I seem to blog an inordinate number of puzzles where hyphens are conspicuous by their presence/absence and today's crossword doesn't disappoint in that regard, however I'm getting sufficiently used to such shenanigans that I wasn't thrown off the scent and was able to complete the puzzle with a minimum of fuss. A pleasant Quick Cryptic, with one definition each in 3D and 5D possibly not in all solvers' general knowledge.
The puzzle can be found here if the usual channels are unavailable: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20160425/15077/
Definitions are underlined.
The puzzle can be found here if the usual channels are unavailable: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20160425/15077/
Definitions are underlined.
| Across | |
| 1 | Rod’s workforce (5) |
| STAFF - double definition | |
| 7 | City crest, one Lee devised (9) |
| LEICESTER - anagram (devised) of CREST + I (one) + LEE | |
| 9 | Brahmin, possibly, contributing to growth industry (5) |
| HINDU - hidden in (contributing to) growtH INDUstry. A Brahmin is a member of the highest caste in Hinduism. | |
| 10 | Pintsize worker’s system of writing (9) |
| SHORTHAND - SHORT (Pintsize) + HAND (worker). All the usual online references hyphenate "Pintsize". | |
| 11 | Engine originally in operation for a very long time (3) |
| EON - E (Engine originally, i.e. the first letter of the word "Engine") + ON (in operation) | |
| 12 | Cheek only encountered in pub and church (9) |
| INSOLENCE - SOLE (only) inside INN (pub) + CE (church, i.e. Church of England) | |
| 14 | Cargo ship about to be protected by military aircraft (9) |
| FREIGHTER - RE (about) inside (to be protected by) FIGHTER (military aircraft) | |
| 16 | Initiators of parish enterprise with position in church (3) |
| PEW - first letters (Initiators) of Parish Enterprise With | |
| 18 | Old poems about Queen’s supervisors (9) |
| OVERSEERS - O (Old) + VERSES (poems) about ER (Queen) | |
| 20 | He collects books left in lodging-place (5) |
| HOTEL - HE around (collects) OT (books, i.e. Old Testament) + L (left) | |
| 21 | Up to prior, oddly, to provide source of fragrance (3-6) |
| POT-POURRI - anagram (oddly) of UP TO PRIOR. All the usual online references give this as one word, not hyphenated. | |
| 22 | Function as political group? (5) |
| PARTY - double definition, the first a noun even though it's a verb in the surface reading | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Field of activity some pursue primarily in this place (6) |
| SPHERE - SP (some pursue primarily, i.e. the first letters of the words "some" and "pursue") + HERE (in this place) | |
| 2 | Declaration nun once meant to be broadcast (12) |
| ANNOUNCEMENT - anagram (to be broadcast) of NUN ONCE MEANT | |
| 3 | Going red in Netherlands port (8) |
| FLUSHING - double definition, the second the English name for Vlissingen, (per Wikipedia) a port in the south-west of the Netherlands that wasthe main harbour for ships of the Dutch East India Company. The port also gave its name to an area of Queens in New York City, part of which will be known to tennis fans as the home of the US Open, i.e. Flushing Meadows. I didn't know the port by any name, hence had to rely on the first definition only, but I see that it had its moment in the crosswording sun in 2008 when it cropped up twice in the Guardian cryptic. | |
| 4 | Under eighteens— those working underground, we hear (6) |
| MINORS - homophone (we hear) of MINERS (those working underground) | |
| 5 | Analysewater flowing through Hampshire (4) |
| TEST - double definition, the second referring to the River Test, which I think I only know from crosswords. It's apparently good for trout fishing. | |
| 6 | Card game— pontoon, perhaps? (6) |
| BRIDGE - double definition | |
| 8 | Instructs maker of ceramic vessels to get anorak? (5-7) |
| TRAIN-SPOTTER - TRAINS (Instructs) + POTTER (maker of ceramic vessels), with the definition being (Chambers) "Someone who follows a pursuit or interest that is regarded as dull and unsociable (informal)". I can't see this hyphenated in any of the usual online sources - it's either one word or two - but I doubt this will stop solvers from getting the answer. | |
| 13 | Status of peer in cricket ground greeting page? (8) |
| LORDSHIP - LORD'S (cricket ground) + HI (greeting) + P (page) | |
| 14 | Limp insect nibbling head of orchid very quietly (6) |
| FLOPPY - FLY (insect) around (nibbling) O (head of orchid, i.e. the first letter of the word "orchid") + PP (very quietly, i.e. pianissimo) | |
| 15 | Conservative to accept governor’s hypothesis (6) |
| THEORY - TORY (Conservative) around (to accept) HE (governor, i.e. His/Her Excellency). We usually get HE referring to ambassadors in Crosswordland, but it can be applied to governors, heads of state, and assorted other big cheeses too. | |
| 17 | Completely pure in heart, so to speak (6) |
| WHOLLY - homophone (so to speak) of HOLY (pure in heart) | |
| 19 | Give awayretail unit (4) |
| SHOP - double definition, the first a slang term meaning to betray or inform against | |