12 minutes for this, so now a week has passed since I last achieved my 10-minute target and I think I have entered a sort of vicious circle so that I am apprehensive as I start to solve and make difficulties for myself where none exist. I don't think there was anything here to delay an experienced solver but nevertheless I had a slight problem getting started leading me to overrun. I shall be interested to read what others made of it. Most of the surfaces are particularly good today.
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 | Times keeping us hard at work (4) |
| BUSY - BY (times - multiplied by) containing [keeping] US | |
| 3 | Symbol kept shut up, left in the care of wizard (8) |
| PENTACLE - PENT (kept shut up), L (left) contained by [in the care of] ACE (wizard). Aka 'pentagram' often with reference to a magic symbol in witchcraft etc. It's rather interesting that although its root is obviously 'pent/penta' relating to five, according to more than one of the usual sources a 'pentacle' can also be a six-sided figure or of almost any other shape. | |
| 8 | Policeman has hours in helicopter (7) |
| CHOPPER - H (hours) in COPPER (policeman) | |
| 10 | Swell certainly to consume gallons (5) |
| SURGE - SURE (certainly) contains [to consume] G (gallons) | |
| 11 | Brilliant writer put at the top (11) |
| SUPERSCRIBE - SUPER (brilliant), SCRIBE (writer). Not a word I have used much, if ever, but its meaning is clear, as is the wordplay here. | |
| 13 | Woodwind player, old boy is surrounded by books (6) |
| OBOIST - OB (old boy), then IS contained [surrounded] by OT (books - Old Testament) | |
| 15 | Beer for hospital employee (6) |
| PORTER - Two meanings | |
| 17 | Think Dennis gets upset, being this, perhaps (4-7) |
| THIN-SKINNED - Anagram [gets upset] of THINK DENNIS. Semi-&lit. | |
| 20 | A grain seed (5) |
| ACORN - A, CORN (grain) | |
| 21 | Obscure energy cuts end in catastrophe (7) |
| ECLIPSE - E (energy), CLIPS (cuts), {catastroph}E [end] | |
| 22 | Mess tart about in bed (8) |
| MATTRESS - Anagram [about] of MESS TART. A simple bed can consist of nothing more than a mattress. Rather a saucy surface! | |
| 23 | Large, obese all round: the result of a blow-out? (4) |
| FLAT - FAT (obese) contains [all round] L (large) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Last resort to put up the money for station (8) |
| BACKSTOP - BACK (put up the money for), STOP (station) | |
| 2 | Small company with work that’s exclusive (5) |
| SCOOP - S (small), CO (company), OP (work). An exclusive in the world of journalism and also the title of a rather amusing novel by Evelyn Waugh. Does anyone rememeber the boardgame SCOOP 'from Waddington's, the makers of Monopoly'? Its telephone prop was a rather fine piece of engineering using little more than cardboard. | |
| 4 | Queen Richelieu has to make wealthy (6) |
| ENRICH - {que}EN RICH {elieu} hides [has] the answer | |
| 5 | Reference arranged at St Emilion (11) |
| TESTIMONIAL - Anagram [arranged] of AT ST EMILION | |
| 6 | Tear after mongrel that’s in fashion (7) |
| CURRENT - CUR (mongrel), RENT (tear) | |
| 7 | Still a number going topless (4) |
| EVEN - {s}EVEN (number) [going topless] | |
| 9 | Churchgoer in French capital dealt heroin (11) |
| PARISHIONER - PARIS (French capital), anagram [dealt] of HEROIN. Strictly speaking parishioners are not necessarily churchgoers but the assumption in the clue seems fair enough. | |
| 12 | Rise in endowment interrupted by decease (8) |
| GRADIENT - GRANT (endowment) contains [interrupted by] DIE (decease) | |
| 14 | Small military camp is not in position (7) |
| OUTPOST - OUT (not in), POST (position) | |
| 16 | Valuable property like stations or plants (6) |
| ASSETS - AS (like), SETS (stations / plants) | |
| 18 | New European friend’s country (5) |
| NEPAL - N (new), E (European), PAL (friend) | |
| 19 | Rural establishment a long way off motorway (4) |
| FARM - FAR (a long way off), M (motorway) | |