Solving time: 27:52
Happy to have managed this under the 30 today. Thought it was going to take much longer with, as yesterday, lengthy hold ups in the SE. It took the longish 15ac, 13dn and 21ac to crack it. All three were excellent clues as they turned out and worth the effort. Perhaps it was the puzzle? Perhaps just because my (physiological) system is a bit down at the moment? One parsing I don’t quite get; hopefully while writing up the blog.
ACROSS
1. DISPLACED. This is DECID{e} inc ALPS; all reversed.
6. CRAMP. “Crush” = CRAM; P{icnic}.
9. ANTIWAR. Reverse IT (Italian) inside ANWAR. (Mr Sadat, assassinated in 1981. Nothing much seems to go well for Egyptian presidents it would seem.)
10. MARENGO. MAN, as so often, is our island. Insert RE (soldiers). Add GO (head for).
11. ALAN TURING. Is our “code expert”. {c}AL{l}, ANT, U, RING. Great charade and one to please the science fraternity; even if, at the time, they did nothing to prevent him being hounded to death for his sexual preferences.
12. AS OF. The def is “from”. A SOF{a}.
14. TAKEN. Hidden answer.
15. PROPAGATE. Sounds like “proper” and “gait”. The def is “broadcast”.
16. PENNILESS. The river (“banker”) NILE’S inside PENS (pounds).
18. EL CID. Alternate letters of “fEeLs ChIlD”.
20. LOCO. Still not sure of the parsing here. I suspect it’s LOC{k} = “jam almost” + O for “over” (cricket). Alternatives welcome.
21. APOTHECARY. Made up of A, POTHE{r} (fuss), CA (about), RY (railway = lines).
25. GROWN-UP. Anagram of “wrong” + UP (in court).
26. REPLETE. REP (theatre), LE (“the” French), T{heatr}E.
27. TWERP. T{o}WER (keep, minus O), P{ub}.
28. RUNA{g}ROUND. Less familiar variant of “runabout”. The word has a more usual meaning — see title.
DOWN
1. DRAM,A.
2. SETBACK. Composed of SET (placed) and BACK (bet). Easy enough if your first in was the light inclusive (hidden answer) at 14ac.
3. LAWN TENNIS. The rules are LAWS. They include in reverse order: IN (home), NET (goal) and the N from “decisioN”.
4. CURER. Two meanings.
5. DO,MINIONS. Wondered about “favourites” = MINIONS but Chambers approves and refers specifically to Princes having them.
And, of course, “I caught this morning morning’s minion ...”.
6. CA(R)P.
7. AMNESIA. Anagram of “men” in ASIA. Nicely deceptive definition.
8. PROOFREAD. P{age}; then OF, RE (religious ed.) inside ROAD.
13. GATEKEEPER. “Name” = TAG reversed = GAT. Then KEEP (subsistence) inside E’ER (always).
14. TOP-FLIGHT. This is TO LIGHT inc P{rivate} F{irm}. The literal is A1.
15. PIED PIPER. A cryptic definition.
17. NICE ONE. The cardinal (number) is NINE. Insert CE (church) and O{rganist}.
19. CHATEAU. Two drinks (CHA, TEA) + U (Universal, film rating, suitable for everyone — in the UK).
22. TUR(I)N.
23. YIELD. Anagram of {w}IDELY.
24. SNIP{e}.
Advert: The Stickler Weekly #2 is now available. Worth a look from occasional FT setter David Stickley.
Happy to have managed this under the 30 today. Thought it was going to take much longer with, as yesterday, lengthy hold ups in the SE. It took the longish 15ac, 13dn and 21ac to crack it. All three were excellent clues as they turned out and worth the effort. Perhaps it was the puzzle? Perhaps just because my (physiological) system is a bit down at the moment? One parsing I don’t quite get; hopefully while writing up the blog.
ACROSS
1. DISPLACED. This is DECID{e} inc ALPS; all reversed.
6. CRAMP. “Crush” = CRAM; P{icnic}.
9. ANTIWAR. Reverse IT (Italian) inside ANWAR. (Mr Sadat, assassinated in 1981. Nothing much seems to go well for Egyptian presidents it would seem.)
10. MARENGO. MAN, as so often, is our island. Insert RE (soldiers). Add GO (head for).
11. ALAN TURING. Is our “code expert”. {c}AL{l}, ANT, U, RING. Great charade and one to please the science fraternity; even if, at the time, they did nothing to prevent him being hounded to death for his sexual preferences.
12. AS OF. The def is “from”. A SOF{a}.
14. TAKEN. Hidden answer.
15. PROPAGATE. Sounds like “proper” and “gait”. The def is “broadcast”.
16. PENNILESS. The river (“banker”) NILE’S inside PENS (pounds).
18. EL CID. Alternate letters of “fEeLs ChIlD”.
20. LOCO. Still not sure of the parsing here. I suspect it’s LOC{k} = “jam almost” + O for “over” (cricket). Alternatives welcome.
21. APOTHECARY. Made up of A, POTHE{r} (fuss), CA (about), RY (railway = lines).
25. GROWN-UP. Anagram of “wrong” + UP (in court).
26. REPLETE. REP (theatre), LE (“the” French), T{heatr}E.
27. TWERP. T{o}WER (keep, minus O), P{ub}.
28. RUNA{g}ROUND. Less familiar variant of “runabout”. The word has a more usual meaning — see title.
DOWN
1. DRAM,A.
2. SETBACK. Composed of SET (placed) and BACK (bet). Easy enough if your first in was the light inclusive (hidden answer) at 14ac.
3. LAWN TENNIS. The rules are LAWS. They include in reverse order: IN (home), NET (goal) and the N from “decisioN”.
4. CURER. Two meanings.
5. DO,MINIONS. Wondered about “favourites” = MINIONS but Chambers approves and refers specifically to Princes having them.
And, of course, “I caught this morning morning’s minion ...”.
6. CA(R)P.
7. AMNESIA. Anagram of “men” in ASIA. Nicely deceptive definition.
8. PROOFREAD. P{age}; then OF, RE (religious ed.) inside ROAD.
13. GATEKEEPER. “Name” = TAG reversed = GAT. Then KEEP (subsistence) inside E’ER (always).
14. TOP-FLIGHT. This is TO LIGHT inc P{rivate} F{irm}. The literal is A1.
15. PIED PIPER. A cryptic definition.
17. NICE ONE. The cardinal (number) is NINE. Insert CE (church) and O{rganist}.
19. CHATEAU. Two drinks (CHA, TEA) + U (Universal, film rating, suitable for everyone — in the UK).
22. TUR(I)N.
23. YIELD. Anagram of {w}IDELY.
24. SNIP{e}.
Advert: The Stickler Weekly #2 is now available. Worth a look from occasional FT setter David Stickley.