Times 25348 - At the second hole on the final day of the Masters.....

Solving time: 16 minutes

Music: Pictures at an Exhibition - Richter






This is by far the easiest puzzle I have ever blogged. I don't know what got into them, but some of the clues are barely cryptic at all. If I hadn't gotten stuck for a few minutes in the NW, I might have broken 10 minutes, which would be a record for me. Perhaps some of our beginners will find that they have finally completed a Times puzzle unaided.

I would not have much of a blog if I left out all the obvious clues, so I'll be lowering the standard a bit tonight.

Across
1	SCRUB, double definition.
4	IRISH STEW, anagram of TRIES HIS + W[ife].
9	ALBATROSS. Triple definition - an allusion to The Ancient Mariner, a 2 on a par 5, and another, more indirect, allusion to The Ancient Mariner.
10	OCTET, O + CT + E[legan]T.
11	DINNER, D[uke] + INNER.
12	Omitted!
14	Omitted!
16	SMART, S + MART.
17	Omitted!
19	SPOON-FEED, SPOON (the golf club) + FEED.
21	RARA AVIS, RA + RA + A + VIS.
22	STUPOR, ST(UP)OR[e], as in a store of knowledge.
25	U-BOAT, anagram of ABOUT. Too bad the enumeration gives it away.
26	AEGEAN SEA. A[rea] + E.G. + anagram of 'Aeneas'.
27	DESTROYER, double definition.
28	FROTH, FR + anagram of HOT.
Down
1	STAND ONE'S GROUND, STAND ONE'S (G[allons])ROUND
2	ROBIN, NIB OR upside down. I wanted to put 'raven' for a while.
3	BATTERY, double definition.
4	IRON, NORI upside down, my first in.
5	INSULATION, IN + anagram of UNIT ALSO. I had never heard of this meaning of 'lagging', the only vaguely obscure point in the puzzle.
6	HOOKERS, double definition.
7	TITILLATE, T(I + TILL)ATE.
8	WITH BATED BREATH, WITH (having) + sounds like 'baited' + B(R[oyal]E[ngineers})ATH.
13	CONSPIRACY, CONS PIRACY.
15	NOTORIOUS, anagram of NOIR, TOO + US.
18	PLATTER, P(L)ATTER[n], where 'detailed' has the 'cut off its tail' meaning.
20	Omitted!
23	Omitted - look for it!
24	AGAR, A GAR.