I'm standing in for mohn2 this week. In response to overwhelming popular demand (well one person wrote to me) I am reinstating my practice of stating my QC solving times, but other bloggers remain free to do as they wish. This one took me 8 minutes so I would rate it towards the easier end of the spectrum, though it's not without a couple of lesser-known answers and references as noted in my comments. Here's my blog...
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]
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 | Draughtsman’s gender is problematic (8) |
| DESIGNER - Anagram [problematic] of GENDER IS | |
| 5 | Cut deeply into good wood (4) |
| GASH - G (good), ASH (wood) | |
| 8 | Highly desirable change of editor (2,3,3) |
| TO DIE FOR - Anagram [change] of OF EDITOR | |
| 9 | Thwart, using this sword? (4) |
| FOIL - Two definitions | |
| 11 | Radiance noticed around husband (5) |
| SHEEN - SEEN (noticed) around H (husband) | |
| 12 | To contradict wins, always (7) |
| GAINSAY - GAINS (wins), AY (always). A rather old fashioned term that may not be familiar to all these days. Additonally in the wordplay AY = always or ever is not in everyday usage, though it comes up quite a lot in puzzles. | |
| 13 | Son quietly studied feast (6) |
| SPREAD - S (son), P (quietly), READ (studied) | |
| 15 | Robber gang taking computer technology (6) |
| BANDIT - BAND (gang), IT (computer technology) | |
| 18 | Open boatthat smoker may use (7) |
| LIGHTER - A straight definition and a cryptic hint. The cryptic's perhaps a little easier than the literal. | |
| 19 | To some extent liked a chair for Russian cottage (5) |
| DACHA - Hidden [to some extent] in {like}D A CHA{ir}. A foreign word, again perhaps not familiar to all. | |
| 21 | Low river in high ground (4) |
| MOOR - MOO (low), R (river). The meaning required for the first element appears in the second verse of the Christmas carol "Away in a Manger" - "The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes..." | |
| 22 | Work with artist, say, a producer of spectacles (8) |
| OPTICIAN - OP (work), sounds like [say] "Titian" [artist] | |
| 23 | Instructed dolt to move (4) |
| TOLD - Anagram of DOLT with [to move] as the anagrind | |
| 24 | Keep page at front of book (8) |
| PRESERVE - P (page), RESERVE (book) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Can’t stand extremely dire cricket matches (7) |
| DETESTS - D{ir}E [extremely], TESTS (cricket matches). The answer only fits the definition in the third person: he / she detests something or other. | |
| 2 | Marsh plant in small border (5) |
| SEDGE - S (small), EDGE (border) | |
| 3 | Political group has signal to go and have fun (5,5) |
| GREEN PARTY - GREEN (signal to go), PARTY (have fun) | |
| 4 | One flipping expression of disgust is sufficient (6) |
| ENOUGH - ONE reversed [flipping], UGH! (expression of disgust) | |
| 6 | Motivated by a stick to secure employment (7) |
| AROUSED - A, ROD (stick) contains [to secure] USE (employment) | |
| 7 | Ivy’s partner, a prickly girl? (5) |
| HOLLY - Two vaguely cryptic definitions | |
| 10 | Success with girl is random (3-3-4) |
| HIT-AND-MISS - HIT (success), AND (with), MISS. I always feel that this should be "hit-or-miss" but usage of "and" outweighs "or" by 12m to 9m on a google search so I suppose I shall have to bow to the masses. | |
| 14 | Plaything bagged regularly in cylindrical pack (3,4) |
| RAG DOLL - {b}A{g}G{e}D [regularly] in ROLL (cylindrical pack) | |
| 16 | Pupil’s support of course keeps artist at home (7) |
| TRAINEE - TEE (support of course - golf) contains [keeps] RA (artist) + IN (home) | |
| 17 | Decorous publicity about string of pearls, perhaps (6) |
| PROPER - PR (publicity), contains [about] ROPE (string of pearls, perhaps) | |
| 18 | Maximum speed came down, motorway included (5) |
| LIMIT - M1 (motorway) contained [included] by LIT (came down - landed). A limit can apply to lots of things, so this definition with reference to speed is an example of a definition by example (DBE in TftT jargon) which is frowned upon by some solvers unless signalled by a question-mark or "perhaps" or other such indicator. | |
| 20 | Councillor that is right for reader of proclamations (5) |
| CRIER - CR (councillor), IE (that is), R (right). The definition refers to the ancient position of town-crier, an officer of the court whose job is/was to announce decisions affecting the public. Oyez! | |