Solving time: 18:47. That's pretty slow for me, and there's some tricky stuff in here, but I don't know if I have ever agonized over an answer like I have 1 down. The second word seemed to fit part of the clue, but I had a hard time trying to pick over the words that fit in the first part of the answer, and plumped for one triggered by another one in the clue. The good news is that I came back as correct, the bad is that I still have no clue whatsowever as to how the clue works.
Definitions are underlined in the clues... away we go!
Definitions are underlined in the clues... away we go!
| Across | |
| 1 | Startle, prepared to keep ace and not lead (4,1,4,4) |
| TAKE A BACK SEAT - TAKE ABACK(startle) then SET(prepared) containing A(ace) | |
| 9 | It may get endless representation (5) |
| IMAGE - nice clue - remove the last letters from It MAy GEt | |
| 10 | Message’s tenor we may hear described (9) |
| VOICEMAIL - and a tenor may be a VOICE, MALE | |
| 11 | Think shop needs rebuke (10) |
| DELIBERATE - DELI(shop), BERATE(rebuke) | |
| 12 | No time for jokes — strap on leg (4) |
| JESS - remove T from JESTS(jokes). Got this from wordplay, it is the strap on the leg of a hawk. Last seen in the daily Times in 2007 (back when I was a mere occasional commenter) and the Saturday Times in 2008 | |
| 14 | Get cash for proper detached place, not large (7) |
| REALISE - REAL(proper) then ISLE(detached place) missing L | |
| 16 | Republic extremely embarrassed, withdrawing current coins (7) |
| DENARII - the Republic of IRAN, and E | |
| 17 | At heart, regrets nothing in Spanish island (7) |
| GRENADA - the middle of reGREts then NADA(nothing) | |
| 19 | Burden of work papers (7) |
| OPPRESS - OP, PRESS(papers) | |
| 20 | Just open a container (4) |
| AJAR - A JAR | |
| 21 | Fruit and meat including starter of rice for Chinese runner (5,5) |
| PEARL RIVER - PEAR(fruit), and LIVER(meat) containing R | |
| 24 | People arrest smooth boy over a little bling (9) |
| MEDALLION - MEN(people) containing OIL(smooth), LAD(boy) all reversed | |
| 25 | Maxim’s garden feature? (5) |
| GNOME - double definition for a witty saying and a think you might stick in the garden | |
| 26 | Ma and Granny worried about Junior, a disillusioned playwright (5,5,3) |
| ANGRY YOUNG MAN - anagram of MA and GRANNY surrounding YOUNG(Junior) | |
| Down | |
| 1 | Old broadcaster’s second trailer for good stuff on compiler (5,9) |
| THIRD PROGRAMME - I think I have this sorted out... THIRD PROGRAMME was an old radio station. So THIRD would be trailing second, then PRO(for), G(good), RAM(stuff), ME(the compiler of this crossword). | |
| 2 | Frolic about, holding a pen (5) |
| KRAAL - LARK(frolic) reversed containing A | |
| 3 | Land almost nothing, after a West Indian lands one (10) |
| AZERBAIJAN - ZER | |
| 4 | Injurious commercial, very Irish (7) |
| ADVERSE - AD, V, ERSE | |
| 5 | Came together and kept busy at the guillotine? (7) |
| KNITTED - double definition, referencing the crowd in front of the guillotine bringing their knitting to do between executions | |
| 6 | Like some spuds? I had to speak (4) |
| EYED - sounds like I'D | |
| 7 | Agreed toe is deformed somewhat (2,1,6) |
| TO A DEGREE - anagram of AGREED,TOE | |
| 8 | Doctor percussing a lot who will get you looking better (7,7) |
| PLASTIC SURGEON - anagram of PERCUSSING,A,LOT, though the defintion is up for debate | |
| 13 | Simple game won’t come to an end — I go to bed (10) |
| SNAPDRAGON - the game of SNAP will DRAG ON | |
| 15 | Queen cross with regiment holding up drink (9) |
| ALEXANDRA - X(cross), AND, RA(regiment) under ALE | |
| 18 | Useful feature to order any time (7) |
| AMENITY - anagram of ANY,TIME | |
| 19 | Managed to support some good books: here, The Castle? (7) |
| OTRANTO - RAN(managed), TO under OT(good books). Got this from wordplay and thought it might have been a physical castle, but it is a book by Horace Walpole | |
| 22 | Rev Vicar’s first study, say (5) |
| VROOM - V | |
| 23 | Bullet hit pest (4) |
| SLUG - triple definition! | |