I found this relatively easy for a Saturday, which is of course not to say easy in any absolute sense. I’m back to solving on paper, but I estimate it took me about 40 minutes spread over two or three sessions – that is, fast for me. The top right and bottom left took longest. 28ac was my LOI. Several answers I felt confident putting in but went to reference materials later to verify them for the blog. Nothing too obscure however, although some clues like 22ac did seem to require some local UK knowledge – which is fair enough in a London paper, I concede.
There was some comment about 17dn, but I was surprised to find that the old name of the Australian icon still has some official standing, even though one never hears it these days.
The clue of the day for me was 7dn because the pun so suited the subject. I also liked 28ac, because the cryptic worked so well even though I didn’t know the word. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 Length of forearm spans small artist (6)
CUBIST: the CUBIT is an ancient unit based on the forearm length from the tip of the middle finger to the bottom of the elbow. Just insert S for small. I knew “cubit” so no reference check needed for this one.
4 Monkey turned over stuff doctor put in place (8)
MARMOSET: to RAM is to stuff. Turn it over, then append MO=doctor and SET=put.
10 Various women around old flame in charge of state (3,6)
NEW MEXICO: (WOMEN*) around EX=old flame / IC=in charge.
11 Impudence that does for each of a pair of geese? (5)
SAUCE: what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, giving the two geese in the clue.
12 Child to carry most of the way (3)
TOT: or TOT{e}.
13 At which turtles are quarrelling? (11)
LOGGERHEADS: I knew “at loggerheads” to mean quarrelling, and a lookup confirms a loggerhead is also a turtle.
14 With nothing to gain, throw a ball game (6)
PELOTA: PELT around O=nothing, then A. Another lookup to confirm PELOTA is a game. (A variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket.)
16 Board made from wood given to me first for turning (7)
EMPLANE: as in, to board an aeroplane. ME reversed is first, then the wood of the PLANE tree.
19 Qualify to make a count perhaps (7)
ENTITLE: Double definition. If something entitles you to participate, it qualifies you to do so. If you are made a Count, you have been “entitled”, and Collins has that meaning listed.
20 I beat Elsie (6)
TANNER: another double definition. One sense of "tanning" is beating. Elsie Tanner was a long-running character in Coronation Street.
22 Animal trying to buy medicine? That should be entertaining (4,2,5)
PUSS IN BOOTS: a reference to Boots the (primarily UK) pharmacy chain, and to the pantomime.
25 Boom announced in spring (3)
SPA: might sound like SPAR=boom, if you speak English with a non-rhotic accent. Here’s a callout to the rhotic speakers … we acknowledge your scorn.
26 Reindeer not quite awake (5)
COMET: awakening might be to COME T{o}.
27 What provides mast? Seaside would, say (9)
BEECHWOOD: this probably does sound like BEACH WOULD to almost everyone.
28 Space above arch one doctor replaces in dog (8)
SPANDREL: Dictionary check confirms that this is a space above an arch. Take SPANIEL and replace I by DR.
29 Head of bar takes remarkablypoor sort of case (6)
BASKET: B{ar} (TAKES*). Since a basket case is in a poor way.
Down
1 King, but uncrowned, getting stick about that (6)
CANUTE: CANE around {b}UT.
2 Runners here once give way on thoroughfare (3,6)
BOW STREET: BOW=give way / STREET=thoroughfare. According to Wikipedia, the Bow Street Runners have been called London's first professional police force. The force, originally numbering six men, was founded in 1749 by the magistrate Henry Fielding, who was also well known as an author. And there I thought they were an invention of Arthur Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes books. No, wait … I was thinking of the Baker Street Irregulars!
3 Move surreptitiously to snaffle bargain (5)
STEAL: triple definition: move surreptitiously / snaffle / bargain.
5 Dealt with team leaders replacing chapter already introduced (14)
AFOREMENTIONED: ACTIONED, with the C changed to FOREMEN.
6 Teacher by chance losing some power gets squashed (9)
MISSHAPEN: please MISS, what is going to HAP{p}EN?
7 Typically American composer (5)
SOUSA: John Philip Sousa is SO USA.
8 With energy ousting resistance, heavily defeats in a series of games (3,5)
THE ASHES: THRASHES, with the R changed to an E. It’s that time again for cricket’s one-time showpiece.
9 Beijing balks me, translatingreligious literature (4,5,5)
KING JAMES BIBLE: (BEIJING BALKS ME*).
15 Made public revelation about fool being caught and got the better of (9)
OUTWITTED: OUTED=made public revelation about, “catching” TWIT.
17 On radio, broadcasts progressive music, something monolithic (5,4)
AYER’S ROCK: sounds like “airs” rock, no problem with that. But, as martinp1 noted in last week’s blog, seriously politically incorrect! The monolith in question is called Uluru, and is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the local area, who have just decided to bar tourists from climbing it. Presumably for the benefit of Times crossword setters, a dual naming policy still applies: since 6 November 2002, its name has been gazetted as "Uluru / Ayers Rock”!
18 Relations that may be paid (8)
RESPECTS: double definition. “Respect” as “relation” is in Chambers.
21 Outlaw that has only one arm? (6)
BANDIT: a one-armed bandit being a poker machine.
23 Back to back, various graduates dance (5)
SAMBA: MAS backwards, BA forward.
24 Indistinct sound check in South Australian state (5)
SCHWA: S=south / CH=check / WA=Australian state. As a quibble, Western Australia is a State with a capital S. I thought that you could sneak in upper case as disguise, but not use lower case in place of a required capital. But, I am no expert. I confirmed the definition by reference to Collins: in the study of language, schwa is the name of the neutral vowel sound.
There was some comment about 17dn, but I was surprised to find that the old name of the Australian icon still has some official standing, even though one never hears it these days.
The clue of the day for me was 7dn because the pun so suited the subject. I also liked 28ac, because the cryptic worked so well even though I didn’t know the word. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Anagram indicators are in bold italics. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 Length of forearm spans small artist (6)
CUBIST: the CUBIT is an ancient unit based on the forearm length from the tip of the middle finger to the bottom of the elbow. Just insert S for small. I knew “cubit” so no reference check needed for this one.
4 Monkey turned over stuff doctor put in place (8)
MARMOSET: to RAM is to stuff. Turn it over, then append MO=doctor and SET=put.
10 Various women around old flame in charge of state (3,6)
NEW MEXICO: (WOMEN*) around EX=old flame / IC=in charge.
11 Impudence that does for each of a pair of geese? (5)
SAUCE: what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, giving the two geese in the clue.
12 Child to carry most of the way (3)
TOT: or TOT{e}.
13 At which turtles are quarrelling? (11)
LOGGERHEADS: I knew “at loggerheads” to mean quarrelling, and a lookup confirms a loggerhead is also a turtle.
14 With nothing to gain, throw a ball game (6)
PELOTA: PELT around O=nothing, then A. Another lookup to confirm PELOTA is a game. (A variety of court sports played with a ball using one's hand, a racket, a wooden bat or a basket.)
16 Board made from wood given to me first for turning (7)
EMPLANE: as in, to board an aeroplane. ME reversed is first, then the wood of the PLANE tree.
19 Qualify to make a count perhaps (7)
ENTITLE: Double definition. If something entitles you to participate, it qualifies you to do so. If you are made a Count, you have been “entitled”, and Collins has that meaning listed.
20 I beat Elsie (6)
TANNER: another double definition. One sense of "tanning" is beating. Elsie Tanner was a long-running character in Coronation Street.
22 Animal trying to buy medicine? That should be entertaining (4,2,5)
PUSS IN BOOTS: a reference to Boots the (primarily UK) pharmacy chain, and to the pantomime.
25 Boom announced in spring (3)
SPA: might sound like SPAR=boom, if you speak English with a non-rhotic accent. Here’s a callout to the rhotic speakers … we acknowledge your scorn.
26 Reindeer not quite awake (5)
COMET: awakening might be to COME T{o}.
27 What provides mast? Seaside would, say (9)
BEECHWOOD: this probably does sound like BEACH WOULD to almost everyone.
28 Space above arch one doctor replaces in dog (8)
SPANDREL: Dictionary check confirms that this is a space above an arch. Take SPANIEL and replace I by DR.
29 Head of bar takes remarkablypoor sort of case (6)
BASKET: B{ar} (TAKES*). Since a basket case is in a poor way.
Down
1 King, but uncrowned, getting stick about that (6)
CANUTE: CANE around {b}UT.
2 Runners here once give way on thoroughfare (3,6)
BOW STREET: BOW=give way / STREET=thoroughfare. According to Wikipedia, the Bow Street Runners have been called London's first professional police force. The force, originally numbering six men, was founded in 1749 by the magistrate Henry Fielding, who was also well known as an author. And there I thought they were an invention of Arthur Conan Doyle in the Sherlock Holmes books. No, wait … I was thinking of the Baker Street Irregulars!
3 Move surreptitiously to snaffle bargain (5)
STEAL: triple definition: move surreptitiously / snaffle / bargain.
5 Dealt with team leaders replacing chapter already introduced (14)
AFOREMENTIONED: ACTIONED, with the C changed to FOREMEN.
6 Teacher by chance losing some power gets squashed (9)
MISSHAPEN: please MISS, what is going to HAP{p}EN?
7 Typically American composer (5)
SOUSA: John Philip Sousa is SO USA.
8 With energy ousting resistance, heavily defeats in a series of games (3,5)
THE ASHES: THRASHES, with the R changed to an E. It’s that time again for cricket’s one-time showpiece.
9 Beijing balks me, translatingreligious literature (4,5,5)
KING JAMES BIBLE: (BEIJING BALKS ME*).
15 Made public revelation about fool being caught and got the better of (9)
OUTWITTED: OUTED=made public revelation about, “catching” TWIT.
17 On radio, broadcasts progressive music, something monolithic (5,4)
AYER’S ROCK: sounds like “airs” rock, no problem with that. But, as martinp1 noted in last week’s blog, seriously politically incorrect! The monolith in question is called Uluru, and is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the local area, who have just decided to bar tourists from climbing it. Presumably for the benefit of Times crossword setters, a dual naming policy still applies: since 6 November 2002, its name has been gazetted as "Uluru / Ayers Rock”!
18 Relations that may be paid (8)
RESPECTS: double definition. “Respect” as “relation” is in Chambers.
21 Outlaw that has only one arm? (6)
BANDIT: a one-armed bandit being a poker machine.
23 Back to back, various graduates dance (5)
SAMBA: MAS backwards, BA forward.
24 Indistinct sound check in South Australian state (5)
SCHWA: S=south / CH=check / WA=Australian state. As a quibble, Western Australia is a State with a capital S. I thought that you could sneak in upper case as disguise, but not use lower case in place of a required capital. But, I am no expert. I confirmed the definition by reference to Collins: in the study of language, schwa is the name of the neutral vowel sound.