Another fine puzzle, but for me much harder than last week. I did about a quarter, and then came to a dead stop, before inching through the SW, SE, NW and finally NE. LOI was 6dn, where I claim a geographic disadvantage. Overall, over an hour and a half solving on paper, but absolutely no complaints.
There were many nice clues, but my clue of the day was 3dn for its originality closely followed by 5dn for the beautifully disguised anagram, and the neat “punniness” of 27ac.
Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', with the anagram indicator in bold italics. Deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 As quick as a parasitologist is keeping wicket? (2,3,5)
IN TWO TICKS: a parasitologist might be INTO TICKS. Add W for wicket. I got this answer by accident, thinking about whether wickets were “STICKS”.
6 Catch end of baby’s crib (4)
COPY: COP = catch, Y = end of {bab}Y.
8 Wretched old bird (8)
FLAMINGO: FLAMING = wretched, O = old. Close to being a chestnut.
9 Most definitely not good for one (3,3)
I’LL SAY: ILL (without the apostrophe) = no good, SAY = for one.
10 Secure network protecting one’s back (4)
NAIL: LAN = (local area) network. Insert I=one, and reverse.
11 Recording by school that’s ground-breaking (4,6)
DISC HARROW: DISC = recording, HARROW = school. I feel sure this machine would have a different name on farms near me, but haven’t a clue what!
12 Lives next to club owned by female author (9)
ISHERWOOD: IS = lives, HER = owned by female, WOOD = (golf) club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Isherwood
14 Instant judgment initially dubious (5)
JIFFY: J from J{udgement} initially, IFFY = dubious. Once I started thinking about words starting with J, the answer jumped out.
17 First of editors on the Times to make history? (5)
ERASE: ERAS = times (with a small “t” if you like), E = first of editors. I was stumped by the definition until I saw that erasing a disc makes the contents history!
19 Person who’s left dangerous dose finished unconscious (3,3,3)
ODD ONE OUT: OD = dangerous dose, DONE = finished, OUT = unconscious.
22 Rep left cup game, tense (10)
PLUPERFECT: (REP LEFT CUP*). “Game” is an unusual anagram indicator.
The pluperfect tense denotes an action completed prior to some past point of time specified or implied, formed in English by had and the past participle, as in he had gone by then. Hands up anyone who knew that without having studied Latin, Greek or Times crosswords!
23 Some backing free vote for change of course (4)
VEER: backwards hidden answer.
24 Worried by difficulty, become obsessed (6)
FIXATE: FIX = difficulty, ATE = worried.
25 Dish of rabbit I had on the train regularly (8)
TERIYAKI: I YAK = “rabbit I had”, inside TERI = every second letter of “ThE tRaIn”.
26 Watery part of course abandoned by arachnophobe (4)
WHEY: cryptic definition, relating to how Miss Muffet reacted to the spider.
27 Barer of glad tidings (using central Post Office)? (10)
STRIPOGRAM: I think this is just a cryptic definition, with the PO in the centre just serving to say how to spell it: with a -PO- rather than a -PPER-.
Down
1 Child’s cooler if wearing fashionable hat (9)
INFANTILE: IN = fashionable, TILE = hat, all around FAN = cooler. The definition includes the apostrophe-S, as in “he had an infantile / a child’s vocabulary”.
2 Loathsome, as far as a pretty girl is concerned (7)
TOADISH: or TO / A / DISH.
3 Simplify a couple of clues before complaint finally begins (4,4)
TONE DOWN: T = “complaint” finally, ONE DOWN = the clue two before THREE DOWN. Very original!
4 Go over promise with one of my best friends and me? (9,6)
CROSSWORD SETTER: CROSS = go over, WORD = promise, SETTER = dog = man’s best friend.
5 This is at odds with my place of work (6)
SMITHY: (THIS MY*). Beautifully disguised anagram.
6 Time of depression, maybe, in eastern UK town (9)
COLERAINE: COL = depression, ERA = time, IN, E = eastern. It would be falling into the setter’s trap to assume the UK town was in the East. In fact it’s in Northern Ireland.
7 Under pressure, abandon vital game (4-3)
PLAY-OFF: P = pressure, LAY OFF = abandon.
13 Like pie? With vegetables and last of gravy, especially so! (4-5)
EASY-PEASY: EASY as pie / PEAS = vegetable / Y = last of {grav}Y.
15 My tribute to thrashmetal (9)
YTTERBIUM: (MY TRIBUTE*). I knew there was some such element, but couldn’t have spelled it without the anagram.
16 Turn up with possible substitute for stick: carrot? (4,4)
ROOT CROP: I think ROOT is “turn up”, as a pig turns up the soil in search of food. Not quite a one-to-one match, so better suggestions welcome! CROP is a substitute for stick, as in “riding crop”.
18 Explorer mostly just consuming beer (7)
RALEIGH: RIGH{t} = just, consuming ALE = beer. Amazingly, another current puzzle uses exactly the same form of clue for this word, but with different elements to describe each part.
20 Outside broadcast following sporting event (4-3)
OPEN-AIR: AIR = broadcast, following OPEN = sporting event (tennis or golf, for example).
21 Some fungus spreads across touching edges (6)
CREEPS: CEPS = fungus, around RE = touching.
There were many nice clues, but my clue of the day was 3dn for its originality closely followed by 5dn for the beautifully disguised anagram, and the neat “punniness” of 27ac.
Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle.
Clues are in blue, with definitions underlined. Answers are in BOLD CAPS, followed by the wordplay. (ABC*) means 'anagram of ABC', with the anagram indicator in bold italics. Deletions are in {curly brackets}.
Across
1 As quick as a parasitologist is keeping wicket? (2,3,5)
IN TWO TICKS: a parasitologist might be INTO TICKS. Add W for wicket. I got this answer by accident, thinking about whether wickets were “STICKS”.
6 Catch end of baby’s crib (4)
COPY: COP = catch, Y = end of {bab}Y.
8 Wretched old bird (8)
FLAMINGO: FLAMING = wretched, O = old. Close to being a chestnut.
9 Most definitely not good for one (3,3)
I’LL SAY: ILL (without the apostrophe) = no good, SAY = for one.
10 Secure network protecting one’s back (4)
NAIL: LAN = (local area) network. Insert I=one, and reverse.
11 Recording by school that’s ground-breaking (4,6)
DISC HARROW: DISC = recording, HARROW = school. I feel sure this machine would have a different name on farms near me, but haven’t a clue what!
12 Lives next to club owned by female author (9)
ISHERWOOD: IS = lives, HER = owned by female, WOOD = (golf) club. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Isherwood
14 Instant judgment initially dubious (5)
JIFFY: J from J{udgement} initially, IFFY = dubious. Once I started thinking about words starting with J, the answer jumped out.
17 First of editors on the Times to make history? (5)
ERASE: ERAS = times (with a small “t” if you like), E = first of editors. I was stumped by the definition until I saw that erasing a disc makes the contents history!
19 Person who’s left dangerous dose finished unconscious (3,3,3)
ODD ONE OUT: OD = dangerous dose, DONE = finished, OUT = unconscious.
22 Rep left cup game, tense (10)
PLUPERFECT: (REP LEFT CUP*). “Game” is an unusual anagram indicator.
The pluperfect tense denotes an action completed prior to some past point of time specified or implied, formed in English by had and the past participle, as in he had gone by then. Hands up anyone who knew that without having studied Latin, Greek or Times crosswords!
23 Some backing free vote for change of course (4)
VEER: backwards hidden answer.
24 Worried by difficulty, become obsessed (6)
FIXATE: FIX = difficulty, ATE = worried.
25 Dish of rabbit I had on the train regularly (8)
TERIYAKI: I YAK = “rabbit I had”, inside TERI = every second letter of “ThE tRaIn”.
26 Watery part of course abandoned by arachnophobe (4)
WHEY: cryptic definition, relating to how Miss Muffet reacted to the spider.
27 Barer of glad tidings (using central Post Office)? (10)
STRIPOGRAM: I think this is just a cryptic definition, with the PO in the centre just serving to say how to spell it: with a -PO- rather than a -PPER-.
Down
1 Child’s cooler if wearing fashionable hat (9)
INFANTILE: IN = fashionable, TILE = hat, all around FAN = cooler. The definition includes the apostrophe-S, as in “he had an infantile / a child’s vocabulary”.
2 Loathsome, as far as a pretty girl is concerned (7)
TOADISH: or TO / A / DISH.
3 Simplify a couple of clues before complaint finally begins (4,4)
TONE DOWN: T = “complaint” finally, ONE DOWN = the clue two before THREE DOWN. Very original!
4 Go over promise with one of my best friends and me? (9,6)
CROSSWORD SETTER: CROSS = go over, WORD = promise, SETTER = dog = man’s best friend.
5 This is at odds with my place of work (6)
SMITHY: (THIS MY*). Beautifully disguised anagram.
6 Time of depression, maybe, in eastern UK town (9)
COLERAINE: COL = depression, ERA = time, IN, E = eastern. It would be falling into the setter’s trap to assume the UK town was in the East. In fact it’s in Northern Ireland.
7 Under pressure, abandon vital game (4-3)
PLAY-OFF: P = pressure, LAY OFF = abandon.
13 Like pie? With vegetables and last of gravy, especially so! (4-5)
EASY-PEASY: EASY as pie / PEAS = vegetable / Y = last of {grav}Y.
15 My tribute to thrashmetal (9)
YTTERBIUM: (MY TRIBUTE*). I knew there was some such element, but couldn’t have spelled it without the anagram.
16 Turn up with possible substitute for stick: carrot? (4,4)
ROOT CROP: I think ROOT is “turn up”, as a pig turns up the soil in search of food. Not quite a one-to-one match, so better suggestions welcome! CROP is a substitute for stick, as in “riding crop”.
18 Explorer mostly just consuming beer (7)
RALEIGH: RIGH{t} = just, consuming ALE = beer. Amazingly, another current puzzle uses exactly the same form of clue for this word, but with different elements to describe each part.
20 Outside broadcast following sporting event (4-3)
OPEN-AIR: AIR = broadcast, following OPEN = sporting event (tennis or golf, for example).
21 Some fungus spreads across touching edges (6)
CREEPS: CEPS = fungus, around RE = touching.