Saturday Times 24718a (11th Dec – paper)

Author   linxitPosted on Categories Weekend Cryptic
Solving time 17:17 (one wrong, as it turned out). A double treat for us last Saturday (or a cock-up, depending on how you want to spin it). Two different crosswords were published: one in the paper, another one online. I’ll do the paper one first, as it was the better of the two by far.

Across
1 DESSERTS – it’s an old chestnut that this is the reverse of 28A, but this is an excellent and original treatment of it.
5 TWELVE – T(ime) + WE’VE around L(eft), a pretty much perfect &lit.
10 SUITED AND BOOTED – (I’d be astounded to)*. Brilliant anagram. So far I’m seriously impressed.
11 GLOBULE – U(niversity) + L (student) inside GLOBE (Shakespeare’s famous open-air theatre).
12 NEW YEAR – (Were any)*. Another very good (and seasonal) &lit.
13 UNDERSEA – “under-see”, homophonic opposite of “overlook”. Definition is the adjective rather than the noun.
15 OREAD – 0 (love) + READ (acquire knowledge). A mountain nymph, hence “being in range?” as the definition.
18 PARIS – PARIS(h).
20 THANATOS – (had not sat)* minus the D. The personification of Death in Greek mythology.
23 CLAMOUR – C (circa, about) + L’AMOUR (French for an affair, i.e. of Paris).
25 HALCYON – HON (loved one – short for Honey) around (lacy)*. “Happy and carefree” is a direct quote from the dictionary as a definition of HALCYON as an adjective.
26 BACK TO SQUARE ONE – double definition, one of them humorous.
27 RETORT -R(ight) + TORT (wrong) around E (last letter of “difference”).
28 STRESSED – S(ucceeded) + TRESSED (for West Ham, maybe, having Barnet). This is Cockney rhyming slang – Barnet Fair = hair. Confusingly verbose, but reasonable surface reading about a football match.

Down
1 DESIGN – DEIGN around S(econd).
2 SHIP-OWNER – SHINER (black eye) around P(unches) + OW (that hurt!)
3 EXECUTE – EXE (SW runner, i.e. river) + CUTE (pleasing).
4 TRACE – alternate letters of TuRn A sCrEw.
6 WHO’S WHO – (Show how)*, Debrett’s catalogue of the rich and famous.
7 LOTTE – hidden inside “inkbLOT TEst”.
8 ELDORADO – E(uropean) + (old road)*
9 EDENTATA – EDEN (lovely garden) + TA-TA (so long), a genus of animals which includes anteaters, sloths and armadillos.
14 SATIRIST – S(peed-dating) + AT + 1 + “wrist” (talked-about joint). I don’t think the dictionary supports the definition though, as “one who ridicules” rather than “one who is ridiculed”.
16 EPONYMOUS – PONY + MOUSE, with the E of MOUSE at the top. The books are both by Henry Williamson.
17 SPACE BAR – self-referential definition, which assumes the setter doesn’t write his clues out with pen and paper! A good trick, but you could only use it once.
19 SHOOTER SNORTER – double definition. A much better answer supplied by Anonymous in the comments. I was a bit unhappy with my original answer but it was all I could think of at the time.
21 AT LARGE – ATE (mischief-maker, Greek goddess of folly, delusion etc) around LARG(o) (almost all “movement that’s slow”).
22 INTEND – IN (at work) + TEND (nurse), definition is 1dn (design).
24 ASCOT – AS + COT. A type of silk tie often worn at formal daytime weddings.
25 HAUNT – HUNT around A(rea).

11 comments on “Saturday Times 24718a (11th Dec – paper)”

  1. Great puzzle, this, and really tricky. I took me a little over an hour. I had to check a few bits of ancient mythology post-solve but fortunately got everything right.
  2. Did this in bed this morning with a nice cup of tea. A very enjoyable 55 mins. Had to laugh at “being in range” as the def. for OREAD. It’s moments like that which occasionally makes the Times cryptic such a delight!
  4. Really struggling with todays crossword. Been picking it up all day but still only have 2 answers. Anyone care to throw me a couple of answers to help me on my way?? Think I have 24a and 5d. Thanks!
  5. I really enjoyed this crossword in contrast to today’s which was a dull unrewarding slog reliant on too many obscurities and where convoluted wordplay was the order of the day. Definitely one to miss in my opinion if you haven’t yet started.
    1. Do you have a couple of answers though? Been really struggling. Managed about half of last weeks which wasnt too bad for me! Thanks
      1. The site does not supply answers for a prize crossword while entries can still be submitted, as this is deemed unfair on the competition entrants. There are other sites with answers on however as a google search will demonstrate.
  7. Finally got round to doing this yesterday, it having taken me a week to obtain a copy.. worth the wait, though it took me almost an hour to solve, off and on..

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