-maker (5)
	CASCA - Straightforward if you knew Casca was in there with Brutus, stabbing Caesar, and that in the Bard's play Mark Antony says "See what a rent the envious Casca made"
22	David Balfour’s beloved brought to book (8)
	CATRIONA - More TLS expertise needed. David Balfour is the main character in Kidnapped and the sequel with his ongoing story is another RLS book called Catriona. Burns, RLS ... was our Setter from North of the border I wonder?
24	After all, I am in my element though wan (6)
	PALLID - Insert ALL, I into PD, or Pd, palladium, an element. Why my element?
26	Single stones are wanted for these ornaments (9)
	MONOLITHS - Well, monoliths are single stones erected as markers or ornaments, I suppose. Is there more to this?
27	Italian travel book? (5)
	GUIDA - CD. Well, it's Italian for guide, or manual, so once the checkers are in, you can plump.
28	There’s no place for the likes of him (4,3)
	ALSO RAN - Another CD. No first, second or third. Or tenth, if you were betting on the Masters and getting paid for that place.
29	"All for your ____, We are not here" (M.N.Dream) (7)
	DELIGHT - K.Y.S.

Down
1	Woolly finishes to tug of war? (9)
	PULLOVERS - CD. One of the better clues, I thought.
2	That’s a feather in your cap, Sir! (7)
	PANACHE - alternate meaning for the word, a plume in a helmet, from Latin pinna, feather.
3	How does Victor sit for the artist? (9)
	VORTICIST - no anagrind that I can see, but (VICTOR SIT)* does it. Wyndham Lewis and co, a group of eleven modernists from 1913 on. I'd heard of them because I used to browse through my daughter's art degree books.
4	Just the girl for love (4)
	ROSE - Well, a rose is the flower for symbolising love, as you'll remember from forking out a small fortune before 14th February.
5	Green for Pretty Polly (10)
	PADDINGTON - maybe before Verlaine's music period, Harry Clifton composed a musical hall song called "Pretty Polly of Paddington Green" in 1864, maybe it was more remembered when this puzzle was first published than it is now (i.e. not at all).
6	In a divided way, Othello bedevilled the whole thing (5)
	LOBED - Hidden word in (OTHEL)LO BED(EVILLED).
7	The poet loses fifty for a start but gets gold nevertheless (7)
	AUREATE - LAUREATE loses L.
8	Otium provided by a supporter of art? (5)
	EASEL - Otium means leisure, especially time spent being cultural, so 'at ease' I presume, and you add an L for no particular reason except to get a 'supporter of art.'
13	Military establishment (10)
	WELLINGTON - I assume this refers to what is now the Defence Services Staff College, previously Wellington Military Academy, in Tamil Nadu. Not the school. Nevertheless, it's either a boring GK clue, or I've missed the point.
16	First-class port (9)
	ARCHANGEL - My FOI. Archangels are first-class angels, you see. Northern Russian port on the White Sea.
17	How to endure self-denial (5,4)
	STAND FAST - I think this must be referring to a New Testament passage, but I'm not going to look it up. Self-denial is not a practice I endorse, at this time of life.
19	Aims to get under canvas (7)
	INTENTS - IN TENTS = under canvas. Reminds me of a rude schoolboy joke.
21	Preserving the Bequest (7)
	SALTING - DD. Salting is a means of preserving, and a chap called George Salting made a Bequest of 192 jolly good paintings to the National Gallery in 1910.
22	The mark of the butterfly (5)
	COMMA - Another DD, a clue we've seen recently in TfTT. A comma is a species of British butterfly.
23	Mr Sober himself (5)
	IDLER - If you've read Samuel Johnson's The Idler (I haven't) you'd know that Essay no. 31 is entitled "Disguises of idleness. Sober's character."
25	Accustomed to employ copper (4)
	USED - USED (TO) = accustomed to; USE - employ and a D was a copper (not a P) when this puzzle fist saw daylight. Pity it got resurrected, IMO.

↧

Times 27016 - we'll do our best

April 18, 2018, 5:20 pm

≫ Next: Times Quick Cryptic No 1073 by Hurley

≪ Previous: Times 230365 - when sausages had taste and puzzles had orchises.

Solving time: 14:27. Probably should have been a lot faster but I was held up by a few crafty definitions. Definitions so crafty that I suspect this will not be a puzzle for the biffers.

The early appearance of a K, X and Y in the grid made me think this could be a pangram, but it was not.

First definitions are underlined in the clues

Away we go...

Across
1	What artist does is attractive (5)
	DRAWS - double definition. Yes, I know not all artsists draw.
4	Obliged to survey Englishmen on vacation (8)
	BEHOLDEN - BEHOLD(survey) then E~~(nglishme)~~N
8	Queen's night attire simply the best? (3,4,7)
	THE CATS PYJAMAS - the queen is THE CAT, and the nightwear is PYJAMAS.
10	Genuine theft, real criminal (9)
	HEARTFELT - anagram of THEFT,REAL
11	Contrary old soldier, mother's mate from abroad (5)
	AMIGO - O, GI, MA all reversed
12	Present playing cards for the individual (2,4)
	ON HAND - ON(playing, as in "on stage"), HAND(cards for the individual)
14	Be marked, cut by one German with sword (8)
	SCIMITAR - SCAR(be marked) with I, MIT(German, with) inside
17	Artillery arriving by parachute, presumably causing a bit of a splash? (8)
	RAINDROP - I liked this one - the artillery could be the RA IN DROP
18	Nurse, close to despair in scoundrel's grip, fled unclothed (6)
	CRADLE - ~~(despai)~~R in CAD(scoundrel) then the middle letters of fLEd
20	Pants son's wearing split more than once (5)
	GASPS - S(son) inside GAPS(more than one split)
22	Person applying pressure on branch to supply cheese (9)
	LIMBURGER - URGER(person applying pressure) with LIMB(branch)
24	Penchant, eg. for arresting police inspectors (14)
	PREDISPOSITION - PREPOSITION(for, for example), containing DIS
25	Mineral is extracted from fluid epoxy resin (8)
	PYROXENE - remove IS from EPOXY,RESIN and shuffle
26	Springtime sound from insect, perhaps (5)
	MAYBE - MAY(springtime) then sounds like BEE

Down
1	Bottle after bottle? (5,7)
	DUTCH COURAGE - an all-in-one since DUTCH and COURAGE can also mean bottle individually. Well at least I thought they did, concensus on the forum is that it is a cryptic definition based on needing to hit the bottle to get it. Maybe I shouldn't have done that before solving.
2	Lakeland setting for youth leader (5)
	AKELA - hidden inside lAKELAnd - leader of cub scouts
3	Small furry animal, extremely 7, spruced up (9)
	SMARTENED - S, MARTEN(furry animal) then the outside letters in EMACIATED(answer to 7 down)
4	Vehicle that is top of range is less available (6)
	BUSIER - BUS, IE, R~~(ange)~~
5	Rick and Henry always succeeded on course (8)
	HAYSTACK - H(the unit henry), AY(always), S(succeeded), TACK(course in yachting)
6	Soft fabric supplier from America completely revolutionised (5)
	LLAMA - AM, ALL all reversed
7	Eastern spies with yoked clothing wasted (9)
	EMACIATED - as in wasted away... E, then CIA(spies) inside MATED(yoked)
9	Caterer found bananas for lengthy sporting event (4,2,6)
	TOUR DE FRANCE - anagram of CATERER,FOUND
13	Shock solution's risky, Superman from time to time admitted (4,5)
	HAIR SPRAY - HAIRY(risky) containing alternating letters inf SuPeRmAn
15	Mum going round university in Paris arranged a place for Joey (9)
	MARSUPIUM - the pouch... MUM surrounding U inside an anagram of PARIS
16	Company porters attending church merge in (8)
	COALESCE - CO, ALES(porters), CE(church)
19	The author's facade's put on (6)
	IMPOSE - I'M(the authot's), POSE(facade)
21	Loner's curious since travelling north (5)
	SADDO - ODD(curious), AS(since) all reversed
23	Harsh year, marked by pollution (5)
	GRIMY - GRIM(harsh), Y(year)

↧

Times Quick Cryptic No 1073 by Hurley

April 18, 2018, 7:00 pm

≫ Next: Times 27,017: Mission to Minsk

≪ Previous: Times 27016 - we'll do our best

Some meaty and harder to spot anagrams in this offering from Hurley. My brain must be tuned to potential anagrams, because I see them even when they aren’t there, which can waste a lot of time. For instance, in 8a, if STROLL is seen as the possible Anagrind, [SE RIVER] could be the Anagrist, and there are at least three possible answers. Unfortunately, none of them fit with what would then have to serve as the definition – RELATIVE. A few more seconds lost chasing the illusive anagram. Or in 3d, where there are two possible Anagrinds, but no obvious Anagrist. And ‘broadcast’ in 5d – is that signalling an anagram too?

Despite the distractions and misdirections, I finished this inside 11 minutes, so I think at the easier end of the spectrum, with nothing too obscure or difficult. Certainly easier that yesterday's offering. There is a possible extended NINA (literally) in the penultimate row, but I’m sure that I am also seeing things here that don’t really exist.

Thanks to Hurley. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Across
1 Cup tie score upset Brussels fan? No! (11)
EUROSCEPTIC– Anagram (upset) of [CUP TIE SCORE]. A definition-by-denial – a EUROSCEPTIC would not be a fan of Brussels.
8 Relative in southeast river stroll (7)
SAUNTER– The relative is an AUNT who is inserted (in) S{outh}E{ast} R{iver}
9 Office clerk maybe initially fallible is later extremely reliable (5)
FILER– First letters of (initially) F{allible} I{s} L{ater} E{xtremely} R{eliable}. Good misdirection by using ‘extremely’ in the list of words, which usually would point to first and last letter of either the preceding or subsequent word.
10 Referring to pursuit: selling to customers (9)
RETAILING– RE (referring to) TAILING (pursuit). I have a slight issue with the definition part – surely wholesaling (the common counterpart to retailing) is also selling to customers, but the customers of wholesalers are traditionally retailers, and the customers of retailers are in turn consumers. IMHO I think the clue would have been better if the definition were ‘selling to consumers’.
12 Brass instrument without a container (3)
TUB– TUB{a} brass instrument without ‘a’
13 Returning writer cut brother’s son? (6)
NEPHEW– PEN (writer) reversed (returning) and HEW (cut). The question mark is because a NEPHEW might equally likely be a sister’s son.
15 Some minibar Riesling for Scottish dramatist (6)
BARRIE– Hidden inside (some) {mini}BAR RIE{sling}. Referring to Sir James Matthew Barrie, OM, creator of Peter Pan, who gave his rights to the Peter Pan works to Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children before his death.
17 Male editor’s name for water (3)
MED– M{ale} ED{itor}. The water referred to is the MED{iterranean sea}
18 Anvil one’s recycled – from the country (9)
SLOVENIAN–Anagram of [ANVIL ONE’S] (with recycled acting as the anagrind)
20 Cold atmosphere at new stone mound (5)
CAIRN– C{old} plus AIR (atmosphere) plus N{ew}.
22 Liquid needed for theatre – a clean-up (7)
TREACLE– Hidden in {thea}TRE A CLE{an-up}. I don’t dispute that it is a liquid, but it is a viscous one.
23 Acceptable means of payment from cricket side – a lender absorbs it finally (5,6)
LEGAL TENDER– There are several pairs of sides in cricket; batting and fielding or in and out, but this refers to the sides of the field, LEG and off. So we have LEG (cricket side) plus A LENDER (a lender) which absorbs {i}T (finally)

Down
1 European vote result – only half rejoice (5)
EXULT– E{uropean} X (vote) {res}ULT (only half!}
2 Being irritable, deserter, note on Scottish Loch (9)
RATTINESS – A deserter in Crosswordland is invariably a RAT, TI is the seventh note in the solmization system, and the Scottish Loch is its most famous – Loch NESS
3 Arrange extremely intense troop movement? (6)
SORTIE– To arrange is to SORT, followed by (extremely) I{ntens}E (i.e. first and last letters).
4 Regularly tell off mischievous child (3)
ELF– Alternate letters (regularly) from {t}E{l}L {o}F{f}. I worried about the mischievous part of the definition, but my Chambers gives ‘A mischievous or fairy-like being, esp a child, so it passes the dictionary test.
5 1960s satellite broadcast to inform celeb (7)
TELSTAR– TEL (sounds like – broadcast – tell) (inform) and STAR (celeb). TELSTARs 1 and 2 were launched by NASA in July ’61 and May ’62 respectively as communications satellites. They both still orbit the earth, although are now no longer functional.
6 Bar, a nice base, served up American drink? (9,3)
CARIBBEAN SEA– Anagram (served up) of [BAR, A NICE BASE]. I think there may be some dispute over America’s ownership of the said Sea that justifies the question mark, although it is indubitably close to the Americas.
7 Manorial cost unfortunately very large (12)
ASTRONOMICAL– Anagram (unfortunately) of [MANORIAL COST]
11 Wine at finish in Kentish town (9)
GRAVESEND– The wine is GRAVES (from the sub-region of that name in the Bordeaux area) and finish is END. GRAVESEND is an ancient town just 21 miles from the centre of London, and in the County of Kent, hence Kentish Town, and its name probably has nothing to do with burials, coming rather from graaf-ham (home of the reeve). It was certainly known as GRAVESHAM at the time of the Domesday Book.
14 Quietly including superfluous material (7)
PADDING – P (quietly) and ADDING (including).
16 Very formal at first – neckwear for sentimental guy (6)
SOFTIE– Very gives SO, F{ormal} (at first) and TIE (neckwear)
19 Such entertainment:motoring (2-3)
IN-CAR– Double definition? It’s a type of entertainment system and might describe someone motoring. Or is it an &Lit? Answers on a postcard please.
21 Love Northern Ireland lake (3)
NIL– N{orthern} I{reland} L{ake}

↧

Times 27,017: Mission to Minsk

April 19, 2018, 11:12 pm

≫ Next: Quick Cryptic 1074 by Felix

≪ Previous: Times Quick Cryptic No 1073 by Hurley

That archival puzzle on Wednesday may have been a blessing in disguise, if it put us in the right frame of mind for today's, which I thought had a definite and not unpleasing old-school feel. I didn't know the epithet for Gladstone, the fizzy water or the scientific unit but all those clues were quite easily gettable from the wordplay and the crossers. More embarrassingly, I lost a lot of time in the NE corner due to having bunged in a hopelessly optimistic TEA TOWEL for the drier, and might (for shame) actually have gone down one again if this had been a prelim puzzle with a very careless IODIUM at 22ac: I mean obviously there were warning bells ringing but, when you're in a puzzle filled with so many slight obscurities, you, or at least I, do start to half-believe that IODIUM could be an old alternative for IODINE...

Luckily I didn't do this electronically, and sadly I didn't even time myself, though I feel somewhere around the ten minutes mark is probably right, especially after the bogging down around 13ac. My clue of the day is definitely 14ac, superbly concise and an excellently relatable surface, 10/10 would happily solve again. Many thanks to the setter!

ACROSS
1 Thus America carrying burden becomes dozy (10)
SLUMBEROUS - SO US [thus | America] carrying LUMBER [burden]

7 River that’s more beautiful between banks? (4)
AIRE - {f}AIRE{r}

9 A special moment in which one’s collected fossil (8)
AMMONITE - A + (MOMENT*) ["special..."] in which I [one] is collected

10 Block Yankee, creating stir (6)
CHOKEY - CHOKE Y [block | Yankee]. Stir as in "prison".

11 River, Charlie? You and I will catch that fish (6)
WRASSE - R ASS [river | Charlie] - WE [you and I] will catch that

13 Group entering train to get drier (3,5)
TEA CLOTH - LOT [group] entering TEACH [train

14 European seriously drunk in bar (12)
BYELORUSSIAN - (SERIOUSLY*) ["drunk"] in BAN [bar]

17 Female home full of love attended by stars who bring good news? (12)
MISSIONARIES - MISS [female] + IN [home] full of O [love], attended by ARIES [stars]. Good news as in the "gospel".

20 Haggard female beset by fairies passes away (8)
PERISHES - SHE [(H Rider) Haggard female] beset by PERIS [fairies]

21 Naval officer's clique drink (6)
POSSET - P.O.'S SET [naval officer's | clique]

22 An element of singular dislike (6)
SODIUM - S ODIUM [singular | dislike]

23 Not terribly keen about final decision-maker? Precisely! (2,3,3)
ON THE DOT - (NOT*) ["terribly"] + HOT [keen] about ED [final decision-maker]

25 Gladstone's epithet's recalled in a haze (4)
SMOG - Gladstone being the G.O.M. (Grand Old Man); GOM'S recalled.

26 Provider of printed notes for performers (5,5)
SHEET MUSIC - cryptic def

DOWN
2 More than one bloodsucker strikes to secure victim (8)
LAMPREYS - LAMS [strikes] to secure PREY [victim]

3 Order set up to imprison a Communist leader (3)
MAO - O.M. [order] set up to imprison A

4 Boy climbing tree with minimal energy (5)
EMILE - reverse LIME ["climbing" tree] + E for energy

5 See sort that could turn out murderer in mythology (7)
ORESTES - (SEE SORT*) ["...that could turn out"]

6 Conservative in group, heretical and bigoted (9)
SECTARIAN - C [Conservative] in SET ARIAN [group | heretical]

7 A star drinking nothing, overturning fizzy water (11)
APOLLINARIS - A POLARIS [a | star] drinking NIL reversed [nothing, "overturning"]

8 Dish of fish eggs: it’s served up (6)
ROESTI - ROE [fish eggs] + IT'S reversed

12 Seriously performing only, I warble about heartless fellow (11)
SOLEMNISING - SOLE I SING [only | I | warble] about M{a}N ["heartless" fellow]

15 Hospital in Somerset redone as accommodation for the elderly (4,5)
REST HOMES - H [hospital] in (SOMERSET*) ["redone"]

16 Famous Argentinian tucked into cooked pie and sausage (8)
PEPERONI - PERON [famous Argentinian] tucked into (PIE*) ["cooked..."]

18 Coming soon as a sale item? (2,5)
IN STORE - double def, if something's IN a STORE it's presumably intended for sale

19 Umpire, old, with room for improvement (6)
REFORM - REF O [umpire | old] with RM [room]

21 Small cat or dog, the one giving chase (5)
PETIT - PET [cat or dog] + IT [the one giving chase]

24 Bird in science unit (3)
EMU - double def, an E.M.U. being an electromagnetic unit

↧

Quick Cryptic 1074 by Felix

April 19, 2018, 11:43 pm

≫ Next: Times Cryptic No 27012 - Saturday, 14 April 2018. A walk in the park?

≪ Previous: Times 27,017: Mission to Minsk

6 minutes without any major challenges. A good demonstration of the art of the Double definition, some of which (11ac, 3dn) had me thinking. I wonder if the setter is mourning the news that there will be no 12 ac on 12dn this winter, as Test Match Special have lost the broadcasting rights? It's not the same since Blowers retired anyway...

Across
8	Group in front of bazaar, settled and secure (3,4)
	SET FAIR - SET is group FAIR is bazaar
9	Mission appearing in article by the French medical officer (5)
	ALAMO - A + LA + MO
10	Producer of oil? None, as it happens (5)
	OLIVE - O (none) LIVE (as it happens)
11	Agreed withcheck (7)
	SQUARED - double definition. Check as in the pattern
12	Sort of bowler seen in stage turn (3,4)
	LEG SPIN - LEG is stage, SPIN is turn
14	Tears manuscript on wildlife park (5)
	ZOOMS - ZOO + MS (manuscript)
15	Guinevere’s content? No way! (5)
	NEVER - hidden word: GuiNEVERe
17	Person salvaging notes by snooker player? (7)
	RESCUER - RE is a note (do re me etc). Plural is RES (a bit clunky), + CUER, someone who cues
19	Avert fighting next to shed (4,3)
	WARD OFF - WAR + DOFF
20	Trouble’s besetting one for so long in Spain (5)
	ADIOS - ADOS (troubles) around I
22	Five English students getting the Morning Star (5)
	VENUS - V + E + NUS
23	Worthless person unwelcome at breakfast? (1,3,3)
	A BAD EGG - double definition

Down
1	Heads for old southern lake or city (4)
	OSLO - initials of Old Southern Lake Or
2	Blessed fellow on phone causing row! (6)
	STRING - ST (blessed fellow) + RING
3	Pay to conduct (4)
	WAGE - double definition
4	Pro I forewarn’s to become a captive (8,2,3)
	PRISONER OF WAR - anagram of PRO I FOREWARN'S
5	Baths, trad perhaps, one’s lined with copper (8)
	JACUZZIS - Trad is JAZZ + IS with CU inside
6	Hot tune, note: Afro? (6)
	HAIRDO - H + AIR + DO. List of crossword hairdos: bun, beehive, afro, shock, DA, barnet... any more?
7	Rough or rude — as motorist, maybe (4-4)
	ROAD-USER - anagram ('rough') of OR RUDE AS
12	Crave flourish for certain type of broadcast (4,4)
	LONG WAVE - two double definitions
13	Marine mammal having power, initially, or composure (8)
	PORPOISE - P + OR + POISE
16	Some turning up in Slovenian or even Italian city (6)
	VERONA - Backwards hidden word: SloveniAN OR EVen
18	Male and female colleges attended by former partner (6)
	UNISEX - UNIS + EX
20	A container slightly open (4)
	AJAR - too simple to explain
21	Sound despairing when spectacle fails to end (4)
	SIGH - SIGHT shortened

↧

Times Cryptic No 27012 - Saturday, 14 April 2018. A walk in the park?

April 20, 2018, 4:00 pm

≫ Next: Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1317 - 7th April

≪ Previous: Quick Cryptic 1074 by Felix

This was a straightforward exercise, although in several cases I had to stop and think twice about well-disguised definitions. Finished in under 30 minutes, so I expect some fast times from the experts.

My clue of the day was 13dn. I also liked 26 across, perhaps for its messy structure.

Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.

Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', with the anagram indicator in bold italics. Deletions are in {curly brackets}.

Across
1 Reported James before indiscretion in schoolgirl attire (7)
GYMSLIP: GYM sounds like Jim, followed by a SLIP.

5 Drop accomplished without a sign of damage (7)
DISCARD: DID (accomplished), around SCAR (sign of damage).

9 Fish in sudden increase leading to extra demand (9)
SURCHARGE: SURGE (sudden increase), around CHAR (fish).

10 Old support avoiding bishop in quiet spot (5)
OASIS: O (old), {b}ASIS (support, avoiding bishop).

11 Deceit admitted by an outsider (5)
ALIEN: LIE in AN.

12 Ill-fated liner left United States and hit (not hard) an island key (9)
LUSITANIA: L (left), US, {h}IT, AN, I{sland}, A (key). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Lusitania My first parsing of this clue started L, USA, TAN=hit, … until I decided I really was confident the spelling starts LUSI … not LUSA ... !!

14 Operation to prepare fabric workers during strike (3,11)
HIP REPLACEMENT: that is, PREP LACE MEN, inside HIT.

17 Runny chocolate drunk all the time (6,3,5)
AROUND THE CLOCK: a choice of possible anagram indicators here! Use “runny” as the pointer, so “drunk” is part of the anagram fodder, giving (CHOCOLATE DRUNK*).

21 Report civil disturbance about what carnivores eat? (5,4)
RIFLE SHOT: RIOT around FLESH. Terse but satisfying definition!

23 Soup’s unpleasant smell after overturning cup (5)
GUMBO: BO after MUG backwards. Down the Mississippi, down to New Orleans.

24 Bitter free on account (5)
ACRID: AC, then RID.

25 Legion having to carry not as much weight (9)
COUNTLESS: COUNT LESS (with a space) would be to carry less weight.

26 Distracted English prommer missing minutes in piano concerto (7)
EMPEROR: (E PROM-ER*). One of the “M”s (minutes) is missing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._5_(Beethoven)

27 Family character appearing embarrassed (7)
KINDRED: KIND (character), RED (embarrassed).

Down
1 An amusing thing to catch one who can’t stop talking (6)
GASBAG: GAS (amusing thing), BAG (catch). For a while, I tried fitting ASB or BSA inside GAG, without success!

2 Damage can come with one cocktail (7)
MARTINI: MAR (damage), TIN (can), I (one).

3 Most of Rheingold’s rewritten, leading to new Wagner opera (9)
LOHENGRIN: (RHEINGOL-*), then N for new. The final D in Rheingold is dropped from the anagram.

4 Pulp chapter needing rewriting for over-ornate passage (6,5)
PURPLE PATCH: looking at the first helpers, I expected the answer to be PURPLE PROSE, but the anagram is clear enough: (PULP CHAPTER*). To me a “purple patch” is a spell of good luck or good form, but Chambers lists “purple passage” as its first definition.

5 Appropriate work for a couple lacking time (3)
DUE: DUE{t}.

6 Small bird’s made to fly (5)
SCOOT: S, COOT.

7 Bishop interrupts dodgy seance for failure to show presence? (7)
ABSENCE: B in (SÉANCE*). My first thought was that the definition might be “presence” – quite the opposite!

8 Aversion therapy’s beginning during endless misfortune (8)
DISTASTE: T{herapy} in DISASTE{r}.

13 Steps on top of lorry, compelled to act (5-6)
STAGE-STRUCK: STAGES, TRUCK. I saw STRUCK immediately but found STAGES elusive. Part of my problem was that I was thinking of acting in a more concrete “doing” sense. In the end, this was my LOI.

15 Make cultivated land with river rising around it (9)
ENLIGHTEN: NENE (the river), backwards around LIGHT.

16 Conduct beginning of civil wedding, though Mark’s gone missing (8)
CARRIAGE: C{ivil} {m}ARRIAGE.

18 Flawless turning needed after bad test for fit (5,2)
OFFER UP: PURE backwards, after OFF. Another definition I found elusive.

19 One of similar ability is one likely to succeed without exercise (7)
COMPEER: COMER around P.E. Not a word I would feel confident to use!

20 Pressure on Love Island has top journalist ready and prepared (6)
POISED: P{ressure}, O (love), IS{land}, ED{itor}.

22 Duck always found around one delta (5)
EIDER: EER (ever), around I and D.

25 Aggressive dog runs after copper (3)
CUR: CU, R.

↧

Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1317 - 7th April

April 20, 2018, 11:54 pm

≫ Next: Sunday Times 4794 by Dean Mayer

≪ Previous: Times Cryptic No 27012 - Saturday, 14 April 2018. A walk in the park?

Hello all! I found this on the easy side of middle-of-the-road - mostly pretty straightforward, but with one or two tasty nuggets. I liked the 21-letter anagram at 13a and the novel anagrind at 15a that led to an entertaining surface, for example, and last, but not least, the neat wordplay at 49d. All done quickly enough not to need a loo break despite the volume of coffee consumed. Thanks to our setter for a bit less than 1/2 hour's entertainment solving.. and rather more writing the blog. How did you like it?

Definitions underlined in italics, (ABC)* indicating anagram of ABC, {} deletions and [] other indicators.

Across
1	Bits of pencil you could pick up for artist (6)
	STUBBS - Sounds like [you could pick up] STUBS (bits of pencil). George Stubbs was an 18th century artist known most for his horse paintings. Not my cup of coffee, I'm afraid.
5	Ornate ship going round eastern tip of Gozo (7)
	BAROQUE - The ship is a BARQUE. Put it around {Goz}O. Staying in the 18th century and before, "The Baroque is a highly ornate and often extravagant style of architecture, art and music that flourished in Europe from the early 17th until the late 18th century." Some of my favourite music comes from this period. Ah, Bach!
9	Grant aid — about time for supporting female (8)
	CARYATID - Here the screen idol CARY (Grant) gives AID about T. This may be a bit less familiar, but it has come up in another cryptic recently, I think. Now we are going back even further in history to a feature of classical Greek architecture.
13	Very nervous of Californian heat, took to swimming (4,1,3,2,1,3,3,4)
	LIKE A CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF - (Californian heat took to)* [swimming]. A 21 letter anagram(!) and a play by Tennessee Williams.
14	Local girl narrowly avoided accident (4,4)
	NEAR MISS - NEAR (local) + MISS (girl). And now, suddenly, we arrive in QC land.
15	Brahms and Liszt interact, lacking a stringed instrument (7)
	CITTERN - Now here's a noivel anagrind! [Brahms and Liszt] = p***d (Interct) (INTERACT missing A), giving us another historical reference to a mediaeval precursor to the mandolin or guitar.
16	Crack soldiers penetrating walls of Cretan city (6)
	CRANNY - Our soldiers here are the gunners (RA). Put them in C{reta}N [walls of] + NY (city). After all this historical stuff, you might have been, like me, thinking of labyrinths and minotaurs here, but you (like I was) would have been wrong.
17	No sailor, dismissing starters of tasteless whale fat (10)
	LANDLUBBER - {b}LAND + {b}LUBBER [dismissing starters]. I liked this one. Sounds like the Chief Cook needs replacing.
20	Leisure and work in Brazilian capital? (12)
	RECREATIONAL - CREATION (work) in REAL (Brazilian currency). A bit of a leisurely clue.
23	Came across Zulu in French city (4)
	METZ - MET + Z. "Metz is a city in France’s northeastern Grand Est region, with gardens and leafy promenades along the Moselle and Seille rivers. In the old town, the Gothic Metz Cathedral is famed for its massive amount of stained glass windows, many by noted artists." Until I looked it up I didn't know where in France it is. I don't think I've been there.
24	Perhaps saw last of wealth and money in recession? (4,4)
	HAND TOOL - {wealt}H + AND + LOOT (money) backwards [in recession]. Nicely deceptive definition.
26	One offering to be less tough (8)
	TENDERER - Double Definition. A bit of a softer one.
29	Engaging Saul to develop digital communication method (4,8)
	SIGN LANGUAGE - (Engaging Saul)* [to develop]. Digital, as in using your fingers. Ha, ha.
30	Blunt’s traitors recalled head of KGB, impressed by fame (4-6)
	STAR-STRUCK - CURT'S (Blunt's) + RATS (traitors) reversed + K{gb}.
32	More obvious career for cobblers (10)
	BALDERDASH - BALDER (more obvious) + DASH to get a load of boloney.
34	Vocal supporters of Chelsea erred badly (12)
	CHEERLEADERS - (Chelsea erred)*. Do Chelsea have cheerleaders? I wouldn't know.
36	Thug, Chinese, going around loves free party (8)
	HOOLIGAN - HAN (Chinese) around OO (loves) + LIG (party). The LIG bit was new on me. Apparently it is a sort of party where the drinks are free.
38	Patrilineage of extremely annoying people (8)
	AGNATION - A{nnoyin}G + NATION. Another new word on me.
39	Brad shelled molluscs (4)
	NAIL - The molluscs are {s}NAIL{s} shelled to get a sort of nail with a handle.
41	VIP ran to exchange starters with shellfish for famed kipper (3,3,6)
	RIP VAN WINKLE - Swap the starts of VIP and RAN and add WINKLE (shellfish) to get the protagonist of an 1819 short story by Washington Irving. No I didn't know it either.
43	Colonisation of earth allowed humans to be preserved (10)
	SETTLEMENT - SETT (a badger's earth) + LET with MEN inside [preserved]. Will colonistation of Mars allow us to be preserved, I wonder?
44	Loved song and dance and wine (6)
	ADORED - ADO (song and dance) + RED (wine). Hello QCers. I hope you are enjoying this Jumbo.
46	Bird in Henley wings away in style (7)
	ENTITLE - TIT in {H}ENLE{y}. Style as in giving a name. I guess you get tits in Henley, but mostly in the marquees, perhaps?
48	Make a saint transgress revoltingly in boat (8)
	CANONISE - SIN backwards [revoltingly] in CANOE.
50	One refusing to serve men after particular article (13,8)
	CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR - CONSCIENTIOUS (particular) + OBJECT + OR (men). This was a bit of a gimme.
51	Arsenic of highest quality, huge danger to health (8)
	ASBESTOS - AS (Arsenic) + BEST + OS. Arsenic.. danger to health. Neat.
52	Unusual diversity on street (7)
	STRANGE - ST + RANGE.
53	Dish mature Englishman carries (6)
	TUREEN - Hidden word in {ma}TURE EN{glishman}. Not got one of those, Our soup comes straight from the pan.

Down
2	Agriculturalist with last of wire netting (5)
	TULLE - Jethro TULL + {wir}E. No, not the rock band. "Jethro Tull, (born 1674, Basildon, Berkshire, Eng.—died Feb. 21, 1741, Prosperous Farm, near Hungerford, Berkshire), English agronomist, agriculturist, writer, and inventor whose ideas helped form the basis of modern British agriculture." Add E to get the lightweight, very fine, stiff netting.
3	Thirteen tradesmen finally return after nap (6,5)
	BAKERS DOZEN - BAKERS + DOZE + {retur}N. Did you bother to parse it? Simples.
4	Scoundrel promises to pay for flower (8)
	SCABIOUS - SCAB + IOUS. Nice wild flowers. They look like this.
5	Supporters at first sent money (5)
	BRASS - BRAS + S{ent}. Groan. How often do we get that female 'supporting' garment? FANSS would be a more novel answer, except it isn't a word.
6	"Discontented" reserve officer commanding dog to come back (7)
	REOCCUR - R{eserv}E [discontented] + OC + CUR. I liked the "discontented" device, but the quotation marks rather signposted it.
7	Interval of fifteen minutes before meeting bridge opponents (7-4)
	QUARTER-TONE - QUARTER TO + NE. Half a semitone. Easy enough with electronic devices, I suppose, but not easy to play with conventional instruments or sing. Try this to hear a quarter tone piano composition.
8	Put down, absent daughters act histrionically (5)
	EMOTE - The put down is to {d}EMOTE, and you lose the daughters to express your feelings.
9	Ringing hospital department after company function (9)
	COTANGENT - CO + TANG + ENT. TANG for ringing is meaning 2 in Chambers.
10	Queen Eunice losing case of old letters (5)
	RUNIC - R (queen) + {E}unic{e}. We already have a Latin crossword on a Saturday. How a about a runic one? Maybe not.
11	A fool filling motor after knocking back eggs and fruit (7,4)
	AVOCADO PEAR - OVA backwards + CAR filled with A DOPE. Be careful how you cut them. Personally I've never had a problem, but apparently 'avocado hand' is an acknowledged health hazard.
12	Fashionable follower cheers Iberian princess (7)
	INFANTA - In + FAN + TA. Which reminds of the lovely Faure piece commemorating the death of one of these. Lovely playing by the young Crakow Philarmonic. [Edit: As Kevin pointed out, I'd got my pieces mixed up. I should have, of course, referred to the Ravel Pavane pour une infante défunte. No real excuse for getting that wrong - I have the music for the piano version on the floor by may piano!].
18	Woman not one to go after morning coffee (9)
	AMERICANO - ERICA + NO (not one) after AM. No as in "There are no biscuits left in the tin. Where did they all go?"... as I often say when I want a biscuit for my cheese.
19	British swing and rap, brief hybrid musical style (7)
	BHANGRA - B + HANG + RA{p}. Entertaining stuff.
21	Bully scowled at sign of fear (4,5)
	COLD SWEAT - [bully] (scowled at)*. Not something I experienced in my school days, fortunately.
22	Metal end of dart catches wildebeest from underneath (8)
	TUNGSTEN - {dar}T + NETS GNU upwards. Chemical symbol W from its other name Wolfram.
25	Stiff cast hated cavorting on screen (5,4)
	DEATH MASK - (hated)* + MASK. Kept as a memento of the dead or to create a posthumous portrait.
27	Former copper working after repetitive strain injury and trip (9)
	EXCURSION - EX + CU (copper) + RSI (repetitive strain injury) + ON (working). My excursion (on foot) this afternoon will be to the East Anglian Beer Festival. Anyone want to join me?
28	Terribly arrogant cook might use this (8)
	TARRAGON - (arrogant)*. I used some of this with my salmon for the family meal the night I started this blog in draft. Yum.
31	Perhaps JFK left after show (7)
	AIRPORT - AIR (show) + PORT (left). You surely must have seen this before.
33	A despised revolutionary, basis of Christian church and salvation (11)
	DELIVERANCE - A REVILED reversed [revolutionary] + {Christia}N [basis of] + CE. A nicely deceptive surface.
34	One might see prom queen arrange travel in advance (11)
	CONCERTGOER - CONCERT (arrange) + GO (travel) + ER (queen). 'prom' not 'prom queen'. Didn't fool me, though.
35	Monitored an unstable figure below this line (11)
	DENOMINATOR - (Monitored an)* [unstable]. Not sure why it is "this" rather than "the".
37	Sister oddly wound up mute (9)
	NOISELESS - S{i}S{t}E{r} + LESION upwards. A noiseless sister. Isn't that every brother's dream? It was mine!
40	Melancholy, mean man (8)
	PLANGENT - PLAN (as in mean to) + GENT. How sad.
42	Persuades head of compliance to wear naughty undies (7)
	INDUCES - C{ompliance} + (undies)* [naughty]. Cheeky surface.
43	Subdues male relative (7)
	STEPSON - STEPS + ON. Are the clues getting easier as we head for the finishing line?
45	Old coin initially depicting uncrowned queen? (5)
	DUCAT - D{epicting} + U{ncrowned} + CAT (queen). A bit more tricky this one. I never knew "queen" for "cat" until I came across it in a crossword a year or so ago, and I've never heard it outside crosswordland before or since.
47	Strict nurse regularly scrubbed Roman emperor (5)
	TITUS - Alternate letters of sTrIcT nUrSe. And we are back in history again. Titus was best known for completing the Colosseum in Rome.
48	Constant, clever guy? (5)
	CABLE - C + ABLE to give the sort of rope.
49	Huge wave from theatre professional, on leaving (5)
	SURGE - SURGE{on}. Theatre professional? Ha ha!

↧

Sunday Times 4794 by Dean Mayer

April 21, 2018, 5:00 pm

≫ Next: Mephisto 3007 - Don Manley

≪ Previous: Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1317 - 7th April

14:51. I didn’t find this particularly difficult but I enjoyed it immensely. Lots of witty and consummately elegant clues, as we have come to expect from Dean. It’s always hard to pick a favourite, which is why I don’t usually try, but I did particularly love 5dn.

A significant proportion of my time was spent agonising over 12ac. I could see what the answer ought to be but couldn’t figure out why. There was a big penny-dropping and self-kicking moment when I finally figured it out.

Unfortunately I have the blogger's nightmare this week: a clue (8 across) that I can’t explain. No doubt there's another penny-dropping and self-kicking moment coming when someone points out what I'm missing in the comments.

In the meantime, thanks to Dean for a lovely puzzle and here’s how I think it all (well most of it) works…

Definitions are underlined, anagrams indicated like (THIS)*, anagram indicators like this.

Across
1	Monitor who comes in to seek coolness? (6,6)
	LOUNGE LIZARD - CD. The monitor being a type of lizard. I put this straight in but it raised a smile
8	Yesterday’s meanings of “present”
	HERE AND NOW - this is the answer as far as I can tell, if only because it's the only phrase I can see that fits the checkers. ‘Here’ and ‘now’ are meanings of ‘present’ but I’ve no idea what ‘yesterday’ has to do with it.
9	Best shot last one of break
	PICK - PIC, ~~brea~~K.
10	Revolting man, inventor, bank has to back
	WAT TYLER - WATT, reversal of RELY. Leader of the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381 and early anti-Thatcherite.
12	Supply lineseffective in expedition
	PROMPT - two definitions. I saw what the answer must be fairly early on, but it took me forever to see how ‘supply lines’ means PROMPT. I was completely fooled by the fact that it looks like a noun, when in fact it’s a verb phrase relating to the theatre.
13	Past caring?
	PHYSIC - CD. Nice.
14	Unopened beer and glass smashed for charity
	LARGESSE - (bEER, GLASS)*. I wouldn’t say LARGESSE is necessarily charity, more just generosity, but it’s close enough.
16	Undertaker is featured in advert, right?
	PROMISOR - PROM(IS)O, R. In this case just someone who undertakes to do something, rather than the usual more specific meaning.
18	Purse returned for a hat
	TOPPER - reversal of POT, PER (for a, as in ‘two for a pound’).
20	Old magical character I found east of Black Country
	BRUNEI - B, RUNE (old magical character), I.
22	Car maker designing software I call revolutionary
	CADILLAC - CAD (computer-aided design software), I, reversal of CALL.
23	Grave robber’s concealed state
	AVER - hidden in ‘grave robber’.
24	Perfect material - do weaving
	TAILOR-MADE - (MATERIAL DO)*.
26	For kind of club outing, look over ground
	TRIPLE-DECKER - TRIP, LE(DECK)ER. I think this is a reference to a kind of sandwich. A club sandwich is usually made up of a number of layers. Not sure though.

Down
1	Put right over Greek king
	LAERTES - reversal of SET, REAL. ‘Right’ is synonymous with REAL in phrases ‘you are a right plonker, Rodney’. This LAERTES was the father of Odysseus, not to be confused with the character in Hamlet.
2	Sound of rake in large pot
	URN - sounds like ‘earn’ (rake in).
3	What some doctors do in a convention
	GENERAL PRACTICE - DD.
4	Weird pilot’s shotdown
	LOW-SPIRITED - (WEIRD PILOT’S)*.
5	Concluding part of Gettysburg address?
	ZIP CODE - CD. Some people don’t like cryptic definitions but I defy anyone not to like this one. Brilliant.
6	About to interrupt theatre review
	RECAP - REP is theatre, CA is about, one contains (is interrupted by) the other.
7	A figure of speech matched a figure of speech
	METAPHOR - MET (matched), homophone (of speech) of ‘a four’ (figure).
11	Hanger-on goes for wee, initially confused
	LICKSPITTLE - a Spoonerism (one that doesn’t mention Spooner for a change) of ‘picks little’.
15	Officials worry while crossing road
	STEWARDS - STEW (worry), A(RD)S.
17	Words repeated on top of Petri dish?
	MANTRAP - MANTRA (words repeated), P~~etri~~. ‘Dish’ in the sense of an alluring person, in this case a woman.
19	River supports employ syntheticcompound
	POLYMER - (EMPLOY)*, R.
21	Run across a pirate
	ROVER - R, OVER.
25	Wood area, cutting permitted
	OAK - O(A)K.

↧

Mephisto 3007 - Don Manley

April 21, 2018, 7:18 pm

≫ Next: Times 27019 - The rhythm of fate, or the helpless lion

≪ Previous: Sunday Times 4794 by Dean Mayer

Very strange to see two variations of the same word in the one puzzle, and I was wondering if there was a theme forming from this, but I couldn't see anything else. I thought this was rather a fun grid, with the longer answers on the outside stretching across the quadrants.

The first definition is underlined in clues.

Away we go...

Across
1	Captive should keep quiet, one no longer acting as guest should (9)
	HOSPITAGE - HOSTAGE(captive) containing P(quiet), I(one)
11	Worry about issue that once had cutting edge (8)
	CEMITARE - CARE(worry) surounding EMIT(issue) - variation of SCIMITAR
12	Exercise when wearing casual shirt in tent (5)
	TEPEE - PE(exercise) in a TEE shirt
13	Come again as fool having made return journey (4)
	ANAN - NANA(fool) reversed
14	Oval— this person had a 50 after a pair (6)
	OOIDAL - I'D, A L(50) after OO - a pair of zeros in cricket
15	Giants in beastly home cycling round (6)
	ETTINS - cycle IN SETT
16	I certainly must get guided round as an OAP? (8)
	LEISURED - I SURE(certainly) inside LED(guided round)
17	Plant without specification found in river (5)
	TANSY - NS(not specifie) inside the river TAY
20	Spell cast by the fellow with kiss (3)
	HEX - HE, X(kiss)
21	Function of nursery item (3)
	COT - double definition, the function being trigonometric
25	One had an eye left, external requirement (5)
	NEELD - L with NEED(requirement) surrounding
27	Chair made to rattle — out will come English coins (8)
	DRACHMAI - anagram of CHAIR MADE minus E
28	Worker in new university that will never take off (6)
	NHANDU - HAND(worker) in N, U for the flightless bird
29	Jock’s saved— the fellow had to secure a home (6)
	HAINED - HE'D containing A, IN
31	Border shown by line inside mineral (4)
	ORLE - L inside ORE
32	The old move around, start to sing, then grow weary (5)
	STIRE - S~~(ing)~~, then TIRE(grow weary)
33	Fashionable Eastern member comes in — the influence is imaginary? (8)
	TELEGONY - TONY(fashionable) containing E, LEG(member)
34	Impoverished fellows in Britain’s capital, say, needing cover endlessly (9)
	BEGGARMEN - B(ritain's), EG, GARMEN~~(t)~~

Down
1	Hospital, one with a shady dealer? React violently (6, two words)
	HIT OUT - H, I, TOUT(shady dealer)
2	Spread love with a superior sign (4)
	OLEO - O, LEO(star sign)
3	Slammed as "inept", I will need friend showing discernment (12)
	SAPIENTIALLY - anagram of AS INEPT then I, ALLY
4	Kitchen item of many colours is on top of hob (7)
	PIEDISH - PIER(of many colours), IS, H~~(ob)~~
5	Goddess blabs outside university (6)
	TELLUS - TELLS(blabs) outsie of U
6	A meagre protection for power unit used by physicists (6)
	AMPERE - A MERE(meagre) with P(power) inisde
7	Trio with fool on a guitar (7)
	GITTERN - GIT(fool) and TERN(trio)
8	"Man is machine" — absurd old heresy? (12)
	MANICHEANISM - anagram of MAN,IS,MACHINE
9	Bound to be quiet not loud in the country (6)
	PRANCE - replace F with P in FRANCE
10	Understanding unknown quantity in economic indicator (6)
	SENSEX - SENSE(uderstanding), X(unknown quailty)
18	Gosh, man turns up to make use of enclosed space! (7)
	YARDAGE - reversal pf EGAD(gosh), RAY(man)
19	Artist with occasions for raising an old weapon (7)
	SEMITAR - RA and TIMES all reversed
21	Natural hole a very short distance inside shelter (6)
	CENOTE - EN(short distance) inside COTE(shelter)
22	Brownish-yellow colouring on a botanical feature (6)
	OCHREA - OCHRE(brownish-yellow colouring) with A
23	Like ship in good nick that has to travel north for fish (6)
	TAUTOG - TAUT(like ship in good nick), then GO (travel) reversed
24	Feeling a bit of pain? Treatment finally comes from this Chinese text (6)
	ICHING - ITCHING(feeling a bit of pain) minus ~~(treatmen)~~T
26	Pipe of dullish hue crossing river (6)
	DUDEEN - DUN(dull hue) surrounding DEE(river)
30	What was long vessel in the sound (4)
	ERNE - sounds like URN

↧

Times 27019 - The rhythm of fate, or the helpless lion

April 22, 2018, 6:53 pm

≫ Next: QC 1075 by Orpheus - Comic Strip?

≪ Previous: Mephisto 3007 - Don Manley

Time: 24 minutes
Music: Coltrane, Giant Steps

After failing to complete either the Saturday, or the Sunday, or the Guardian Prize, I thought that I was either slipping, or these puzzles were damned hard. But when I lay down with tonight's offering, I found that everything was back to normal, as I was able to enter a few obvious answers almost immediately. Our old friends, the tamarin/tamarind, d/urban, and Rita and her cot offered a quick entrance to this not very difficult offering. Unfortuntely, overconfidence led to a quick biff where I should have read the clue in its entirety.

More careful solvers will probably do well, as there is not anything terribly difficult here. I knew that 'chillax' is a word without having any idea what it meant, so I was able to construct it from the cryptic without much difficulty. Non-classicists may have a little trouble with 'Tyche', but once the crossers are in place there's not much else it can be. However, 'amphora' may catch a few solvers out, although I just read 'old jar' and biffed it - nothing obscure here.

As an additional puzzle, I have been doing David Stickley's weekly puzzle, which comes out every Wednesday. Those who don't have enough puzzles to solve might want to give it a try; it's located at http://www.australiancrosswords.com.au/WPblog/category/stickler-weekly-puzzles/

Across
1	Rupees stored to send overseas? (6)
	DEPORT - DEPO(R)T, i.e. rupees in a depot.
4	Tropical tree monkey died (8)
	TAMARIND - TAMARIN + D, a chestnut.
10	Talk about pound and spend freely (6,3)
	SPLASH OUT - SP(LASH)OUT. 'Pound' is not really equivalent to 'lash', but it is close enough.
11	Musician with piano appearing in seaside attraction (5)
	PIPER - PI(P)ER.
12	Flight having time due to arrive back for point of entry (7)
	GATEWAY - G(ETA)WAY with the ETA reversed, which I failed to do. Maybe I should read more than the first four words of the clue?
13	Girl eating a little cottage cheese (7)
	RICOTTA - RI(COT)TA. At least she's not clued as an educated girl.
14	Up before court (5)
	ERECT - ERE CT.
15	Piece of software has put up price (8)
	APPRAISE - APP + RAISE.
18	Marks article unusually showing poetic quality (8)
	METRICAL - M + anagram of ARTICLE
20	Goddess needing something of a reality check (5)
	TYCHE - hidden in [reali]TY CHE[ck], the Greek word for chance or luck, or the goddess thereof.
23	Old jar of what could be insect repellent — unopened, note (7)
	AMPHORA - [c]AMPHOR + A.
25	Grand sound of cows looking extremely healthy (7)
	GLOWING - G + LOWING.
26	Fish consumed after missing meal of steak? (5)
	SKATE - S[tea]K + ATE.
27	One moving into a new position inches higher (9)
	INSTALLER - INS. TALLER.
28	What could be lion trapping an ox, perhaps, in endless plain (3-5)
	MAN-EATER - M(A NEAT)ER[e], one that is ripe for biffing.
29	A cab caught having lost control of motion (6)
	ATAXIC - A + TAXI + C.

Down
1	Cancer, perhaps, in ruminant — one creating something new? (8)
	DESIGNER - DE(SIGN)ER.
2	Range of colourants allowed in meat paste (7)
	PALETTE - PA(LET)TE.
3	Scent went up with rate changing (4-5)
	ROSE-WATER - ROSE + W + anagram of RATE.
5	One making a defence about name through expert in human affairs (14)
	ANTHROPOLOGIST - A(N THRO)POLOGIST.
6	A lot of what might be ginger jelly (5)
	ASPIC - A SPIC[e].
7	One problem’s arisen about favourite drive (7)
	IMPETUS - I M(PET)US, i.e. SUM upside-down.
8	Departs from the city, one in South Africa (6)
	DURBAN - D + URBAN.
9	Copy charladies frantic for carbohydrate (14)
	POLYSACCHARIDE - anagram of COPY CHARLADIES, one for the chemistry student - how's that coming?
16	Job in space needs a mostly robust adult regularly employed (9)
	ASTRONAUT - A STRON[g] + A[d]U[l]T.
17	Concern mounting in support of mountain region for wine (8)
	BERGERAC - BERG + CARE upside-down, presumably the home town of Cyrano.
19	Gloss ruined axle pin (7)
	EXPLAIN - anagram of AXLE PIN.
21	Rest times following being unwell during tea (7)
	CHILLAX - CH(ILL)A + X.
22	Turning over, leave out a page all the way through (6)
	PASSIM - MISS A P upside-down.
24	Mature way of working upset Greek character (5)
	OMEGA - AGE M/O upside down. This concludes the upside-down part of the puzzle.....

↧

QC 1075 by Orpheus - Comic Strip?

April 22, 2018, 11:44 pm

≫ Next: Times Quick Cryptic 1076 by Tracy

≪ Previous: Times 27019 - The rhythm of fate, or the helpless lion

This is going to be a quick 'in and out' for me this week as I have a very full day (and week) ahead.

It was not a difficult puzzle for me, although I found only a minority of answers going in on my first pass. When I got through the down clues though and back to my second pass a lot more fell into place leaving just a couple for my third and final pass. So it was not a straight write-in job but on the other hand there were no real head-scratchers. That is to say there were no clues where I felt completely stumped but several where I was thinking "Hang on a second, I know this answer, it's just there coming over the horizon of my brain and soon I'll be able to see it... ah yes, there it is". I think in the end it took me just under 10 minutes.

FOI was 9A. LOI was 13A, with my mind wanting to write in REPLAY when I first saw it. As mentioned above though, this was one of those clues where I knew what I was thinking wasn't right but that the correct answer was just below the surface of my consciousness.

Many thanks to Orpheus for a puzzle that is interesting for its lack of anagrams - only one that I could see. All the other clues rely on other devices, and I also felt that there was a high propotion of natural 'conversational' surfaces. This is particularly true of my COD, the frankly smutty 7D, which I am not awarding on degree of difficulty but solely on the narrative idea and the images conjured up. "Where is she (or he) tonight? Oh, (s)he's OUT STRIPPING!". And although my personal proclivities lead me to a 'straight' visualisation of the scene, it is closely followed by a more gender-fluid version informed as usual by my love of a certain era and style of music, in this case Iggy Pop's 'Lust For Life'. (If you don't know it and are interested then please Google it (or use one of the many alternative search engines available) to see what I am talking about, although I think it may be out of place for me to quote the relevant lines here.)

Definitions are underlined in italics and everything else is explained as simply as I can.

Across
1	Popular chap I invited out and bullied (11)
	INTIMIDATED - IN (popular) + TIM (a 'chap') + I + DATED (invited out).
8	In court, youngster takes in many at first — very many! (7)
	UMPTEEN - UP (in court, as in 'up before the beak') + TEEN (youngster) taking in M (Many at first).
9	Start the day in distinctive clothing? (3-2)
	GET-UP - double definition. The second one must be intended as the primary definition and the first as the cryptic as the clue specifies a hyphen in the answer which obviously indicates the noun.
10	Lawyer thus allowed into bar at last (9)
	SOLICITOR - SO (thus) + LICIT (allowed) + last letters of intO baR.
12	Organ used in Baroque arias (3)
	EAR - hidden word (BaroquE ARias).
13	Further showing of broadcast about fuel (6)
	REPEAT - RE (about) + PEAT (fuel).
15	Old cab, reportedly well-proportioned (6)
	HANSOM - homophone for HANDSOME.
17	Friend knocking drink back (3)
	PAL - PAL = LAP backwards.
18	Deportation excludes ex — it’s the custom (9)
	TRADITION - EXTRADITION minus the EX.
20	Improper to take forty winks in it (5)
	INAPT - NAP (forty winks) in IT.
22	Flowering plant, one carried by teacher’s favourite girl (7)
	PETUNIA - PET (teacher's favourite) + UNA (girl) 'carrying' I (one).
23	Politician introducing more obese-sounding tradesman (11)
	GREENGROCER - GREEN (politician, as in a member of the Green Party) + homophone of GROSSER (more obese).

Down
1	Drive mischief-maker over English lake (5)
	IMPEL - IMP (mischief-maker) 'over' (in this Down clue) E (English) + L (lake).
2	Keen worker at bottom of ditch (9)
	TRENCHANT - ANT (worker) 'at bottom of' TRENCH (ditch). Again, this wording works in this Down clue.
3	Tiny child receiving letter in Greece (6)
	MINUTE - MITE (child) 'receiving' NU (thirteenth letter of the Greek alphabet).
4	Appreciate archaeologists’ undertaking (3)
	DIG - double definition.
5	Walks unsteadily, beginning to track river creatures (7)
	TOTTERS - T (beginning to Track) + OTTERS (river creatures).
6	Plan mattered awfully, like some stores (12)
	DEPARTMENTAL - first (and only) anagram today! PLAN MATTERED 'awfully'.
7	Away working in sort of club, excelling (12)
	OUTSTRIPPING - OUT (away) + STRIPPING (working in a sort of club - a STRIP club).
11	Pragmatic about girl’s nervous affliction (9)
	REALISTIC - RE (about) + ALI'S (a girl's) + TIC (nervous affliction).
14	Loot obtained by convict breaking into stately home (7)
	PILLAGE - a stately home is a PILE, and here a LAG (convict) has broken into it.
16	More affected holiday-maker (6)
	CAMPER - double definition. I suppose 'more affected' is the slightly cryptic one.
19	Daughter misses meal — it’s part of the target (5)
	INNER - if a D (daughter) 'misses' DINNER then you have an INNER, part of an archery target.
21	Heavyweight initially training cricket side (3)
	TON - T (initially Training) plus ON (one of the two sides of a cricket pitch relative to the batsman - the ON or 'leg' side as opposed to the OFF side).

↧

Times Quick Cryptic 1076 by Tracy

April 23, 2018, 5:13 pm

≫ Next: Times Cryptic 27020

≪ Previous: QC 1075 by Orpheus - Comic Strip?

I can’t remember such a fast start to the week - two 7 minute solves in a row.
Today wasn’t plain sailing though - FOI 6ac and LOI 9ac showing how much I had to jump about the grid. A crucial checking letter here and there kept up the momentum even through the rather trickier bottom half. Some good, devious clues here - for which thank you Tracy - only fully appreciated when analysing for the blog. All comments welcomed especially the fine definition between more humble establishments and 2dn.

ACROSS

1. On the spot - here immediately. 'Here' seems to be part of the definition and also the word play - a pink (indeed any non-red) ball at snooker is replaced 'here' on its spot if potted after a red.
2. Con - swindle. (C)ompany, working (ON).
8. Chatter - idle talk. About (C - circa), milliner (HATTER).
9. Knave - double definition - jack the playing card and knave=cad.
10. Convalescent - one recuperating. Beers (ALES) and cold (C) inside sister's house (CONVENT).
12. Armada - fleet of warships. Anagram (unfolding) of A DRAMA. Nice surface.
13. Galaxy - collection of stars. Happy (GAY) entertaining (inside which is) loose (LAX).
16. Hair of the dog - advocated (in the sense of generally recommended) hangover cure. Anagram (restored) of HER GOOD FAITH.
19. Alpha - Greek character. Inside loc(AL PHA)rmacy.
20. One taking class - teacher. Anagram (punished) of CHEATER.
22. Toy - play thing. (T)ouch(Y) about old (O).
23. Easy terms - double definition.

DOWN

1. Once - long ago. Individual (ONE) around (touring) clubs (C).
2. Tearoom - restaurant - Collins has both spellings - tearoom and tea room. How splendid that such establishments still exist (I just looked up to check) despite all the 'brand' coffee shops and other eateries these days. Can they be much different from the cafes I gratefully come across when walking in the Peak District? Rent (TEAR), low - cows low=moo - rising (OOM).
3. Eat - have a meal (if in a tearoom would it be cucumber sandwiches and earl grey?). In Chels(EA T)rattoria - which is surely not a tearoom.
4. Parole - prisoners conditional release. The governor (father = PA), a part to play (ROLE).
5. Take shape - fall into place. Appropriate (TAKE), anagram (new) of PHASE.
6. Crate - old car. Constant (C in maths), speed (RATE).
7. No entry - road sign. Attempt (TRY) to follow neon rising (NOEN).
11. Videotape - recording? The question mark shows it’s just one example of a recording. About as dated as tearoom these days. Anagram (remarkable) of VOTE IPAD, simpl(E).
12. At heart - really (despite some tough clues the QC is generally quite gentle at heart). I thought the word play was intriguingly devious - try (HEAR) inside a TT (ATT).
14. Another - alternative. Anagram (alien - quite an anagram indicator - from Collins - You use alien to describe something that seems strange) of ON EARTH.
15. Status - class. Say mostly (STAT)e, American (US). COD amongst some hot contenders.
17. Imply - suggest. Only having taken the lead letter out - s(IMPLY).
18. Eros - Greek god. Resentful sore - rises (EROS).
19. Act - deed. A (A), court (CT).

↧

Times Cryptic 27020

April 23, 2018, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Quick Cryptic 1077 by Flamande

≪ Previous: Times Quick Cryptic 1076 by Tracy

I needed 46 minutes to complete the grid. Much of it was straightforward enough but there were a few unknowns along the way and these slowed me down.

As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]

Across
1	Determining age of a metal key found by 007 beside vehicle (6,6)
	CARBON DATING - CAR (vehicle), BOND (007), A, TIN (metal), G (key)
9	Labour leader takes direction — the bare minimum!(5)
	LEAST - L{abour} [leader], EAST (direction)
10	Building material this person included in first catalogue (9)
	LIMESTONE - ME (this person) contained by [included in] LIST ONE (first catalogue)
11	Carrier having legal proceedings connected to diamonds, perhaps (8)
	SUITCASE - SUIT (diamonds, perhaps), CASE (legal proceedings)
12	Backslapping woman with little bottle (6)
	JOVIAL - JO (woman), VIAL (little bottle). I wonder if the setter was tempted by: Backslapping little woman with little bottle.
13	Like Virgil’s works, say, noble and detailed (8)
	AUGUSTAN - AUGUST (noble), AN{d} [de-tailed]. My classical literary knowledge is not sufficient explain this further so I take the definition on trust.
15	Shame about limits of grass in animal enclosure (6)
	PIGSTY - PITY (shame) contains [about] G{ras}S [limits]
17	Pulverisedearth (6)
	GROUND - Two meanings
18	Charming lass’s last gains (8)
	WINNINGS - WINNING (charming), {las}S [last]
20	Released at one, reversing it in the centre (6)
	UNTIED - UNitED (at one) becomes UNTIED when its central letters are reversed
21	Sphere of activity of one dipping into a French poem? (8)
	UNIVERSE - I (one) contained by [dipping into] UN (a, French) + VERSE (poem)
24	Greek character curiously cites it as over-godly (9)
	PIETISTIC - PI (Greek character), anagram [curiously] of CITES IT. Not a word I knew and as far as I can gather it's just a long-winded version of 'pious' aka 'pi' around the 'ere parts. 'Pietistical' is also available if one wants to go the whole hog.
25	Fish one consumed as main ingredient (5)
	BASIS - I (one) is contained [consumed] by BASS (fish)
26	Like Tyneside woman uncompromising about article? (5-7)
	NORTH-EASTERN - NORA [woman] + STERN (uncompromising) contains [about] THE (article)

Down
1	Instrument identified by man in Church Army (7)
	CELESTA - CE (church), LES (man), TA (army). It's the small keyboard instrument perhaps best known for its part in 'Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy' from Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker'.
2	Clamouring for ropes in stormy ocean tracts (7,7)
	ROARING FORTIES - ROARING (clamouring), FOR, TIES (ropes). Strong winds around the 40th Parallel South that were an aid to shipping in the days of sail.
3	Surgical procedure overcoming twitching of the eye (5)
	OPTIC - OP (surgical procedure), TIC (twitching)
4	Yorkshire fellow originally delivering drinks to crew (8)
	DALESMAN - D{elivering} [originally], ALES (drinks), MEN (crew)
5	Part of system protecting casual worker (4)
	TEMP - Hidden in [part of] {sys}TEM P{rotecting} casual worker
6	Early Christian confusing to a sinner (9)
	NESTORIAN - Anagram [confusing] of TO A SINNER. Another unknown to me but SOED defines this as: A follower or adherent of Nestorius, patriarch of Constantinople (appointed in 428), who asserted that Christ had distinct human and divine persons.
7	Flyer exulted so vocally, welcoming young male castaway (8,6)
	ROBINSON CRUSOE - ROBIN (flyer), SON (young male), CRUSOE sounds like [vocally] "crew so" (exulted so)
8	Distribute notes on drama, turning out article for nothing (6)
	DEPLOY - D E (notes - music), PLaY (drama) from which A (article) is removed and replaced by [turning out for] 0 (nothing)
14	Violently beat son in heretic’s garment (9)
	SANBENITO - Anagram [violently] of BEAT SON IN. And yet again I have to rely on a dictionary to explain this one: In the Spanish Inquisition, a yellow scapular-shaped garment, with a red St Andrew's cross before and behind, worn by a confessed and penitent heretic. Also, a similar black garment with flames, devils, and other devices, worn by an impenitent confessed heretic at an auto-da-fé.
16	Walk round pub hosting end of international summit (8)
	PINNACLE - PACE (walk) contains [round] INN (pub) and then secondly {internationa}L [end]
17	Petulant medic imbibing spirit before close of party (6)
	GRUMPY - GP (medic) containing [imbibing] RUM (spirit), {part}Y [close]
19	Way informer turned up, trapping quiet family member (7)
	STEPSON - ST (way -street), then NOSE (informer) reversed [turned up] containing [trapping] P (quiet)
22	Instinctive feelings exist between woman and son (5)
	VIBES - VI (woman), BE (exist), S (son)
23	Bovine creature young kids raised (4)
	STOT - TOTS (young kids) reversed [raised]. It's a young bull or heifer.

↧

Quick Cryptic 1077 by Flamande

April 24, 2018, 8:10 pm

≫ Next: Times 27021 - not Dante, the chap with the Idyll.

≪ Previous: Times Cryptic 27020

A touch harder than the previous puzzles this week, but not by too much. I was slowed down by the Hampshire town and the Russian house (but not the noisy party or wine from castile… honest).

A belated commendation to Brnchn for covering the slot while I was away - thank you! It was my first trip to Japan, and it helped with 15ac!

Definitions underlined


Across
8	Mostly noisy party after a dip of sorts (7)
	AVOCADO - all but the last letter of (mostly) VOCAl (noisy) then DO (party), all after A.
9	Store and small house at side of a road (5)
	HOARD - HO (abbreviation for (small) house), A and RD (road).
10	Fund for young Tom? (5)
	KITTY - perhaps a juvenile tom cat.
11	Go back over caterer's revised order (7)
	RETRACE - anagram of (revised order) CATERER.
12	A priest converted wrongdoers in the main (7)
	PIRATES - anagram of (converted) A PRIEST. ‘The main’ in the clue refers to the sea/
14	Large Italian male, agile (5)
	LITHE - L (large), IT (italian) and HE (male).
15	Hangman in jail grabbing fighter from the east (5)
	NINJA - hidden in (grabbed by) hangmaN IN JAil.
17	Ham a cleric sent back during autumn month (7)
	OVERACT - A REV (a cleric) reversed (sent back) inside OCT (autumn month).
19	Show approval of a piano duet attracting praise (7)
	APPLAUD - A, P (softly in musical notation, piano), with another P (making a duet), and LAUD (praise).
20	Rogue rejected hotel, wanting a house in the country (5)
	DACHA - CAD (rogue) backwards (rejected), with H (hotel) and A.
22	Voter is volatile, it's obvious (5)
	OVERT - anagram of (is volatile) VOTER.
23	New, like coin making initial appearance (7)
	NASCENT - N (new), AS (like), and CENT (coin).


Down
1	Group of cubs raising hat in front of king (4)
	PACK - CAP (hat) reversed (raising), then K (king).
2	Look after neglected forest (6)
	FOSTER - anagram of (neglected) FOREST.
3	Path round valley, initially far from straight (4)
	WAVY - WAY (path) around first letter of (initially) Valley.
4	Journalist redrafted second report around middle of evening (13)
	CORRESPONDENT - anagram of (redrafted) SECOND REPORT around the middle letter of eveNing.
5	We relax, consuming punch and a mini pork pie? (5,3)
	WHITE LIE - WE and LIE (relax), surrounding (consuming) HIT (punch).
6	Commercial vehicle going through Derby, perhaps, and Hampshire town (6)
	HAVANT - VAN (commercial vehicle) inside (going through) HAT (Derby, perhaps).
7	A small depression gripping female member (8)
	ADHERENT - A, then DENT (small depression) around (gripping) HER (female).
12	Shape of writing implement with label attached (8)
	PENTAGON - PEN (writing implement) with TAG (label) ON (attached).
13	Mad hatter's event in Boston? (3,5)
	TEA PARTY - cryptic definition referring to an event in Alice’s Adventures and one in 1773.
16	Small drink for each child (6)
	NIPPER - NIP (small drink) and PER (for each).
18	More playfulAmbridge resident (6)
	ARCHER - double definition.
20	Regularly drowsy, having little energy? Medicine provided (4)
	DOSE - every other letter from (regularly) DrOwSy, then E (little energy).
21	Wine from Castile (4)
	ASTI - hidden in (from) cASTIle.

↧

Times 27021 - not Dante, the chap with the Idyll.

April 24, 2018, 9:47 pm

≫ Next: Times Cryptic No 27022 26th April 2018. Out of Date, Out of Mind?

≪ Previous: Quick Cryptic 1077 by Flamande

Another cracking Wednesday job, not too easy but not too difficult or too spiced with obscurities. 4d got me on the ice and I'd finished the RHS in good time. The LHS proved more intractable but fell in due course, the easier 18a being a help. 14 a surprised me, it had to be what it was but I'd always imagined the second word had no L in it.
It's a toss-up between 20d and 22d for my CoD. Took me about 25 minutes all told.

Usual rules; definitions underlined, anagrist in italics, CD cryptic def, DD double def. I'm not going to repeat this blurb next week.

Across
1	Divine comedy actually starts in wood (8)
	FORECAST - Insert C and A being the 'starts' to comedy actually, into FOREST. My heart sank at first as I thought Dante or Greek divinities, but thankfully no.
5	Set up, male supplied with pens (6)
	FRAMED - Insert a male RAM into FED = supplied with.
9	Upset, wrong, and wound up (8)
	OFFENDED - OFF = wrong, ENDED = wound up.
10	Saws taking a long time with last bits of balsa wood (6)
	ADAGES - End letters of balsA wooD then AGES.
12	Dash into toilet, as terrified (5)
	TASTE - As in a dash of Tabasco. Hidden word in TOILE(T AS TE)RRIFIED.
13	Private club hosts going with the flow? (9)
	DOWNRIVER - OWN = private, inside DRIVER a golf club.
14	Fast lap, yet resolved to leave (7-5)
	LICKETY-SPLIT - LICK = lap, (YET)*, SPLIT = leave. For some reason I knew the expression as lickety-spit, so I am one word the wiser today.
18	Allowed to wear neck-warmer still for illness (7,5)
	SCARLET FEVER - SCARF, a neck-warmer, goes outside LET, then EVER = still.
21	A writer figures in extended European feature (9)
	APENNINES - A, PEN, NINES = figures. Long mountain range hence extended.
23	Persian is taking service back (5)
	FARSI - All reversed, IS, RAF. The Persian language.
24	Run, as filly and hack? (6)
	GALLOP - CD.
25	Subordinate after complete power (8)
	DOMINION - DO = complete, MINION = subordinate.
26	One hand drier contains small tool (6)
	TROWEL - TOWEL, a drier, contains R as in right hand.
27	Drunk eats dish that's most dodgy (8)
	SHADIEST - (EATS DISH)*.

Down
1	Light grass in rush (6)
	FLOATY - Was slow to see this one. OAT = grass inside FLY = rush.
2	Don't accepttrash (6)
	REFUSE - DD. Different pronunciations.
3	Nice to get thicker bags in, pulled up (9)
	CONGENIAL - IN reversed inserted into CONGEAL = get thicker.
4	Holding short ski, edge past in novel winter sport (12)
	SPEEDSKATING - Anagram of (EDGE PAST IN)* with SK(I) inserted.
6	Actors relieved initially, finding system (5)
	RADAR - Nice definition. RADA = actors, R = relieved initially.
7	Herb lifted into empty mineshaft — much force required (8)
	MEGAVOLT - The herb we need is LOVAGE, which is reversed inside MT being an empty mineshaft. I hereby start a debate as to whether a VOLT is a force, the unit of force being a Newton, and a Volt being a measure of potential from which a force can be created.
8	Verbally restrained individual (8)
	DISCRETE - Sounds like DISCREET = restrained.
11	Lazy hanger-on, the old sot, drunk after a couple (3-4,5)
	TWO-TOED SLOTH - TWO then (THE OLD SOT)*.
15	Legendary prince, say, after brief misdemeanour, really felt the heat? (9)
	SIEGFRIED - SI(N) for brief misdemeanour, EG for say, FRIED = really felt the heat. I don't like Wagner's operas but the orchestral bits like the SIEGFRIED IDYLL are nice enough.
16	Key words of a thief, slimy customer? (8)
	ESCARGOT - ESC = key on keyboard, ARGOT could be underworld slang.
17	Subsequently getting head down in court battle (8)
	WATERLOO - WOO = court, LATER = subsequently, move the head L down = ATERL and insert into WOO.
19	Cheer up after opening of present (6)
	PRAISE - P followed by RAISE = up, as a verb.
20	Bird thrashing skyward? (6)
	LINNET - Well, TEN NIL would be a thrashing, in any game. Skyward = reverse it, to get the bird made famous in the song. No larks ascending.
22	Twelve men in the middle — how many more for a jury? (2,3)
	NO ONE - Clever, this. NOON = twelve, E = men in the middle. NO ONE is needed to add to the twelve already there.

↧

Times Cryptic No 27022 26th April 2018. Out of Date, Out of Mind?

April 25, 2018, 6:52 pm

≫ Next: Times Quick Cryptic No 1078 by Mara

≪ Previous: Times 27021 - not Dante, the chap with the Idyll.

Yesterdays was a cracking example of a puzzle in which the difficulty was created not by the arcane vocabulary but by the devilry and misdirection of the cluing. Today’s cluing is a lot more straightforward, with some familiar building blocks (even 'Er Majesty gets 'er entry) to ease the seasoned solver into the sunlit uplands of the completed grid. But the vocabulary might well startle some, as there are words in here that I’m obliged to enter into my List of Crossword Answers That Might Just Come Up Again But Probably Won’t. Regular contributors are warmly invited to debate what is, and is not, obsolete in Crosswordland as there is plenty of material. I ran through this in a (mildly prosaic) 21 minutes or so, but then I was making sure that I could parse everything for your benefit, and then present the results with clues, definitions and SOLUTIONS artfully arranged.

ACROSS

1 Holy man, a theologian observed in close briefly (6)
SADDHU A D(octor of) D(ivinity) seen within SHU(t), a short version of close. Saddhus are holy men of the Hindu variety.
4 Fever? Spirit must be knocked back with water (7)
MURRAIN Well may the definition have a ? following. Murrain is more or less obsolete word for a variety of cattle diseases, one of which is Redwater Fever (so that’s alright then). In older versions of the Bible, it’s the fifth plague visited on the unfortunate Egyptians for refusing to deport the Israelites. In our clue the spirit is RUM, reversed and added to RAIN, one of the many forms of water.
9 Partygoer in posh car straddling half of road (5)
RAVER The posh car is a Roller, or RR, which brackets AVE, half of avenue.
10 Directors faced with difficult sort of material (9)
HARDBOARD BOARD is pretty much a given for directors, and it’s not difficult to derive HARD from – um – difficult.
11 Church really gutted about blemish -- that's inevitable (9)
CERTAINTY Church today is CE, and really gutted is RY. Insert TAINT for blemish
12 Plant with interior that's yellow and off-white (5)
IVORY Your plant is (thank goodness) IVY. OR is heraldic for yellow, though more often in these quarters gold.
13 Heartless biographies — don't believe them! (4)
LIES LIVES without the middle letter.
14 Making sure priest and soldiers can be accommodated in group (10)
SECUREMENT Looking a lot like one of those words made up to look posher than, say, securing. But it’s in Chambers. And made up of CURÉ for priest, plus MEN for soldiers, both placed within SET for group.
18 Removes message implying workers will go back to work (7,3)
STRIKES OFF A rather terse version of a message terminating Industrial (in)action.
20 Squarewhere two answers start in this puzzle (4)
FOUR Being 2X2 and what it says.
23 Recognised player regularly taking food provided by poulterer (5)
CAPON The renowned lining for the fair round belly of the Justice, created by castrating and fattening a cockerel. The recognised player ids a CAP, and regularly taking translates to ON as in he’s on statins, which some of us know about.
24 Special writing with fancy pictures enthralling toddler ultimately (9)
SCRIPTURE Which doesn’t have to be the Bible and can be just handwriting. Here it’s our first anagram (fancy), of PICTURES with an embraced (toddle)R
25 Walk quietly and meanderingly round capital, ending in cafe (9)
PROMENADE Quietly: P, AND meanderingly: NAD, capital ROME, end of (caf)E. Assemble thoughtfully.
26 Man hugging wife somewhere in Wales once (5)
GWENT Your man is a GENT, his W(ife) is hugged. Gwent Police firmly believe it’s still their manor, and s*d this “once“ business
27 Savant troubled about English language that's passed out of use (7)
AVESTAN Likewise, practising Zoroastrians might want you to know that their sacred language is still in use. Today, it’s constructed from “troubled” SAVANT and E(nglish)
28 Put off when receiving mark of wrong or right (6)
DEXTER Roman for right, preserved in heraldry. DETER is put off, and X is of course the teacher’s equivalent of our pink square.

DOWN

1 Ship leaking a bit apparently? Tools required (9)
STRICKLES Our SS ship has a TRICKLE on board. Strickles are use for levelling measures of grain or shaping a mould or sharpening scythes, which to my mind makes them rather varied tools., though here's one of them:
2 Be different, putting girl on edge (7)
DIVERGE DI, our random (but frequent) girl, is placed on the VERGE
3 Like some drinks offering cure when brother's upset inside (6)
HERBAL Just a hint of &lit. Cure is HEAL and BR for brother is inverted within.
4 Join together in old-fashioned expression of surprise (5)
MARRY You can do a pretty good impression of a mediaeval fool by capering a bit and saying things like “prithee” “i’faith” and “marry nuncle” a lot. But I wouldn’t advise it. What we have here is a double definition.
5 Teacher and old-fashioned rocker chatted (8)
RABBITED Your teacher is a RABBI (you don’t have to be Jewish, but...) and your old-fashioned rocker is a TED. I imagine most of us know Teds who might question the “old-fashioned” bit.
6 Rubbish mostly hidden under a sea mollusc (7)
ABALONE You just need the A (the sea belongs to the definition) and rubbish is BALONE(y). Sure, it’s a shellfish, but for me it will always be the town in the rather wonderful little movie “The Seven Faces of Dr Lao”, in which Tony Randall plays just about everyone.
7 Enid's boy with absence of daddy regularly missing out (5)
NODDY The Enid is Blyton, and her creation the boy hero of Toytown. “Absence of” stands in for NO, and the odd letters of DaDdY provide the rest.
8 Enthusiastic fans, maybe, about to meet Queen in county (8)
CHANTERS I think we must envisage football fans and their cheery singing. About is C(irca), the Queen is of course ER, and the county is HANTS (Hampshire). Assemble judiciously
15 Wearing special clothes not fashionable, lacking shape (8)
UNFORMED If you are wearing special clothes, you are UNIFORMED. Skip the fashionable IN.
16 Politician falling short with adviser a cruel person (9)
TORMENTOR Our TOR(y) falls short (insert barbed political quip here) and is accompanied by a MENTOR
17 Without means to pay, is in Paris for medical check (4,4)
SKIN TEST SKINT plus is in French EST. A rather similar clue turned up in 27013, in case you have that déjà vu sensation.
19 Rebuke agent wanting to go hither and thither (7)
REPROVE Agent is REP, and the rest of the clue provides ROVE
21 No let-up working if you want to get rich (7)
OPULENT An anagram (working) of NO LET_UP
22 Furthest point attained by wild animal I caught climbing (6)
APOGEE The wild animal is APE, and I is EGO which is reversed and caught by the ape., not the other way round.
23 Source of oil artist needs to acquire first (5)
COPRA The fons et origo of coconut oil. The artist is a R(oyal) A(cademician) and “acquire” yields COP (as in hold of) to go first
24 Leader of subversives put down, killed (5)
SLAIN I will leave it to others more learned than I to debate whether “put down” yields LAID rather than LAIN. Leader of subversives is unquestionably S.

↧

Times Quick Cryptic No 1078 by Mara

April 25, 2018, 8:50 pm

≫ Next: Times 27015 - first TCC qualifier published 18 April - it's 26 across.

≪ Previous: Times Cryptic No 27022 26th April 2018. Out of Date, Out of Mind?

Tricky enough one today, I found, taking me nearly four minutes over my target ten - as a comparison, I did yesterday's immediately before this and came in two minutes under. Not my finest performance: a series of semi-parsings, and a couple of made-up words bunged in for good measure. There was "codalie" for a while at 15d as a synonym for "wally" - an implausible looking word, although the "cod-" prefix was tempting. Worse was to come at 5d, where I dredged up King Manus the Forgotten from some ill-firing neuron somewhere. (It didn't come close to parsing, but there's bound to have been a King Manus at some point in human history.) This revealed the Unlucky! sign as the clock struck thirteen minutes, which was mildly satisfying. 16d held me up as well: "entice" didn't fit, but it seduced me sufficiently to make it my last correct one in. I also three-acrossed at 3ac, for no good reason whatsoever, and was tricked into using the wrong anagram indicator for a while at 14ac. Some very good clues, now that I look at it more closely, and it was in fact a lovely puzzle. Many thanks to Mara!

Across
1	Risk a second letter (4)
	BETA - BET (risk) A
3	Beginning to skate, took a fall — slipped up (8)
	STUMBLED - S (beginning of Skate) TUMBLED (took a fall)
9	Infoat the bottom? (3-4)
	LOW-DOWN - double definition-ish
10	Rover has no crackers (5)
	NOMAD - NO, MAD (crackers)
11	Ostentation comes initially in story, looking back (5)
	ECLAT - C (Comes, initially) in TALE (story), reversed/looking back. Nice word, from the Old French esclater, to burst out - the OED gives a secondary sense of notoriety or scandal that I was unaware of, although a showy display is on the same spectrum. There's also the verb, to eclat: "to make notorious, bring into publicity", but expect a perplexed look if you shove that into a conversation.
12	Throw Austen out (6)
	UNSEAT - a nice anagram (out) of AUSTEN
14	Unfortunate incident arose, being careless (13)
	INCONSIDERATE - anagram (unfortunate) of INCIDENT AROSE. "Being careless" is an equally plausible anagram indicator - nice misdirection.
17	Curry cold — very cold! (6)
	BALTIC - BALTI (curry) C(old)
19	Watch, maybe, to send back (5)
	TIMER - REMIT (to send), back/reversed. Nice again.
22	In fact, a long claw (5)
	TALON - "In" the letters of facT A LONg
23	Formerly large case (7)
	EXAMPLE - EX (formerly) AMPLE (large). And very nice again.
24	Muscular men mostly backed fee being revised (8)
	BEEFCAKE - anagram (being revised) of "mostly" BACKE[d] FEE. The plural "men" threw me a bit, but I see "beefcake" can be singular or plural. It originally referred to the semi-naked photos of men thus equipped, being a play on the earlier "cheesecake", a 1920s term for alluring photos of women. So I've learnt that "cheesecake éclat" can be a lot more than simply a display of good cooking.
25	Tolerate a beast (4)
	BEAR - double definition.

Down
1	Fast traveller in news item (8)
	BULLETIN - BULLET (fast traveller) IN
2	Nothing in wet rubbish left drier (5)
	TOWEL - O (nothing) in an anagram (rubbish) of WET; L (Left)
4	Playful language getting not very far — yikes! (6-2-5)
	TONGUE-IN-CHEEK - TONGUE (language) getting INCH (not very far) and EEK (yikes). Took me a while to separate "playful" and "language" in the (post-puzzle) parsing, not that "tongue-in-cheek" could be clued as "playful language".
5	Old king, some person I met on the way up (5)
	MINOS - "some" of the letters of perSON I Met, reversing/on the way up.
6	Greek character embracing a dance (7)
	LAMBADA - LAMBDA (Greek character) embracing A. This cropped up a couple of weeks ago in the Sunday Times puzzle.
7	Remarkably odd, old old bird (4)
	DODO - anagram (remarkably) of ODD, O (old)
8	Cushion frequently seen under bottom of missus (6)
	SOFTEN - OFTEN (frequently) seen under S (bottom of missuS)
13	I agree to try and try again! (4,4)
	HEAR HEAR - to hear a case = to try a case, repeat. Very nice!
15	Fish, a whopper for Wally (7)
	CHARLIE - CHAR (fish) LIE (whopper) - you should simply ignore the "a" here - take it as a linkword, a bit like 25ac. A Charlie is a wally/fool/simpleton/ass, as in "a right royal Charlie". I was unaware of (or had completely forgotten) this usage until it cropped up as recently as last Friday's 15x crossword.
16	Seduce mate almost entirely the wrong way (6)
	ENTRAP - PARTNER (mate), almost entirely = dock the last letter, the wrong way = reverse. This took a bit of post-puzzle parsing as well.
18	Restorativenote (5)
	TONIC - very nice double definition, as in a restorative, and the first note of a scale.
20	Treasure finally found under different palm tree (5)
	MAPLE - E (treasurE, finally) found under an anagram (different) of PALM.
21	Hurt toe, perhaps, first in slippery bath (4)
	STUB - S (first in Slippery) TUB (bath)

↧