A trickier than usual Monday number, in which the right-hand side gave up its secrets before the somewhat more recalcitrant left. Lots of nice stuff, if rather a plethora of insertion-style clues, but my COD nod goes to the saucy 19 down. 33 minutes.
I cannot end this preamble without a word of thanks to New Zealand and Australia for serving up the best world cup final since 2003.
ACROSS
1. PLATONIC – a nice crypticky definition where the addition of the comma makes things a tad more difficult.
5. ACUMEN – AMEN around CU. Hands up who had ‘acuity’? Okay, no one else, as I thought.
10. LURID – L I’D around U R.
11. SANGFROID – anagram* of IF DRAGONS.
12. TENTACLES – TENT + L in ACES.
13. EASES – [c]EASES, with the literal ‘eases’, although, interestingly, ‘stops’ could also be the literal (think rain).
14. LEATHER – LEAR around THE. See ‘hide’, think LEATHER.
16. NOTION – I in NOT ON.
18. SPARSE – S in SPARE.
20. SUBJECT – SUB + C in JET.
22. EARTH – hidden.
24. PORCELAIN – ALICE* in PORN. An interesting image, which has, I am sure, been exploited.
25. CATAMARAN – CAT + AR in A MAN. Over to ODO for cat: ‘informal, chiefly North American (Especially among jazz enthusiasts) a man’. I think it’s time to add and in crosswords to the definition.
26. OFFER – [c]OFFER.
27. MISUSE – IS in MUSE.
28. BERKELEY – BERK + E in ELY. My daughter’s choice for her third-year exchange programme if Cambridge turn her down. Yes, I’m no longer talking to her…
DOWNS
1. POLITELY – ITE[m] in POLLY.
2. APRON – PRO in AN.
3. OLD FATHER THAMES– MOST HALF-HEARTED*. A biffer’s delight.
4. INSULAR – ‘as island’ is the literal; clipped is doing ‘double duty’: INSUL[t] (deletion marked by 'cut') + AR[k/t] (deletion marked by 'clipped'). Nice clue. [Thanks to eagle-eyed lurkers for spotting today's deliberate error]
6. COFFEE TABLE BOOK– CO + F + FEE followed by TABLE and BOOK.
7. MOONSTONE – ON in MOST + ONE. A sodium potassium aluminium silicate, with the chemical formula (Na,K)AlSi3O8, or a novel by Wilkie Collins, if you prefer.
8. NUDISM – a barely concealed cryptic definition.
9. UNISON – U[nited] + SIN reversed + ON; the literal is ‘identity of pitch’.
15. APPARATUS – PARA in APT + US. See soldier, think ANT, GI and PARA.
17. STING-RAY– R + A in STINGY. See near or close, and think CLOSE or NEAR, or MEAN, TIGHT or STINGY. The setter/editor sold us a bit of a dummy with this, as all the usual sources, as well as the classic British 60s’ TV series have it as one word. All together now: ‘Marina, Aqua Marina…’
19 EXPERT – ooh, sailor; ‘the buff’ is the literal and someone who is no longer saucy might be described as ‘ex pert’.
20. SYRINGE – RING in YES*.
21. WEBCAM – CAB* in MEW reversed.
24. AWFUL – [l]AWFUL; a gentle one to see us home.
I cannot end this preamble without a word of thanks to New Zealand and Australia for serving up the best world cup final since 2003.
ACROSS
1. PLATONIC – a nice crypticky definition where the addition of the comma makes things a tad more difficult.
5. ACUMEN – AMEN around CU. Hands up who had ‘acuity’? Okay, no one else, as I thought.
10. LURID – L I’D around U R.
11. SANGFROID – anagram* of IF DRAGONS.
12. TENTACLES – TENT + L in ACES.
13. EASES – [c]EASES, with the literal ‘eases’, although, interestingly, ‘stops’ could also be the literal (think rain).
14. LEATHER – LEAR around THE. See ‘hide’, think LEATHER.
16. NOTION – I in NOT ON.
18. SPARSE – S in SPARE.
20. SUBJECT – SUB + C in JET.
22. EARTH – hidden.
24. PORCELAIN – ALICE* in PORN. An interesting image, which has, I am sure, been exploited.
25. CATAMARAN – CAT + AR in A MAN. Over to ODO for cat: ‘informal, chiefly North American (Especially among jazz enthusiasts) a man’. I think it’s time to add and in crosswords to the definition.
26. OFFER – [c]OFFER.
27. MISUSE – IS in MUSE.
28. BERKELEY – BERK + E in ELY. My daughter’s choice for her third-year exchange programme if Cambridge turn her down. Yes, I’m no longer talking to her…
DOWNS
1. POLITELY – ITE[m] in POLLY.
2. APRON – PRO in AN.
3. OLD FATHER THAMES– MOST HALF-HEARTED*. A biffer’s delight.
4. INSULAR – ‘as island’ is the literal;
6. COFFEE TABLE BOOK– CO + F + FEE followed by TABLE and BOOK.
7. MOONSTONE – ON in MOST + ONE. A sodium potassium aluminium silicate, with the chemical formula (Na,K)AlSi3O8, or a novel by Wilkie Collins, if you prefer.
8. NUDISM – a barely concealed cryptic definition.
9. UNISON – U[nited] + SIN reversed + ON; the literal is ‘identity of pitch’.
15. APPARATUS – PARA in APT + US. See soldier, think ANT, GI and PARA.
17. STING-RAY– R + A in STINGY. See near or close, and think CLOSE or NEAR, or MEAN, TIGHT or STINGY. The setter/editor sold us a bit of a dummy with this, as all the usual sources, as well as the classic British 60s’ TV series have it as one word. All together now: ‘Marina, Aqua Marina…’
19 EXPERT – ooh, sailor; ‘the buff’ is the literal and someone who is no longer saucy might be described as ‘ex pert’.
20. SYRINGE – RING in YES*.
21. WEBCAM – CAB* in MEW reversed.
24. AWFUL – [l]AWFUL; a gentle one to see us home.