The puzzle can be found at http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20141013/288/
A straightforward Quicky with just the odd bit of general knowledge that might cause a delay. Some smooth surfaces again, though you'll have to excuse a small amount of venting on my part re superfluous articles.
Definitions are underlined.
Finally, I have a favour to ask of (one of) the current bloggers - I will be on holiday from 28th October-16th November and will not be able to fulfil my Quicky blogging duties in 4 weeks' time (i.e. Monday 10th November). Would someone perhaps be able to swap with me, either before or after? Please send me a message if you can help - thanks!
A straightforward Quicky with just the odd bit of general knowledge that might cause a delay. Some smooth surfaces again, though you'll have to excuse a small amount of venting on my part re superfluous articles.
Definitions are underlined.
Finally, I have a favour to ask of (one of) the current bloggers - I will be on holiday from 28th October-16th November and will not be able to fulfil my Quicky blogging duties in 4 weeks' time (i.e. Monday 10th November). Would someone perhaps be able to swap with me, either before or after? Please send me a message if you can help - thanks!
| Across | |
| 1 | Recommenda Scottish lawyer (8) |
| ADVOCATE - double definition, though the superfluous "a" might raise eyebrows for those of us who like our clues filler-free. For the second definition, Chambers says "In Scotland and some other countries, a person who is qualified to plead before the higher courts of law, a member of the Bar (corresponding to a barrister in England)" then helpfully adds "(only in Aberdeen) a solicitor" | |
| 6 | Long sentence in biography (4) |
| LIFE - double definition | |
| 8 | Claim a clergyman's backing (4) |
| AVER - A + VER (clergyman's backing, i.e. Rev written backwards, with Rev being short for Reverend) | |
| 9 | Rational but erroneous description of Henry VIII (8) |
| THINKING - though Henry cut a fine figure in his youth, in his later years he became severely obese hence could only erroneously have been described as a THINKING | |
| 10 | Rare gems scattered in Lakeland village (8) |
| GRASMERE - anagram (scattered) of RARE GEMS. Pretty village in the Lake District where Wordsworth lived and is buried. Also a hotbed of gingerbread manufacture | |
| 11 | Nothing holds a fastener (4) |
| NAIL - NIL (Nothing) around (holds) A | |
| 13 | State that may be so ideal for sap? (5,8) |
| FOOLS PARADISE - semi-&lit, being an anagram (may be) of SO IDEAL FOR SAP, as well as the surface reading of the clue providing an appropriate description (a sap being a fool) | |
| 16 | Fuel used in older vehicles (4) |
| DERV - hidden (used) in olDER Vehicles. This is how diesel fuel for cars, lorries etc is often referred to in the UK. It's an acronym of Diesel Engined Road Vehicle, to distinguish it from the diesel used for boats, generators, etc (which is taxed at a lower rate) | |
| 17 | Is a Tudor playing checkers? (8) |
| AUDITORS - anagram (playing) of IS A TUDOR | |
| 19 | Hypocrite taking pence before he accepts a pay increase (8) |
| PHARISEE - P (pence) + HE around (accepts) A RISE (pay increase). The Pharisees were an old Jewish sect who made several appearances in the New Testament, where their depiction as self-righteous rules followers has led to the equivalence used here. Whether that's entirely fair on them is another question | |
| 21 | Not new, being exploited (4) |
| USED - double definition | |
| 22 | Noticea blemish (4) |
| SPOT - double definition, again exercising my eyebrows with that "a" | |
| 23 | Tease the silly art lover (8) |
| AESTHETE - anagram (silly) of TEASE THE | |
| Down | |
| 2 | Port only provides fish (5,4) |
| DOVER SOLE - DOVER (Port) + SOLE (only) | |
| 3 | Monsters consequently turning on head of security (5) |
| OGRES - ERGO (consequently) reversed (turning) + S (head of security, i.e. first letter of Security) | |
| 4 | An ass somewhere in Belgium (7) |
| ANTWERP - AN + TWERP (ass). There are several Antwerps in the US as well as one in Australia, but the Belgian version is perhaps the best known. It's the second largest city in Belgium, second largest port in Europe, and a renowned diamond-trading centre | |
| 5 | Best part of Japanese literature (5) |
| ELITE - hidden in (part of) JapanesE LITErature | |
| 6 | Described as similar fancy man (7) |
| LIKENED - LIKE (fancy) + NED (man) | |
| 7 | Coolersupporter (3) |
| FAN - double definition | |
| 12 | Rebel in south demanding immediate action (9) |
| INSURGENT - IN + S (south) + URGENT (demanding immediate action) | |
| 14 | Young creature always allowed outside (7) |
| LEVERET - LET (allowed) around (outside) EVER (always) | |
| 15 | Extremely rude costume put right (7) |
| REDRESS - RE (Extremely rude, i.e. the extremes of the word RudE) + DRESS (costume) | |
| 17 | Where flounders may be foundfloundering (2,3) |
| AT SEA - double definition | |
| 18 | Disappointment, ultimately, that hurts very little (5) |
| TOUCH - T (Disappointment, ultimately, i.e. the last letter of disappointmenT) + OUCH (that hurts). The definition presumably refers to touch in the sense of a small quantity (e.g. a touch of class), but I can't off the top of my head think of a sentence where "touch" can be replaced by "very little" without introducing (or removing) auxiliary words | |
| 20 | Dance the foxtrot speedily, just taking seconds (3) |
| HOP - the second letters (just taking seconds) of tHe fOxtrot sPeedily. Chambers has hop as being an informal term for a dance, though it seems as though it may have been more commonly used in times gone by (you may know the '50s song "At the hop" by Danny and The Juniors) and it's also present in the name of a type of swing dancing called Lindy Hop that originally evolved in pre-war days | |