I am informed that Peridot has only set once before, so this is a rare bird. When the first answer is ‘Setter’, you wonder if there’s going to be some sort of message, but I can’t see one. Heavy on the anagrams but enjoyable and fairly straightforward. COD 15dn
Across | |
1 | One Barking High Street (6) |
SETTER – anagram (‘high’) of STREET | |
4 | Regret holding “escape” and “save” (6) |
RESCUE – RUE (regret) outside of ESC (‘escape’ key on a keyboard) | |
8 | Beginning to see, except when lacking light (7) |
SUNLESS – S[ |
|
10 | Impenetrable contents of hidden secret (5) |
DENSE – hidden word | |
11 | Figure lacking a horse (5) |
MOUNT – [ |
|
12 | Turn over decisive factor in what’s fitting for head? (7) |
CAPSIZE – cryptic definition | |
13 | Gate allowing one to enter until rest dispersed (9) |
TURNSTILE – anagram (‘dispersed’) of UNTIL REST | |
17 | Greek character not favouring Italian wine (7) |
CHIANTI – CHI (greek letter) + ANTI (not favouring) | |
19 | Small, tricky splinter (5) |
SHARD – S + HARD | |
20 | Some volume of books teaching religion (5) |
LITRE – LIT (books) RE (teaching religion) | |
21 | Put in shifts almost the whole of marriage (7) |
NUPTIAL – anagram (‘shifts’) of PUT IN, plus AL[ |
|
22 | Dessert that’s frozen, or best whipped (6) |
SORBET – anagram (‘whipped’) of OR BEST | |
23 | Ace fellow is a looker (6) |
ADONIS – A + DON + IS |
Down | |
1 | Source of oil in southeast unaltered (6) |
SESAME – SE + SAME | |
2 | Sure it won’t get muddled? It’s hard to say (6,7) |
TONGUE TWISTER – anagram (‘muddled’) of SURE IT WONT GET | |
3 | One choosing e-reader? (7) |
ELECTOR – E-LECTOR | |
5 | Ultimately become parody, losing head (3,2) |
END UP – SEND-UP minus the first letter | |
6 | Conservative faction getting share as payment (13) |
CONSIDERATION – CON + SIDE + RATION. | |
7 | Level, containing the French football team (6) |
ELEVEN – EVEN with LE inserted | |
9 | Sees coins, tossed, splitting (9) |
SECESSION – anagram (‘tossed’) of SEES COINS | |
14 | Trendy drink I had is bland (7) |
INSIPID – IN + SIP + I’D | |
15 | What may cover Pisces or Libra (6) |
SCALES – cryptic/double definition. Nice. | |
16 | Goes off seat, second to last (6) |
ADDLES – SADDLE with S for second put last | |
18 | French city hosting English relation (5) |
NIECE – NICE with E inside |
Very tough – too clever for me and a DNF.
Scales and litre very good but I missed the LIT bit.
A super puzzle – new setter for me, but a very satisfying solve, with plenty of misdirection and some lovely PDMs. More, please!
11:41
Once again failing in the 50/50 choice of spelling for the suffix that indicates a doer of things. I went for ER and it was of course OR.