Solving time : About 45 minutes. This presented a few more problems than yesterday’s easy one but progress was steady throughout and I didn’t get bogged down for too long anywhere. I can’t choose between 27 and 28 for my COD.
Across | |
---|---|
1 | SHRINK-RESISTANT – “Shrink” = “psychiatrist” here for the cryptic meaning |
9 | ASSURANCE – Two meanings. There is a misprint in the on-line clue “Wordaen in confidence”. Since confirmed it is “Word given in confidence” in the printed version. |
11 | DRY,DEN |
12 | METEORIC – (mice tore)* |
13 | PA’S,T IT |
15 | HO(T)P,LATE |
18 | S(hee)P,RINGER – I like “gutless sheep” = SP |
19 | AT,HENS – Rather corny |
26 | E,BONY – A cross-reference to the skeleton at 5 |
27 | AERODROME – (escap)E MORDOR EA(rly) – an excellent hidden word reversed and a candidate for my COD |
28 | DESSERTSPOONFUL – (sense for pud lots)* – reads really well and also in the running |
Down | |
1 | STAND UP – “with” = AND inside “places” = PUTS (rev.). “Set” being part of the definition I think, meaning a comedian’s act performed without a break. |
3 | NORWEGIAN – (0, in Wagner)* – it took me a while to spot the anagram fodder here, having wasted time playing with “like Grieg” until some checking letters ruled this out. |
4 | RUN,T |
5 | S(a)KE,LET ON |
6 | SA(B)LE – According to Chambers “sable” meaning “black” was originally used in heraldry but is now chiefly poetic, and this is the meaning required here. I must admit I’ve not met this before and have always associated it with coats of arms etc. |
7 | AFTER,CARE |
8 | TRE(A CL)E – Is treacle saplike? I haven’t been able to find any definiton that says so though “sugar” seems to be mentioned in connection with both. I feel I may be missing something here. |
14 | STRENUOUS – (on sutures)* |
16 | PUT(PAID)TO – I once spent ages working out PUTTO for “cupid” and have never forgotten it. |
17 | RE,LEVANT – The Levant being an old name for the region of Lebanon, Syria and Israel. I’m sure I knew it anyway but it has stuck firmly in my mind since reading Brideshead Revisited as the place Sebastian is sent on a mind- improving tour under the watchful eye of Mr Samgrass. |
18 | SUCCEED – Sounds like “suck seed”. |
20 | S(URR)EAL – I’d forgotten what a burro is but fortunately we only needed its innards here |
22 | STYLE – ST + ELY(rev.) |
25 | G,RIP – RIP short for riptide |
18D is an imperfect homophone. Once again a schwa and /u/ are equated, as with ‘sack son’/SAXON a couple of months ago. I suppose that considerable latitude is allowed on homophones so that more can be incorporated, but I find this a bit unsatisfactory.
I’ve just realised….I’m missing 17d… hang on a sec…..
I’ve used the link shown by Peter and others to bypass the login and get to the cryptic, but does anybody pse know how to get to the Listener one?
I’ve tried all the numbers from 0 to 10 without success and my history went long ago so I can’t look there.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/games_and_puzzles/article3083934.ece
I’ll have to ring them on Monday to get it sorted out before they clear off for the holidays.
I find that I now have to log in to Times online again, but am left high-and-dry after doing so with no obvious access to the club.
It seems that “testing” was being carried out on the live system, a state of affairs I find almost unbelievable.
As a setter I’m really embarrassed by the whole mess. I should emphasise that it’s nothing to do with the good folk who supply the puzzles and certainly nothing to do with our crossword editor who I’m sure is as vexed as anyone.
One of the meanings of TREACLE given in the on-line OED (available by courtesy of my local library – thank you, Ealing 🙂 is
which just about fits “sap-like” (give or a take an “inspissated”).
I hesitated over “wordaen”. There have been examples of non-words in the past, in fact I remember a championship final when Terry Girdlestone announced angrily that there was one present in one of the puzzles, only to be told angrily by Edmund Akenhead that it was deliberate. I’m pleased to learn that this was just a typo.
Valentine
But actually both Collins and Chambers primary definition of “sable” is an animal with dark brown fur and it’s the name given to that colour. It can also mean black by a separate definition.
A half dozen “easies” not explained in the blog including my LOI at 21a:
10a Hit man’s paddle (15)
BAT HE. I would equate bathing with significant to complete immersion. Paddling is just getting your feet wet.
21a Vessel to run easily round island (8)
CAN IS TER. Easy for horsey types?
23a Meat for every basket (6)
HAM PER. For every = for each? I s’pose.
2d Bible class on the heavens, admitting possibility of unpleasant outcome (5)
R.I. SKY. Like the disclaimer at the end of every company press release to the stock market.
22d Manner of saint uplifting cathedral city (5)
ST YLE. The crossword city of Ely – established in the Prewordean Era. Lovely cathedral – I heard the Faure Requiem performed there one cold but bright winter Sunday morning in the early Wordean Era.
24d Conclusive evidence to give a watertight case? (5)
PROOF